thus.  To read the story of the Armada one would believe that the English destroyed this dangerous Spanish fleet.  As a matter of fact, competent historians know that certainly one-half of the glory for that feat goes to the Dutch sailors, who prevented the Spaniards from getting their supplies, their pilots, and their auxiliary army.  These are merely examples.  They are all small things.  But there are so many of them, they return with such persistent regularity, that we would feel very little inclination to risk our national existence for a nation which, according to our feeling, (rightly or wrongly, I am not debating that question,) has never treated us with fairness, and which we had to fight for over three centuries before it would accept those general principles of international law which first of all were laid down by Grotius in the beginning of the seventeenth century.

Remember, however, that this does not mean any hostility to England.  Mr. Wells undoubtedly knows that our ships have invariably done noble work in rescuing the victims of submarine attacks.  He will know that our Government (to the great anger of Germany) has construed the articles of several international treaties in the most liberal way and has immediately released all such British subjects as were thrown upon our coast through the accidents of war.  He will also know, if he has read the papers, that our entire country has turned out to do homage to the bravery of those men.  The danger to the sailor of a British man-of-war who lands in Holland is that he will be killed by a severe attack of nicotine poisoning caused by the cigars which the people, in their desire to show their feelings and unable to break the strict law of neutrality, shower upon the Englishman who is fished out of the North Sea by our trawlers or our steamers.

But away deep under this very strong personal sympathy for England, and with very sincere admiration for the British form of government, the people of Holland cannot easily overcome a feeling of vague distrust that the nation which in the past has so often abused them cannot entirely be counted upon to treat them justly this time.  Incidentally, I may say that the bungling of Mr. Churchill in Antwerp, which we know much better than do the people of England, is another reason why we are a bit afraid of the island across the North Sea.

We are indeed in the position of a dog that has often been beaten innocently and that is now smiled upon and asked to be good and attack another person who has never done him any harm.  The comparison may not be very flattering to us, but Mr. Wells will understand what I mean.  We have had the Germans with us always.  Personally, taking them by and large, we like them not.  Their ways are not our ways.  Our undisciplined race abhors their system.  We have seen the misery which they caused in Belgium more closely than any one else.  The endless letters and pamphlets with which the Germans have inundated