_May 23d._
Denmark is hospitable, inexpensive, and friendly. We have seen the
Egans frequently. They have been more than kind. Mr. Egan has been
in Denmark eleven years--a longer period than any other diplomat in
our service to-day has held a post. By common consent, he is the most
popular diplomat in Denmark. The other Ministers keep dashing in and
out, getting advice from Mr. Egan....
Among the other qualities of a perfect diplomat which Mr. and Mrs. Egan
possess, they have that of never making a "break." Therefore, they gave
us (principally me) what we needed--advice as to caution in speech,
behavior, facial expression, and etiquette, also warning us against
writing anything down on paper. It's going to be hard on me. I never
was born to be indefinite. I am practising conversing diplomatically.
"Mrs. Bullitt, Verdun has been taken and Paris is about to surrender."
"Really? How curious. Battles are so interesting, aren't they?"
"Mrs. Bullitt, if it were not for American ammunition, the war would
have ended in six months."
"Yes, battles _are_ dangerous, aren't they?" Whereas, I _might_ mention
our Spanish war and certain famous German munition factories. So, the
crest of idiotic amiability being reached, we move on to the weather.
Count Szechenyi, the Austro-Hungarian Minister, thinks it would be a
good plan for us to go to Vienna and Pest, as so little has been seen
of them during the war. He has very kindly written to people there that
we are coming. I played tennis with him this afternoon at the club, he
in his suspenders and monocle, and I in street clothes, with a pair of
borrowed tennis shoes two inches too long on my feet, and a racket like
a spoon, as a means of defence, in my hand....