The great power in Germany at that time was the Chancellor, Prince Bismarck. Nothing could be more friendly and simple than his greeting, and however stately his official entertainments to the diplomatic corps might be, simplicity reigned at his family dinners, when his conversation was apparently frank and certainly delightful. To him I shall devote another chapter.

In those days an American minister at Berlin was likely to find his personal relations with the German Minister of Foreign Affairs cordial, but his official relations continuous war. Hardly a day passed without some skirmish regarding the rights of "German-Americans" in their fatherland. The old story constantly recurs in new forms. Generally it is sprung by some man who has left Germany just at the age for entering the army, has remained in America just long enough to secure naturalization, and then, without a thought of discharging any of his American duties, has come back to claim exemption from his German duties and to flout his American-citizen papers in the face of the authorities of the province where he was born. This is very galling to these authorities, from the fact that such Americans are often inclined to glory over their old schoolmates and associates who have not taken this means of escaping military duty; and it is no wonder that these brand-new citizens, if their papers are not perfectly regular, are sometimes held for desertion until the American representative can intervene.

Still other cases are those where fines have been imposed upon men of this class for non-appearance when summoned to military duty, and an American minister is expected to secure their remission.

To understand the position of Germany, let us suppose that our Civil War had left our Union—as at one time seemed likely -embracing merely a small number of Middle States and covering a space about as large as Texas, with a Confederacy on our southern boundary bitterly hostile; another hostile nation extending from the west bank of the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains; a Pacific Confederation jealous and fault-finding; British Dominions to the northward filled with a sense of commercial and personal grievances; and New England a separate and doubtful factor in the whole situation. In that case we, too, would have established a military system

akin to that of Germany; but whether we would have administered it as reasonably as Germany has done is very doubtful.

Fortunately for the United States and for me, there was in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when I arrived, one of the most admirable men I have ever known in such a position-Baron von Bülow. He came of an illustrious family, had great influence with the old Emperor William, with Parliament, and in society, was independent, large in his views, and sincerely devoted to maintaining the best relations between his country and ours. In cases such as those just referred to he was very broad-minded, and in one of the first which I had to present to him, when I perhaps showed some nervousness, he said: “Mr. Minister, don't allow cases of this kind to vex you; I had rather give the United States two hundred doubtful cases every year than have the slightest ill feeling arise between us." This being the fact, it was comparatively easy to deal with him. Unfortunately, he died early during my stay, and some of the ministers who succeeded him had neither his independence nor his breadth of view.

It has sometimes seemed to me, while doing duty at the German capital in those days as minister, and at a more recent period as ambassador, that I could not enter my office without meeting some vexatious case. One day it was an American who, having thought that patriotism required him, in a crowded railway-carriage, loudly to denounce Germany, the German people, and the imperial government, had passed the night in a guard-house; another day it was one who, feeling called upon, in a restaurant, to proclaim very loudly and grossly his unfavorable opinion of the Emperor, was arrested; on still another occasion it was one of our fellow-citizens who, having thought that he ought to be married in Berlin as easily as in New York, had found himself entangled in a network of regulations, prescriptions, and prohibitions.

Of this latter sort there were in my time several curious cases. One morning a man came rushing into the legation in high excitement, exclaiming: "Mr. Minister, I am in the worst fix that any decent man was ever in. I want you to help me out of it"; and he then went on with a bitter tirade against everybody and everything in the German Empire. When his wrath had

effervesced somewhat he stated his case as follows: "Last year, while traveling through Germany, I fell in love with a young German lady, and after my return to America became engaged to her. I have now come for my bride. The wedding is fixed for next Thursday; our steamer passages are taken a day or two later. And I find that the authorities will not allow me to marry unless I present a multitude of papers such as I never dreamed of! Some of them it will take months to get, and some I can never get. My intended bride is in distress; her family evidently distrust me; the wedding is postponed indefinitely; and my business partner is cabling me to come back to America as soon as possible. I am asked for a baptismal certificate-a Taufschein. Now, so far as I know, I was never baptized. I am required to present a certificate showing the consent of my parents to my marriage-I, a man thirty years old and in a large business of my own! I am asked to give bonds for the payment of my debts in Germany. I owe no such debts; but I know no one who will give such a bond. I am notified that the banns must be published a certain number of times before the wedding. What kind of a country is this, anyhow?"

We did the best we could. In an interview with the Minister of Public Worship I was able to secure a dispensation from the publishing of the banns; then a bond was drawn up, which I signed and thus settled the question regarding possible debts in Germany. As to the baptismal certificate, I ordered inscribed, on the largest possible sheet of official paper, the gentleman's affidavit that, in the State of Ohio, where he was born, no Taufschein, or baptismal certificate, was required at the time of his birth, and to this was affixed with plenty of wax the largest seal of the legation. The form of the affidavit may be judged peculiar; but it was thought best not to startle the authorities with the admission that the man had not been baptized at all. They could easily believe that a State like Ohio, which some of them doubtless regarded as still in the backwoods and mainly tenanted by the aborigines, might have omitted, in days gone by, to require a Taufschein; but that an unbaptized Christian should offer himself to be married in Germany would perhaps have so paralyzed their powers of belief that permission for

the marriage might never have been secured.

In this and various other ways we overcame the difficulties, and though the wedding did not take place upon the appointed day, and the return to America had to be deferred, the couple at last, after marriage first before the public authorities and then in church, were able to depart in peace.

a

Another case was typical. One morning gentleman came into the legation in the greatest distress; and I soon learned that this too was a marriage case, but very different from the other. This gentleman, a naturalized German-American in excellent standing, had come over to claim his bride. He had gone through all the formalities perfectly, and, as his business permitted it, had decided to reside a year abroad in order that he might take the furniture of his apartment back to America free of duty. This apartment, a large and beautiful suite of rooms, he had already rented, had furnished it very fully, and then, for the few days intervening before his marriage, had put it in the care of his married sister.

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But alas! this sister's husband was a bankrupt, and hardly had she taken charge of the apartment when the furniture was seized by her husband's creditors, seals placed upon its doors by the authorities, 'And," said the man, in his distress, “unless you do something it will take two years to reach the case on the calendar. Meantime I must pay the rent of the apartment and lose the entire use of it as well as of the furniture." But," said I, "what can be done?" He answered: “My lawyer says that if you will ask it as a favor from the judge, he will grant an order bringing the case up immediately." To this I naturally answered that I could hardly interfere with a judge in any case before him. But his answer was pithy. Said he: "You are the American minister, and if you are not here to get Americans out of scrapes I would like to know what you are here for." This was unanswerable, and in the afternoon I drove in state to the judge, left an official card upon him, and then wrote stating the case carefully, and saying that, while I could not think of interfering in any case before him, still, as this matter appeared to me one of special hardship, if it could be reached at once the ends of justice would undoubtedly

be furthered thereby. That my application was successful was shown by the fact that the man thus rescued never returned to thank his benefactor.

A more important part of a minister's duty is in connection with the commercial relations between the two nations. At that time each country was attempting, by means of its tariffs, to get all the advantage possible, and there resulted various German regulations bearing heavily on some American products. This started questions which had to be met with especial care, requiring many interviews with the Foreign Office and with various members of the imperial cabinet.

In looking after commercial relations, a general oversight of the consuls throughout the empire was no small part of the minister's duty. The consular body was good -remarkably good when one considers the radically vicious policy which prevails in the selection and retention of its members. But the more I saw of it, the stronger became my conviction that the first thing needed is that, when our government secures a thoroughly good man in a consular position, it should keep him there, and, moreover, that it should establish a full system of promotions for merit. Under the present system, the rule is that as soon as a man is fit for the duties he is rotated out of office and supplanted by a man who has all his duties to learn. I am glad to say that of late years there have been many excellent exceptions to this rule; and one of my most earnest hopes, as a man loving my country and desirous of its high standing abroad, is that, more and more, the tendency, as regards both the consular and diplomatic service, may be in the direction of sending men carefully fitted for positions and of retaining them without regard to changes in the home administration.

Still another part of the minister's duty was the careful collection of facts regarding important subjects and the transmission of them to the State Department. These were embodied in despatches. Such subjects as railway management, the organization and administration of city governments, the growth of various industries, the creation of new schools of instruction, the develop ment of public libraries, and the like, as well as a multitude of other practical matters, were thus dwelt upon.

It was also a duty of the minister to

keep a general oversight upon the interests of Americans within his jurisdiction. There are always a certain number of Americans in distress,-real, pretended, or imaginary,

and these must be looked after; then there are American statesmen seeking introductions or information, American scholars in quest of similar things in a different field, American merchants and manufacturers seeking access to men and establishments which will enable them to build up their own interests and those of their country. Most interesting of all to me were American students at the university and other advanced schools in Berlin and throughout Germany. To advise with them and note their progress formed a most pleasing relief from strictly official matters.

Least pleasing of all duties was looking after fugitives from justice or birds of prey evidently seeking new victims. latter point, I recall an experience which may throw some light on the German mode of watching doubtful persons. A young American had appeared in various public places wearing a naval uniform to which he was not entitled, declaring himself a son of the President of the United States, and apparently making ready for a career of scoundrelism. Consulting the Minister of Foreign Affairs one day, I mentioned this case, asking him to give me such information as came to him. He answered: "Remind me at your next visit, and perhaps I can show you something." On my calling, some days later, the minister handed me a paper on which was inscribed, apparently, not only every place the young man had visited during the past week, but everything he had done and said, his conversations in the restaurants being noted with especial care; and while the man was evidently worthless, he was clearly rather a fool than a scoundrel. On my expressing surprise at the fullness of this information, the minister seemed quite as much surprised at my supposing it possible for any good government to exist without such complete surveillance of suspected persons.

Another curious matter which then came up was the selling of sham diplomas by a pretended American university. It was brought to my notice in sundry letters, and finally by calls from one or two young Germans who were considering the ad

visability of buying a doctorate from a man who claimed to be president of the "University of Philadelphia." Although I showed them the worthlessness of such degrees, they evidently thought that to obtain one would aid them in their professions, and were inclined to make a purchase. From time to time there were slurs in the German papers upon all American institutions of learning, based upon advertisements of such diplomas, and finally my patriotic wrath was brought to a climax by a comedy at the Royal Theater, in which the rascal of the piece, having gone through a long career of scoundrelism, finally secures a diploma from the "University of Pennsylvania."

In view of this, I wrote not only despatches to the Secretary of State, but private letters to leading citizens of Philadelphia, calling their attention to the subject, and especially to the injury that this kind of thing was doing to the University of Pennsylvania, an institution of which every Philadelphian, and indeed every American, has a right to be proud. As a result the whole thing was broken up, and though it has been occasionally revived, it has not again inflicted such a stigma upon American education.

But perhaps the most annoying business of all arose from presentations at court. The mania of many of our fellow-citizens for mingling with birds of the finest feather has passed into a European proverb which is unjust to the great body of American citizens; but at present there seems to be no help for it, the reputation of the many suffering for the bad taste of the few. Nothing could exceed the pertinacity shown in some cases. Different rules prevail at different courts, and at the imperial court of Germany the rule for some years has been that persons eminent in those walks of life that are especially honored will always be welcome, and that the proper authority, on being notified of their presence, will extend such invitations as may seem warranted. Unfortunately, while some of the most worthy visitors did not make themselves known, some persons far less desirable took too much pains to attract notice. A satirist would find rich material in the archives of our embassies and legations abroad. I have found nowhere more elements of true comedy, and even broad farce, than in some of the

correspondence on this subject there embalmed.

But while this class of applicants is mainly made up of women, fairness compels me to say that there is a similar class of men. These are persons possessed of an insatiate, and at times almost insane, desire to be able, on their return, to say that they have talked with a crowned head.

Should the sovereign see one in ten of the persons from foreign nations who thus seek him, he would have no time for anything else. He therefore insists, like any private person in any country, on his right not to give his time to those who have no real claim upon him, and some very good fellow-citizens of ours have seemed almost inclined to make this feeling of his Majesty a casus belli.

On the other hand are large numbers of Americans making demands, and often very serious demands, of time and labor on their diplomatic representative which it is an honor and pleasure to render. Of these are such as, having gained a right to do so by excellent work in their respective fields at home, come abroad as legislators, or educators, or scientific investigators, or engineers, or scholars, or managers of worthy business enterprises, to extend their knowledge for the benefit of their country. No work has been more satisfactory to my conscience than the aid which I have been able to render to men and women of this sort.

Still, one has to make discriminations. I remember especially a very charming young lady of say sixteen summers, who came to me, saying that she had agreed to write some letters for a Western newspaper, and that she wished to visit all the leading prisons, reformatory institutions, and asylums of Germany. I looked into her pretty face, and soon showed her that the German government would never think of allowing a young lady like herself to inspect such places as those she named, and that, in my opinion, it was quite right; but I suggested a series of letters on a multitude of things which would certainly prove interesting and instructive, and which she might easily find in all parts of Germany. She took my advice, wrote many such letters, and the selections which she published proved to be delightful.

But at times zeal for improvements at home goes perilously far toward turning

the activity of an ambassador or minister from its proper channels. Scores of people write regarding schools for their children, instructors in music, cheap boardinghouses, and I have had an excellent fellow-citizen ask me to send him a peck of turnips. But if the applications are really from worthy persons, they can generally be dealt with in ways which require no especial labor-many of them through our consuls, to whom they more properly belong.

Those who really ask too much, insisting that the embassy shall look after their private business, may be reminded that the rules of the diplomatic service forbid such investigations in behalf of individuals without previous instructions from the State Department.

Of the lesser troublesome people may be named, first, those who are looking up their genealogies. A typical letter made up from various epistles, as a "composite' portrait is made out of different photographs, would run much as follows:

and to be forwarded to applicants. In this occur the following words:

We have yearly, from various parts of the United States, a large number of applications for information or aid regarding great estates in Germany supposed to be awaiting heirs. and some ludicrous. . . . There are in GerThey are all more or less indefinite, many sad, many no large estates awaiting distribution to unknown heirs in the hands of the government or of anybody, and all efforts to discover such estates that the legation has ever made or heard of have proved fruitless.

Among the many odd applications received at that period, one revealed an American superstition by no means unusual. The circumstances which led to it were as follows:

An ample fund, said to be forty or fifty thousand dollars, had been brought together in Philadelphia for the erection of an equestrian statue to Washington, and it had been finally decided to intrust the commission to Professor Siemering, one of the most eminent of modern German sculptors. One day there came to me a letter from an American gentleman whom I had met occasionally many years before, asking me to furnish him with a full statement regarding Professor Siemering's works and reputation. As a result I made inquiries among the leading authorities on modern art, and, everything being most favorable, I at last visited his studio, and found a large number of designs and models of works on which he was then engaged, two or three being of the highest importance, among them the great war monument at Leipzig.

I also found that although he had executed and was executing important works for various other parts of Germany, he had not yet put up any great permanent work in Berlin, though the designs of the admirable temporary statues and decorations on the return of the troops from the Franco-Prussian War to the metropolis had been intrusted largely to him.

These facts I stated to my correspondent in a letter, and in due time received an answer in substance as follows:

SIR: Your letter confirms me in the opinion I had formed. The intrusting of the great statue of Washington to a man like Siemering is a job and an outrage. It is clear that he is