part05+-第31部分

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A　pet　phrase　among　his　critics　is　that　he　is　a　diplomatist　and



not　a　statesman。　Like　so　many　antitheses；　this　is　misleading。　It



may　be　just　to　say　that　his　methods　are；　in　general；　those　of　a



diplomatist　rather　than　of　a　statesman；　but　certain　it　is　that　in



various　debates　of　my　time　he　showed　high　statesmanlike



qualities；　and　notably　at　the　beginning　of　the　war　with　China　and



in　sundry　later　contests　with　the　agrarians　and　socialists。　Even



his　much　criticized　remark　during　the　imbroglio　between　Turkey



and　Greece；　picturing　Germany　as　laying　down　her　flute　and



retiring　from　the　〃European　Concert；〃　which　to　many　seemed　mere



persiflage；　was　the　humorous　presentation　of　a　policy　dictated　by



statesmanship。　Nor　were　all　his　addresses　merely　light　and



humorous；　at　times；　when　some　deep　sentiment　had　been　stirred；　he



was　eloquent；　rising　to　the　height　of　great　arguments　and　taking



broad　views。







No　one　claims　that　he　is　a　Richelieu；　a　William　Pitt；　or　a



Cavour；　but　the　work　of　such　men　is　not　what　the　German　Empire



just　now　requires。　The　man　needed　at　present　is　the　one　who　can



keep　things　GOING；　who　can　minimize　differences；　resist



extremists；　turn　aside　marplots；　soothe　doctrinaires；　and　thus



give　the　good　germs　in　the　empire　a　chance　to　grow。　For　this　work



it　would　be　hard　to　imagine　a　better　man　than　the　present



chancellor。　His　selection　and　retention　by　the　Emperor　prove　that



the　present　monarch　has　inherited　two　of　the　best　qualities　of



his　illustrious　grandfather：　skill　in　recognizing　the　right　man



and　firmness　in　standing　by　him。







The　next　thing　which　an　ambassador　is　expected　to　do；　after



visiting　the　great　representatives　of　the　empire；　is　to　become



acquainted　with　the　official　world　in　general。







But　he　must　make　acquaintance　with　these　under　his　own　roof。　On



his　arrival　he　is　expected　to　visit　the　Emperor　and　the　princes



of　his　family；　the　imperial　chancellor；　and　the　minister　of



foreign　affairs；　but　all　others　are　expected　to　visit　him；　hence



the　most　pressing　duty　on　my　arrival　was　to　secure　a　house；　and；



during　three　months　following；　all　the　time　that　I　could　possibly



spare；　and　much　that　I　ought　not　to　have　spared；　was　given　to



excursions　into　all　parts　of　the　city　to　find　it。　No　house；　no



ambassador。　A　minister　plenipotentiary　can　live　during　his　first



year　in　a　hotel　or　in　a　very　modest　apartment；　an　ambassador



cannot。　He　must　have　a　spacious　house　fully　furnished　before　he



can　really　begin　his　duties；　for；　as　above　stated；　one　of　the



first　of　these　duties　is　to　make　the　acquaintance　of　the　official



world；the　ministers　of　the　crown；　the　diplomatic　corps；　the



members　of　the　Imperial　Parliament；　the　members　of　the　Prussian



legislature；　the　foremost　men　in　the　army　and　navy；　and　the



leaders　in　public　life　generally；and　to　this　end　he　must　give



three　very　large　receptions；　at　which　all　those　personages　visit



him。　This　is　a　matter　of　which　the　court　itself　takes　charge；　so



far　as　inviting　and　presenting　the　guests　is　concerned；　high



court　officials　being　sent　to　stand　by　the　side　of　the　ambassador



and　ambassadress　and　make　the　introductions　to　them；　but；　as



preliminary　to　all　this；　the　first　thing　is　to　secure　a　residence



fit　for　such　receptions　and　for　entertainments　in　connection　with



them。







Under　the　rules　of　European　nations　generally；　these　receptions



must　be　held　at　the　ambassador's　permanent　residence；　but；



unfortunately；　such　a　thing　as　a　large　furnished　apartment



suitable　for　a　foreign　representative　is　rarely　to　be　found　in



Berlin。　In　London　and　Paris　such　apartments　are　frequently



offered；　but　in　Berlin　hardly　ever。　Every　other　nation　which



sends　an　ambassador　to　Berlinand　the　same　is　true　as　regards



the　other　large　capitals　of　Europeowns　a　suitable　house；　or　at



least　holds　a　long　lease　of　a　commodious　apartment；　but；　although



President　Cleveland　especially　recommended　provision　for　such



residence　in　one　of　his　messages；　nothing　has　yet　been　done　by



the　American　Congress；　and　the　consequence　is　that　every



ambassador　has　to　lose　a　great　amount　of　valuable　time；　effort；



and　money　in　securing　proper　quarters；　while　his　country　loses



much　of　its　proper　prestige　and　dignity　by　constant　changes　in



the　location　of　its　embassy；　and　by　the　fact　that　the　American



representative　is　not　infrequently　obliged　to　take　up　his



residence　in　unfit　apartments　and　in　an　unsuitable　part　of　the



town。







After　looking　at　dozens　of　houses；　the　choice　was　narrowed　down



to　two；　but；　as　one　was　nearly　three　miles　from　the　center　of　the



city；　selection　was　made　of　the　large　apartment　which　I　occupied



during　nearly　four　years；　and　which　was　bought　from　under　my　feet



by　one　of　the　smallest　governments　in　Europe　as　the　residence　for



its　minister。　Immediately　after　my　lease　was　signed　there　began　a



new　series　of　troubles。　Everything　must　be　ready　for　the　three



receptions　by　the　eighth　day　of　January；　and；　being　at　the　mercy



of　my　landlord；　I　was　at　a　great　disadvantage。　Though　paying



large　rent　for　the　apartment；　I　was　obliged；　at　my　own　expense；



to　put　it　thoroughly　in　order；　introducing　electric　light；



perfecting　heating　apparatus；　getting　walls　and　floors　in　order；



and　doing　a　world　of　work　which；　under　other　circumstances；　would



have　been　done　by　the　proprietor　himself。　As　to　furnishing；　a



peculiar　difficulty　arose。　Berlin　furnishers；　as　a　rule；　have



only　samples　in　stock；　and　a　long　time　is　required　for　completing



sets。　My　former　experience；　when；　as　minister；　I　had　been　obliged



to　go　through　a　similar　ordeal；　had　shown　me　that　the　Berlin



makers　could　never　be　relied　upon　to　get　the　apartment　furnished



in　time；　and　therefore　it　was　that；　having　secured　what　was



possible　in　Berlin；　I　was　obliged　to　make　large　purchases　at



Dresden；　London；　and　Paris；　and　to　have　the　furniture　from　the



last…named　city　hurried　on　to　Berlin　in　special　wadded　cars；　with



attendants　to　put　it　in　place。　It　was　a　labor　and　care　to　which



no　representative　of　the　United　States　or　of　any　other　power



ought　to　be　subjected。　The　vexations　and　difficulties　seemed



unending；　but　at　last　carpenters；　paper…hangers；　electric…light



men；　furniture　men；　carpet…layers；　upholsterers；　and　the　like



were　driven　from　the　house　just　five　minutes　before　the



chancellor　of　the　empire　arrived　to　open　the　first　of　these　three



official　receptions。　Happily　they　all　went　off　well；　and　thereby



began　my　acquaintance　with　the　leaders　in　various　departments　of



official　life。







On　my　settling　down　to　the　business　of　the　embassy；　it　appeared



that　the　changes　in　public　sentiment　since　my　former　stay　as



minister；　eighteen　years　before；　were　great　indeed。　At　that　time



German　feeling　was　decidedly　friendly　to　the　United　States。　The



Germans　had　sided　with　us　in　our　Civil　War；　and　we　had　come　out



victorious；　we　had　sided　with　them　in　their　war　of　1870…1871；　and



they　had　come　out　victorious。　But　all　this　was　now　changed。



German　feeling　toward　us　had　become　generally　adverse　and；　in



some　parts　of　the　empire；　bitterly　hostile。　The　main　cause　of



this　was　doubtless　our　protective　policy。　Our　McKinley　tariff；



which　was　considered　almost　ruinous　to　German　manufactures；　had



been　succeeded　by　the　Dingley　tariff；　which　went　still　further；



and　as　Germany；　in　the　last　forty　years；　had　developed　an　amazing



growth　of　manufactures；　much　bitterness　resulted。







Besides　this；　our　country　was　enabled；　by　its　vast　extent　of



arable　land；　as　well　as　by　its　cheap　conveyance　and　skilful



handling　of　freights；　to　sweep　into　the　German　markets



agricultural　products　of　various　sorts；　especially　meats；　and　to



undersell　the　native　German　producers。　This　naturally　vexed　the



landed　proprietors；　so　that　we　finally　had　against　us　two　of　the



great　influential　classes　in　the　empire：　the　manufacturers　and



the　landowners。







But　this　was　not　all。　These　real　difficulties　were　greatly



increased　by　fictitious　causes　of　ill　feeling。　Sensational



articles；　letters；　telegrams；　caricatures；　and　the　like；　sent



from　America　to　Germany　and　from　Germany　to　America；　had　become



more　and　more　exasperating；　until；　at　the　time　of　my　arrival；



there　were　in　all　Germany　but　two　newspapers　of　real　importance



friendly　to　the　United　States。　These　two　journals　courageously



stood　up　for　fairness　and　justice；　but　all　the　others　were　more



or　less　hostile；　and　some　bitterly　so。　The　one　which；　on　account



of　its　zeal　in　securing　news；　I　read　every　morning　was　of　the



worst。　During　the　Spanish　War　it　was　especially　virulent；　being



full　of　statements　and　arguments　to　show　that　corruption　was　the



main　characteristic　of　our　government；　cowardice　of　our　army　and



navy；　and　hypocrisy　of　our　people。　Very　edifying　were　its



quasi…philosophical　articles；　and　one　of　these；　showing　the



superiority　of　the　Spanish　women　to　their　American　sisters；



especially　as　regards　education；　was　a　work　of　genius。　The　love



of　Spanish　women　for　bull…fights　was　neatly　glossed　over；　and



various　absurd　charges　against　American　women　were　put　in　the



balance　against　it。　A　few　sensational　presses　on　our　side　were



perhaps　worse。　Various　newspapers　in　America　repaid　Teutonic



hostility　by　copious　insults　directed　at　everything　German；　and



this　aroused　the　Germans　yet　more。　One　journal；　very　influential



among　the　aristocratic　and