In a very short time, however, events in Belgium and France made too deep an impression for any room to be left to the lighter side of things, and such incidents were avoided by more careful forethought and organization. The Swiss and other Neutrals held separate reception days for the Allies and their antagonists, and official receptions at the Palais Fédéral were accurately scheduled as to time, so as to avoid any untoward meetings of the representatives of the belligerent nations. The severance became complete, though it required a little time to accomplish. The Diplomatic Tennis Club, for instance—a favourite resort for tennis in summer and skating in winter—had likewise to modify its rules to meet the changed conditions. As a mode of partition between the Allies and the Central Empires the even dates were allotted to one side, the uneven to the other. How it came about no one exactly knew, but the Central Empires secured the uneven, thus gaining the advantage of seven extra days in the year, as the least calculating found out in the course of time. Gradually the new "modus vivendi" became established; and, indeed, the news reaching Berne of the urgent demands from many quarters for help developing the instinctive desire to be of some service in the struggle at hand, more and more restricted the purely social functions. When the idea of the "B.L.R.C.O." was suggested by Lady Grant Duff, she, together with Mme. Pageot, organized a "Thé-Tombola," the first social function started in German Switzerland for charitable purposes in the Allied cause. The success of this so far exceeded all calculations, that arrangements for tea made for about 300 visitors were called upon to provide for more than double that number, the net result in funds amounting to the gratifying total of frs. 22,000 towards French and British Red Cross work. Later, again, when the prisoners of war had arrived and been interned some little time in Switzerland, and had accumulated a good deal of work to be disposed of, a series of bazaars was held in the large towns by the French and Swiss. In these the British took part, their stall of carpets, arranged by Miss Martin, making a handsome and very successful exhibit amongst others, such as bookbinding, leather work, etc. It was a pleasure, too, to see some, however few, lovely wooden box designs, one with figures and animals in high relief. Wood-carving was a talent I had no idea our men possessed, but which these samples conclusively proved they did.