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part05+-第61部分

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regards Germany; the main one being that he does not love



parliamentary government and has; at various times; infringed



upon the constitution of the empire。







As to loving parliamentary government; he would probably say that



he cannot regard a system as final which; while attaching to the



front of the chariot of progress a full team to pull it forward;



attaches another team to the rear to pull it backward。 But



whatever his theory; he has in practice done his best to promote



the efficiency of parliamentary government; and to increase



respect for it in his kingdom of Prussia; by naming as life



members of the Senate sundry men of the highest character and of



immense value in the discussion of the most important questions。



Two of these; appointed during my stay; I knew and admired。 The



first; Professor Gustav Schmoller; formerly rector of the



University of Berlin; is one of the leading economists of the



world; who has shown genius in studying and exhibiting the



practical needs of the German people; and in discerning the best



solutions of similar problems throughout the worldprofound;



eloquent; conciliatory; sure to be of immense value as a senator。



The second; Professor Slaby; director of the great technical



institution of Germany at Charlottenburg; is one of the leading



authorities of the world on everything that pertains to the



applications of electricity; a great administrator; a wise



counselor on questions pertaining to the German educational



system。 Neither of these men orates; but both are admirable



speakers; and are sure to be of incalculable value。 I name them



simply as types: others were appointed; equally distinguished in



other fields。 If; then; the Emperor is blamed for not liking



parliamentary and party government; it is only fair to say that



he has taken the surest way to give it strength and credit。







As to the alleged violations of the German constitution; the



same; in a far higher degree; were charged against Kaiser William



I and Bismarck;and these charges were true;but it is also



true that thereby those men saved and built up their country。 As



a matter of fact; the intuitive sense as well as the reflective



powers of Germans seem to show them that the real dangers to



their country come from a very different quarterfrom men who



promote hatreds of race; class; and religion within the empire;



and historic international hatreds without it。







So; too; various charges have been made against the Emperor as



regards the United States。 From time to time there came; during



my stay; statements in sundry American newspapers; some



belligerent; some lacrymose; regarding his attitude toward our



country。 It seemed to be taken for granted by many good people



during our Spanish War that the Emperor was personally against



us。 It is not unlikely that he may have felt sympathy for that



forlorn; widowed Queen Regent of Spain; making so desperate a



struggle to save the kingdom for her young son; if so; he but



shared a feeling common to a very large part of humanity; for



certainly there have been few more pathetic situations; but that



he really cared anything for the success of Spain is exceedingly



doubtful。 The Hohenzollern common sense in him must have been for



years vexed at the folly and fatuity of Spanish policy。 He



probably inherits the feeling of his father; who; when visiting



the late Spanish monarch some years before his death; showed a



most kindly personal feeling toward Spain and its ruler; and an



intense interest in various phases of art developed in the



Spanish peninsula; but; in his diary; let fall remarks which show



his feeling toward the whole existing Spanish system。 One of



these I recall especially。 Passing a noted Spanish town; he



remarks: 〃Here are ten churches; twenty monasteries; and not a



single school。〃 No Hohenzollern is likely to waste much sympathy



on a nation which brings on its fate by preferring monasticism to



education; and never during the Spanish War did he or his



government; to my knowledge; show the slightest leaning toward



our enemies。 Certain it is that when sundry hysterical publicists



and meddlesome statesmen of the Continent proposed measures



against what they thought the dangerous encroachments of our



Republic; he quietly; but resolutely and effectually; put his



foot upon them。







Another complaint sometimes heard in America really amounts to



this: that the Emperor is pushing German interests in all parts



of the world; and is not giving himself much trouble about the



interests of other countries。 There is truth in this; but the



complainants evidently never stop to consider that every thinking



man in every nation would despise him were it otherwise。







Yet another grievance; a little time since; was that; apparently



with his approval; his ships of war handled sundry Venezuelans



with decided roughness。 This was true enough and ought to warm



every honest man's heart。







The main facts in the case were these: a petty equatorial



〃republic;〃 after a long series of revolutions;one hundred and



four in seventy years; Lord Lansdowne tells us; was enjoying



peace and the beginnings of prosperity。 Thanks to the United



States; it had received from an international tribunal the



territory to which it was entitled; was free from disturbance at



home or annoyance abroad; and was under a regular government



sanctioned by its people。 Suddenly; an individual started another



so…called 〃revolution。〃 He was the champion of no reform;



principle; or idea; he simply represented the greed of himself



and a pack of confederates whose ideal was that of a gang of



burglars。 With their aid he killed; plundered; or terrorized



until he got control of the governmentor; rather; became



himself the government。 Under the name of a 〃republic〃 he erected



a despotism and usurped powers such as no Russian autocrat would



dare claim。 Like the men of his sort who so often afflict



republics in the equatorial regions of South America; he had no



hesitation in confiscating the property and taking the lives; not



only of such of his fellow…citizens as he thought dangerous to



himself; but also of those whom he thought likely to become so。



He made the public treasury his own; and doubtless prepared the



way; as so many other patriots of his sort in such 〃republics〃



have done; for retirement into a palace at Paris; with ample



funds for enjoying the pleasures of that capital; after he; like



so many others; shall have been; in turn; kicked out of his



country by some new bandit stronger than he。







So far so good。 If the citizens of Venezuela like or permit that



sort of thing; outside nations have no call to interfere; but



this petty despot; having robbed; maltreated; and even murdered



citizens of his own country; proceeded to maltreat and rob



citizens of other countries and; among them; those of the German



Empire。 He was at first asked in diplomatic fashion to desist and



to make amends; but for such appeals he simply showed contempt。



His purpose was evidently to plunder all German subjects within



his reach; and to cheat all German creditors beyond his reach。 At



this the German Government; as every government in similar



circumstances is bound to do; demanded redress and sent ships to



enforce the demand。 This was perfectly legitimate; but



immediately there arose in the United States an outcry against a



〃violation of the Monroe Doctrine。〃 As a matter of fact; the



Monroe Doctrine was no more concerned in the matter than was the



doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints; but there was enough



to start an outcry against Germany; and so it began to spread。



The Germans were careful to observe the best precedents in



international law; yet every step they took was exhibited in



sundry American papers as a menace to the United States。 There



was no more menace to the United States than to the planet



Saturn。 The conduct of the German Government was in the interest



of the United States as well as of every other decent government。



Finally; the soldiers in a Venezuelan fort wantonly fired upon a



German war vesselwhereupon the commander of the ship; acting



entirely in accordance; not only with international law; but with



natural right; defended himself; and knocked the fort about the



ears of those who occupied it; thus giving the creatures who



directed them a lesson which ought to rejoice every thinking



American。 At this the storm on paper against Germany; both in



America and Great Britain; broke out with renewed violence; and



there was more talk about dangers to the Monroe Doctrine。 As one



who; at The Hague Conference; was able to do something for



recognition of the Monroe Doctrine by European powers; and who;



as a member of the Venezuelan Commission; did what was possible



to secure justice to Venezuela; I take this opportunity to



express the opinion that the time has come for plain speaking in



this matter。 Even with those of us who believe in the Monroe



Doctrine there begins to arise a question as to which are nearest



the interests and the hearts of Americans;the sort of 〃dumb



driven cattle〃 who allow themselves to be governed by such men as



now control Venezuela; or the people of Germany and other



civilized parts of Europe; as well as those of the better South



American republics; like Chile; the Argentine Republic; Brazil;
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