She was far removed from the scenes of strife and knew little of the hidden springs and causes of the war.

Excepting in the case of a few of her public men; her editors, professors and scholars, European politics were as a sealed book.

The president of the United States declared for neutrality; that individual and nation should avoid the inflaming touch of the war passion.

We kept that attitude as long as was consistent with national patience and the larger claims of HUMANITY and universal JUSTICE.
As an evidence of our lack of knowledge of the impending conflict, a party of Christian men were on the sea with the humanitarian object in view of attending a world's peace conference in Constance, Germany--Germany of all places, then engaged in trying to burn up the world.

Arriving in Paris, the party received its first news that a great European war was about to begin.