We dined at Mrs. Shaw Safe’s. Sir Arthur Herbert took me in to dinner, and we had much talk of the war. He echoed Kitchener’s wish that some bomb might fall in London to wake up the people; said that our papers gave better news than the English. He spoke of the behavior of a certain type of his people, who wrote letters to the papers, complaining when German waiters were dismissed from hotels “that it was hard on their wives and children.” Said that in the clubs Austrians and Germans were allowed, the common law holding that if you elected a German a member of your club, you could not put him out. Said that in wartime these civil laws should be set aside for military laws. Said a certain German nobleman, of whom many people were very fond, had a big house in the country, where all the important political people visited. It was proved that all the servants at this house were German soldiers or spies. The place is still honeycombed with spies. He himself had been hoodwinked completely. Until war was declared, he had no suspicion that Germany was unfriendly to England. Had heard that the Crown Prince said to Mrs. Whitehouse (née Armour) that Germany wanted war; would crush France first, England second, and two years later, would come to America! * * * * * Boston, December 1, 1914. Busy all day preparing for the Belgian Relief meeting at Tremont Temple, where I am to preside. The meeting was very fine. I took great pains, wrote out my speeches, and took the whole day to think out what I should say. Thrilled by the sight of the familiar old hall, crowded to its capacity; there were thirty-five hundred people present and one thousand turned away. I introduced first Margaret Deland, next Josephine Peabody Marks, last Madame Vandervelde. Major Henry Higginson, who has just celebrated his eightieth birthday, sat in the front row, many other old friends scattered through the house. Madame Vandervelde was deeply interesting. We took in $5,000 for the Belgians. It was a heart-warming occasion, reminding me of many notable gatherings in Tremont Temple in the old heroic time. Isn’t this perhaps the new heroic time? I think so. To see Mrs. Gardner’s new additional rooms at Fenway Court. The Chinese room downstairs like a Chinese temple, rather awful in its dark thrill, like a tomb. These new rooms seem to me the best in the palace.