The Crown Princess of Prussia also came to South Street, and "she let me tell her," wrote Miss Nightingale,[127] "a good deal of behind the scenes of Prussian Ambulance work. I do like her so very much and twice as much now that she is really worn and ripened by genuine hard work and anxiety." This visit was productive of large results. The Princess and Miss Nightingale had been in communication throughout the war--partly by direct correspondence, and partly through an English lady, Miss Florence Lees, who was serving in German hospitals. At the beginning of the war the Princess had telegraphed and written to Miss Nightingale begging her to recommend a thoroughly competent English lady for such duty. Miss Lees (Mrs. Dacre Craven) had been sent; she was one of the ablest of the ladies who received training at the Nightingale School, and was presently to play an important part in the development of trained nursing in London. Miss Lees was placed by the Crown Princess in charge of the nursing at a war hospital which she had arranged at Homburg; Miss Lees was also employed to visit and report upon the war hospitals at Metz and other places. She was in constant correspondence with Miss Nightingale, who from this and many other sources of information had formed a very poor opinion of the Prussian nursing, medical and ambulance service. After collating various reports with Dr. Sutherland, Miss Nightingale said to him that "the abnormally bad among the Crimean hospitals were luxurious compared with the normal Prussian hospitals." "The only Prussian hospitals up to the present standard of sanitary experience," she added, "are those of the Princess herself, and in them it was H.R.H. who taught the doctors, and not the doctors who taught her." I do not know whether she communicated to the Princess the further opinion that the root of the evil was the bureaucracy; "it shows what it means to be without the free play of public opinion, through Parliament and press, which calls every Public Office, and almost every Society, to account." But upon the facts Miss Nightingale spoke freely, as she was requested to do, and the Princess asked her to send documents:-- (_The Crown Princess of Germany to Miss Nightingale._) OSBORNE, _July_ 28 [1871]. I return the deeply interesting and important papers which the Crown Prince and myself have read _most_ attentively and word for word. The Crown Prince wishes me to thank you particularly for your having let him see these papers. Much was not new to him. You _know_ how much interest he takes in sanitary matters, how anxious he is for reforms wherever needed. Every remark offered is therefore always gratefully received by us. Let me repeat, dear Miss Nightingale, how great a happiness it was to me to see you again. Ever yours, with sincerest admiration and respect, VICTORIA, CROWN PRINCESS OF GERMANY. [127] Letter to Harriet Martineau, Sept. 20, 1870.