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WHAT THE QUEEN OF HOLLAND IS DOING TO PRESERVE PEACE

If you were only in Holland for a few days you would find out that Wilhelmina is the best ruler in Europe and one of the ablest stateswomen. No sooner had Europe gone to war than she had her government give orders for mobilization. Little Holland was the first after the declaration of war to declare neutrality, and they have kept their faith in not giving aid nor showing any partiality to either side. This has been no small task, for England has been pressing her on one side to join the allies and Germany would like to use her in a material way, especially in the bringing in of food supplies. England has time and again made charges that she was assisting Germany in spite of her neutrality. On the other hand England has several times seized food supplies that belonged to Holland, saying that she was importing them to send them on to Germany.

In spite of these difficulties, such as seizing Dutch boats, because they carried Germans and Austrians going home to fight for their country, the Queen of Holland, backed by her country, has shown an abundance of common sense.

At a recent opening of Parliament she addressed her people, saying she hoped she could keep perfect neutrality. This they would do unless they were forced into the war, for both she and her people wanted peace more than anything else in the world.

In order to maintain this peace in an honorable way, she, sided by her ministers, has done everything in her power to make a bold stand should one or the other of the nations cross the boundary.

When in Holland a few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to cross one of the Dutch frontiers. The boundary was well guarded with men to see that none of the marching men nor contraband of war should be carried across the border.

The entire standing army and a large part of the reserves, nearly a hundred thousand men in all, are scattered between the cities and the boundaries. It is said that she can call a much larger force to the front in case of actual warfare than she has at present. In nearly all the large cities, such as The Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, I saw a large number of young men going through all kinds of military tactics. They were learning how to drill, how to fire, how to dig ditches and build impromptu forts in haste.

That Holland is determined to make a bold stand and fight for her rights if needed, is shown by the fact that she has mined her coast and dynamited her bridges so that she can cut her dams on short notice.

There was such a rumor the day we were at The Hague. It had been falsely rumored that the German Consul had been recalled that day and that the country would be flooded within twenty-four hours.

The Dutch took little credence of these wild rumors, and continued their business and went through their work of mobilizing in the same quiet, energetic way. In spite of their delicate position, there is not a country in Europe that seemed less interested in the war than this north country. The hotel-keepers were too busy looking after the welfare and comforts of tired Americans to take time to discuss war. The shopkeepers were too busy supplying the tourists who had any money left with old Dutch silver and delftware to worry about the war. While the steamship company were too occupied enlarging their boats with auxiliary cabins, getting extra crews and recalling their captains, who had already been sent to the front, to bother their heads about war scares. It may be a mere coincidence, still it is a strange one, that some of the persecuted forefathers fled from England and remained in Holland until they came to our America. It is just a little strange that an American gave such a handsome peace palace to the world, and it should find its place in Holland. It is no less strange that the Queen of Holland and her ministers have taken such an active part in all the peace movements. In the last few weeks they have been most energetic in succoring Americans who fled from Germany and Austria, and she has been most active in getting these refugees home.

As I saw the Queen of Holland leave her palace one afternoon in an automobile, the crowds waiting about her palace to greet her showed that she is near and dear to all her subjects. The fact that she was not surrounded by any soldiers or civil service men shows that she has nothing to fear from assassins. Every man in the crowd took off his hat as a mark of respect, while the women greeted her with shouts and the waving of handkerchiefs.

Though she is the third richest ruler in Europe, she refuses to indulge in any foolish extravagance. Her palace at The Hague is pretty, but simple, while she finds the one in Amsterdam too large and too expensive for common use. She spends a large part of her own private fortune for providing Creches, an old people's home. She is never so happy as when she finds among her people an energetic mother with a good-sized family. The one great unhappiness in Queen Wilhelmina's girlhood was that she wanted children and was deprived of having them. Her mother and friends say that she has grown ten years younger since she had her little daughter. She is the pride of her mother's heart, though the Queen makes every effort to see that she is not pampered by herself or her subjects.

Although Queen Wilhelmina is fonder of her home and more interested in the welfare of her subjects than she is of public life, she is a splendid stateswoman and diplomat.

She never signs any paper, whether it is important or unimportant, without carefully studying its contents. There is little about the history of her people or her kingdom that she does not know, for she believes much of her ability as a ruler depends on her knowledge of the past history of her country. She is very proud of her own ancestors and her people, because she says that they have been brave at sea and at home and have always aimed to play fair. She has not been blind to the fact that her neighbor, England, has been jealous of some of her colonies, especially of Java. But she does not believe in worrying about that fact.

On the other hand, she is also aware that in the past Germany dreamed of some day uniting Holland to her own territory, if not by conquest by the coming of a German heir. The Queen smiles when she thinks of the Dutch people becoming English or Germans, for she says they are too fond of flowers, windmills, cows and meadows to be anything but good Dutch people. The Queen of Holland realizes that her people are divided in their feeling in this war. The peasants and the fisherfolk feel that they have more to gain by being friends of England, and they are strong pro-English in their feeling. The aristocratic party sympathizes with Germany, either because they have large business interests in Germany or they are related by inter-marriage. Though the Queen of Holland is married to a German prince, her attitude is one of neutrality in thought and action. Whenever any of her politicians or friends try to get her frank opinion she changes the subject by talking of home affairs, such as "How is your lovely wife and your family?" Because she is interested in the things nearest to her country and to her heart, she develops the trades of her people instead of spending their money for building great bulwarks of defense against the enemy that may want to devour her. She places more confidence in the men of her country and their loyalty, aided by her dams and dykes, than in a large costly army and navy.

WHAT ROYAL WOMEN ARE DOING WHILE THEIR HUSBANDS ARE AT WAR

It is a well-known fact, that in case of war, monarchs have a new responsibility thrown upon them, for they become commanders of the army along with their executive duties. Most of these direct their campaigns from their own royal palaces and from the ministry of war. An exception to this is that of Albert First, third king of Belgium, and the Emperor of Germany.

When King Albert saw that his country was being attacked, and his people in danger, he took command of the army and left his wife to guard his three lovely children. Crown Prince Leopold, aged thirteen; Prince Charles, aged eleven, and the little Princess Marie Jose, aged nine. It was with trepidation and great grief that he told his young and beautiful Queen Elizabeth, of Belgium, formerly Princess of Bavaria, good-by. She reminded him that her courage and determination had in no small part contributed to the reconstruction of the commerce, finance and order of their kingdom. If she had done this much she certainly could look after her own family now and do her part to ease the suffering of her people. She showed that this was more than a promise, for as soon as orders came for the evacuation of Brussels she and her children left the palace and sought a new and simple home in the heavily fortified town of Antwerp. This queen, who had endeared herself to her people by her heroism and thoughtfulness, was determined to do her duty now as she has always done since her husband came to the throne. Wasting no time, she planned for the comforts of her children for the time she would be gone, and then enrolled as a Red Cross nurse. She has entered thousands of homes, left grief-stricken by the horrors of war, and has comforted thousands of heart-broken wives and mothers. Kind words are only a small part of her methods. Where they have been destitute for want of money and food she has made every effort to see that they were relieved of these material wants. Not discouraged by the fact that she can get but a limited amount of money from the public treasury at this time, she uses most of her private fortune to carry on her work. In towns where she has visited and found families left shelterless, by the burning and sacking of homes, she has worked with tremendous energy to get these families into safe quarters and paid the rent herself. She has found work for hundreds of women to do in the fields and has given Red Cross work to many more, paying them out of her own purse. The Empress of Germany was not crushed by the news that Germany was about to enter into a world war. When her husband appeared on the royal balcony and made his address to his people she was at his side, and though her face looked careworn there was no sign of weakening. While he was busy consulting with high government officials and ministry of war she was equally energetic doing her part to organize the Red Cross work throughout her empire. She at once gave thirty thousand dollars to the national fund, and from time to time has added to the general contribution. It is said that the Emperor wept when he heard there was no alternative but war and explained to his sons that they must all go to the front at once, but his consort showed no sign of weakening, as she told her sons, one by one, good-by, and even when the Sunday night came and she had to bid farewell to her husband. She busies herself all day sewing for the Red Cross and visiting the many hospitals in Berlin, to which thousands of wounded soldiers are brought.

Though the Crown Princess Cecelia has had the reputation of being worldly-minded and fond of all out-door sports, ever since the war broke out she has shown that she has a very serious side to her make-up. She was in Potsdam with her four boys when the war news came, and when the Crown Prince hurriedly made up his mind to go to Berlin, she and the children accompanied him. When they drove through the streets thousands of her country women greeted her with shouts and tossing of flowers and her happy, sweet manner, so free from fear, did much to inspire them with added courage. She drove to the station with her husband when he went to join his regiment, and instead of shedding tears she laughingly suggested that he write her and the children a love letter every day. Then she busied herself looking after the palace she had given over for a hospital, looking after every detail of its furnishing. Though she has four children of her own, who take much of her time, she never lets a day pass without visiting this hospital in person and makes it a point to see that every need of the wounded soldiers is gratified. She has given much enthusiasm to her two sisters-in-law, along with many thousands of German women, in their Red Cross efforts. Because of her energy there are few circles of women in Berlin, even to the American women living there, who are not doing Red Cross work.

Though Holland was the first country to mobilize its army after war was declared, the Queen of Holland explained to her people that since Holland was a peace-loving country, it would keep the strictest neutrality. Though the country has been goaded on by the promises of gains on both sides, their little Dutch ruler has refused to allow her people to do the slightest thing that might break her neutrality. Though not a week has passed since the war began, without there being rumors that Holland was about to be thrown into the arena of war and the country to be flooded, Queen Wilhelmina tends to her affairs of state and goes about her social duties just as though Europe were in a state of perfect tranquility. On the opening of Parliament, the other day, she discussed conditions and expenses caused by the war and explained that whatever this mobilization might cost they would continue to enforce this principle of neutrality.

Queen Mary, of England, has always enjoyed the reputation of being a good mother and a capable housekeeper, rather than a social leader, since her husband came to the throne. But ever since war was declared, in England, she has been tremendously active in doing her share to supervise and enlarge the Red Cross work. Though she never discusses the war with her husband or friends she spends every bit of her leisure making the rounds through all the hospitals in London, which are looking after wounded soldiers. Very wealthy, in her own right, she has contributed quite a fortune to increasing the number of hospitals in London and adding to the Red Cross staff. Her approach is always known by the many bundles she brings with her. More than once she has heard a sick soldier ask for something special to eat, a new pipe or a book, and she makes it a point the next day to see that his wish is gratified. Though she has the reputation of being reticent among her friends, she never goes through a ward without passing a personal remark to every one of the wounded soldiers. Every one of her acquaintances at court is doing Red Cross work, and many of them have entered into actual nursing on the battlefield largely through their queen's initiative.

Though Queen Elena of Italy is a Montenegrin princess, she has discouraged her people from joining the Allies, after they had promised neutrality. At times this is no easy matter, as all of Italy seems eager either to join the German flag or the standard of the Allies. Though it would seem that the Queen might share the prejudices of her people, still she has not forgotten the promises her country has made to Germany and Austria. Because of this fact she allows nobody in her presence, whether friends or employes in her home, to enter into a discussion of the present war.

It is also well known that Roumania only needs a spark to catch the flame, believing it may be possible for her to get something out of this present upheaval, but their sensible Queen Carmen Sylvia is using her talented pen to speak the word of peace, while her daughter-in-law is employing her schools of sewing to contribute their part to the national Red Cross work. The lovely Queen of Greece never loses an opportunity, and up to the present time has been a potent factor in keeping her country out of war. Though America has no queen to inspire us to the needs of suffering humanity in this crisis, through the initiative of many noble women, a Red Cross ship was fitted up at great expense to bring money, nurses and hospital supplies to all the Powers at war. Hundreds of circles are busy at work in many of our cities sewing for the National Red Cross Society, or for some special Red Cross center. Thousands of women, made refugees by the war in Europe, many of whom are still unable to get home, are giving much of their time and as much money as they can afford to the Red Cross work. No less important has been their work of praying that war shall end and peace shall once more be established. For these women are determined that, if their voice counts, life shall never again be destroyed by war.

WHAT WILL THE ROYAL CHILDREN DO IF THEIR PARENTS ARE PUT OUT OF BUSINESS?

It has been rumored time and again that there is a possibility of most of the monarchs being put out of business by this war. The question then presents itself: "What may happen to their children?" Certainly if the Emperor were to be exiled, his sons have been so well educated that they will have no trouble in making a living at home or abroad. All except the youngest one, Prince Joachim, have visited one or the other of the German Universities. They are well versed in the history of all countries as well as the literature and fine arts, so they would have little trouble in offering themselves as exchange professors in some of our large American universities. Certainly their culture and information as to the real causes of the war would be valuable, and it would also do much to bring the two countries into closer and friendlier relations.

If the Crown Prince did not favor this idea he would be counted an asset with his charming wife and their lovely family, both in our diplomatic society in Washington and among the most ultra society of Newport. For both the Crown Prince and his charming wife are very fond of Americans and have always shown a decided interest for everything American including the tango, ragtime, golf and tennis.

If the Czar of Russia should be put out of business he would find that his young heir would have to become more of an athlete and less pampered to be popular among young American boys, especially if he ever aspired to an American university. Still the Czarina's daughters are so beautiful and charming they would soon be made welcome wherever they went. Their perfect manners and careful education would make them noticed anywhere and they are all beautiful dancers.

The Prince of Wales, much like his grandfather, King Edward, is a born diplomat and might certainly make himself valuable at our diplomatic court in Washington. Diplomacy is his natural bent, though he has felt it his duty to study the tactics of the navy. He has traveled much and has made it a point to study the life of a people wherever he has gone. His younger brothers have had a fine military and naval training and could certainly become officers in our own navy. His sister, the Princess Mary, is as charming as she is unspoiled. Clothes and jewels play a small part in her life. She is a great reader and fond of traveling. Her bringing up might show many an American mother how to bring up a daughter, heir to wealth and position, without being spoiled.

If the King of Italy were to be put out of business along with the others, his family, as neighbors, would be a pleasure anywhere, for both his little daughters and his two sons are as unspoiled as any children could be expected to be. They ride horseback, climb mountains, and fish and enjoy any kind of outdoor life without being a nuisance to their people or those about them.

The Queen of Belgium has three young children, just like steps. Though they are the loveliest among the royal children, they are the least spoiled. When their mother assumed the duties of housewife in Brussels, she surrounded her children with plain, wholesome conditions. The late King Leopold had robbed the palace of much of its splendor, but this sensible Queen was pleased to see that her children could be brought up in a plain atmosphere. Her two boys are splendid sailors and would have no trouble in entering the naval academy in our own country, while her little daughter knows all about housekeeping and is a beautiful sewer. She would certainly be a prize to any young man looking for a sensible wife.

Though kings sometimes have queer ideas as to what is best for their country, they, advised by their wives, nearly always train their children in a plain, sensible fashion. Though they are surrounded by luxury, they enjoy very little of it themselves. Before they are very old their hours are filled with study of some kind, and they are given little time for play. Their days are crowded with military tactics, studies of their own and foreign countries, and diplomatic relations. An hour or two of rest a day is considered sufficient recreation and their summer vacations are limited to weeks instead of months.