Give my regards to all my American friends; and I'm proud to say there are a good many of them." * * * * * One episode that was greatly stirring both Great Britain and the United States at this time was the trial of Sir Roger Casement, the Irish leader who had left Wilhelmshaven for Ireland in a German submarine and who had been captured at Tralee in the act of landing arms and munitions for an Irish insurrection.

Casement's subsequent trial and conviction on a charge of high treason had inspired a movement in his favour from Irish-Americans, the final outcome of which was that the Senate, in early August, passed a resolution asking the British Government for clemency and stipulating that this resolution should be presented to the Foreign Office.

Page was then on the ocean bound for the United States and the delicate task of presenting this document to Sir Edward Grey fell upon Mr.Laughlin, who was now Charge d'affaires.

Mr.Laughlin is a diplomat of great experience, but this responsibility at first seemed to be something of a poser even for him.

He had received explicit instructions from Washington to present this resolution, and the one thing above all which a diplomatic officer must do is to carry out the orders of his government, but Mr.Laughlin well knew that, should he present this paper in the usual manner, the Foreign Secretary might decline to receive it; he might regard it as an interference with matters that exclusively concerned the sovereign state.