A devoted churchwoman, she grieved over the treatment accorded by the invading German Army to the priests and nuns of Belgium.  She referred to her own Bavarian birth, and to the confidence both King Albert and she had always felt in the friendliness of Germany.

“I am a Bavarian,” she said.  “I have always, from my childhood, heard this talk that Germany must grow, must get to the sea.  I thought it was just talk—­a pleasantry!”

She had seen many of the diaries of German soldiers, had read them in the very room where we were sitting.  She went quite white over the recollection and closed her eyes.

“It is the women and children!” she said.  “It is terrible!  There must be killing.  That is war.  But not this other thing.”

And later on she said, in reference to German criticism of King Albert’s course during the early days of the war: 

“Any one who knows the King knows that he cannot do a wrong thing.  It is impossible for him.  He cannot go any way but straight.”

And Queen Elisabeth was right.  Any one who knows King Albert of Belgium knows that “he cannot go any way but straight.”

The conversation shifted to the wounded soldiers and to the Queen’s anxiety for them.  I spoke of her hospital as being a remarkable one—­practically under fire, but moving as smoothly as a great American institution, thousands of miles from danger.  She had looked very sad, but at the mention of the Ocean Ambulance her face brightened.  She spoke of its equipment; of the difficulty in securing supplies; of the new surgery, which has saved so many limbs from amputation.  They were installing new and larger sterilisers, she said.

“Things are in as good condition as can be expected now,” she said.  “The next problem will come when we get back into our own country.  What are the people to do?  So many of the towns are gone; so many farms are razed!”

The Queen spoke of Brand Whitlock and praised highly his work in Brussels.  From that to the relief work was only a step.  I spoke of the interest America was taking in the relief work, and of the desire of so many American women to help.

“We are grateful for anything,” she said.  “The army seems to be as comfortable as is possible under the circumstances; but the people, of course, need everything.”

Inevitably the conversation turned again to the treatment of the Belgian people by the Germans; to the unnecessary and brutal murders of noncombatants; to the frightful rapine and pillage of the early months of the war.  Her Majesty could not understand the scepticism of America on this point.  I suggested that it was difficult to say what any army would do when it found itself in a prostrate and conquered land.

“The Belgian Army would never have behaved so,” said Her Majesty.  “Nor the English; nor the French.  Never!”