CHAPTERXLII
AMERICA，GERMANY，ANDTHECHINESEWAR——1899—1902
AninterestingeventofthisperiodwastheappearanceinBerlinofex—PresidentandMrs。Harrison。ThePresidenthadbutrecentlyfinishedhislongandwearisomeworkbeforetheVenezuelaArbitrationTribunalatParis，andwasveryhappyintheconsciousnessofdutyaccomplishedandlibertyobtained。Marksofhighdistinctionwereshownthem。ThesovereignsinvitedthemtoattendthefestivitiesatPotsdaminhonoroftheQueenandQueenMotherofHolland，whowerethenstayingthere，andtreatedthemnotonlywithrespect，butwithcordiality。TheEmperorconversedlongwiththePresidentonvariousmattersofpublicinterest:onnotedAmericanswhomhehadmet，onthegrowthofourfleet，onrecenteventsinourhistory，andthelike，characteristicallyendingwithadiscussionofthesuperbmusicwhichwehadbeenhearing;andatthesupperwhichfollowedinsistedthatMrs。
Harrisonshouldsitathisside，theEmpressgivingasimilarinvitationtoMr。Harrison。Atalaterperiodadinnerwasgiventotheex—Presidentbythechancelloroftheempire，PrinceHohenlohe，atwhichanumberoftheleadingpersonagesintheempirewerepresent;anditwasapleasuretoshowmyownrespectfortheformerchiefmagistratebyareceptionwhichwasattendedbyabouttwohundredofourAmericancolony，andadinneratwhichheandMrs。HarrisonmadetheacquaintanceofleadingrepresentativeGermansinvariousfields。
InanotherchapterofthesememoirsIhavespokenofPresidentHarrisonasofcoldand，attimes，abruptmanners;buttheabsenceofthesecharacteristicsduringhisstayinBerlin，andafterwardinNewYork，madeitcleartomethatthecoldexteriorwhichIhadnotedinhimatWashington，especiallywhenMr。
Roosevelt，Mr。Lodge，andsundryothersofusurgeduponhimanextensionoftheclassifiedcivilservice，wasadoptedasameansofpreventingencroachmentsuponthetimenecessaryforhisdailyduties。Henowappearedinaverydifferentlight，hisdiscussionofmenandeventsshowingnotonlyearnestthoughtanddeeppenetration，butarichveinofhumor;hiswholebearingbeingsimple，kindly，anddignified。
Duringthewinterof1899—1900cameanadditiontomyexperiencesofwhatAmericanrepresentativesabroadhavetoexpectunderourpresenthappy—go—luckyprovisionforthediplomaticservice。Asalreadystated，onarrivinginBerlin，Ihadgreatdifficultyinobtaininganyfittingquarters，butatlastsecuredalargeandsuitableapartmentinanexcellentpartofthecity，itsonlydisadvantagebeingthatmyguestshadtoplodupseventy—fivestepsinordertoreachit。Havingbeenobligedtomakelargeoutlaysforsuitablefittings，extensiverepairs，andfurniturethroughout，Ifoundthatmorethantheentiresalaryofmyfirstyearhadbeenthussunk;butIcongratulatedmyselfthatIhadatleastobtainedaresidencegood，comfortable，andsuitable。Tobesure，itwasinferiortothatofanyotherambassador，butIhadfitteditupsothatitwasconsideredcreditable。Suddenly，abouttwoyearsafterward，withoutawordofwarning，camenoticefromtheproprietorthatmyleasewasvoid——thathehadsoldthehouse，andthatImustleaveit;sothatitlookedasiftheAmericanEmbassywould，atanearlyday，beturnedintothestreet。Thiswastryingindeed。Itwasatthebeginningofthesocialseason，andinterferedgreatlywithmydutiesofeverysort。Andtherecroppedoutafeeling，amongallconversantwiththecase，whichIcannotsaywasconducivetorespectforthewisdomofthosewhogivelawstoourcountry。
But，happily，Ihadinsistedoninsertingintheleaseaclausewhichseemedtomakeitdoubtfulwhethertheproprietorcouldturnmeoutsoeasilyandspeedily。UnderGermanlawitwasaveryprecariousreliance，butonthisItookmystand，andatlast，thanksmainlytothekindnessofmycolleaguewhosucceededmeasatenant，madeacompromiseunderwhichIwasenabledtoretaintheapartmentforsomethingoverayearlonger。
ItmaybeinterestingforanAmericanwhohasaproperfeelingregardingthepositionofhiscountryabroadtoknowthatthepurchaseroftheentirehouse——notonlyofthefloorwhichIhadoccupied，butofthesimilarapartmentbeneath，aswellasthatonthegroundfloor——wasthelittleGrandDuchyofBaden，whichinthiswayprovidedforitsminister，secretaries，andothersconnectedwithitslegationintheGermancapital。
Onthetheoryoflineuponlineandpreceptuponprecept，Iagaincallattention，NOTtothewrongdoneMEbythisAmericanpolicy，orratherwantofpolicy，——forIknewincomingwhatIhadtoexpect，——buttotheinjurythusdonetothePROPERSTANDINGOF
OURCOUNTRYBEFORETHEOTHERNATIONSOFTHEWORLD。AgainIinsistthat，initsowninterest，agovernmentlikeoursought，ineverycapitalwhereitisrepresented，topossessortoholdonlongleaseahouseorapartmentsuitabletoitsrepresentativeandcreditabletoitself。
Earlyinthespringof1900cameaneventofsomehistoricalinterest。Onthe19thofMarchandthetwodaysfollowingwascelebratedthetwo—hundredthanniversaryofthefoundingoftheRoyalAcademyofSciences。TheEmperor，aswellastheAcademy，haddeterminedtomakeitagreatoccasion，andtheresultwasaseriesofverybrilliantpageants。Thesebeganbyasolemnreceptionofthedelegatesfromallpartsoftheworldinthegreathallofthepalace，mydutybeingtorepresenttheSmithsonianInstitutionatWashington，andmycolleaguesbeingProfessorsWhiteandWolfofHarvard，whohadbeensentbytheAmericanAcademyofSciences。Thescenewasverystriking，allthedelegates，exceptthosefromAmericaandSwitzerland，beinginthecostumesoftheorganizationstheyrepresented;mostwerepicturesque，andsomehadaverymediaevalappearance;thosefromtheancientuniversitiesofWurzburgandPrague，especially，lookingasiftheyhadjuststeppedoutofanilluminatedmanuscriptofthefourteenthcentury。AtthetimenamedforthebeginningofthefestivaltheEmperorentered，announcedbytheblareoftrumpets，precededbyministersbearingthesword，standard，andgreatseal，andbygeneralsbearingthecrown，scepter，andorb。Hewassurroundedbythehighestofficialsofthekingdomandempire，andhavingtakenhisseatonthethrone，therecamemajesticmusicpreludingsundryorationsandlistsofhonorsconferredoneminentmenofscienceinallpartsoftheworld，amongwhomIwasgladtonoteProfessorsGibbsofYale，JamesofHarvard，andRowlandofJohnsHopkins。
TheEmperor’sspeechwascharacteristic。Itshowedthathisheartwasinthematter;thathefeltajustprideintheachievementsofGermanscience，andwasdeterminedthatnoeffortsofhisshouldbewantingtoincreaseandextendthem。Afterthecloseofthefunction，whichwasmadeinthesamestatelywayasitsbeginning，mycolleaguesdrovehomewithme，andoneofthemsaid，"Well，IamanAmericanandarepublican，butwhenIaminamonarchyIliketoseeathingofthiskinddoneinthemostmagnificentwaypossible，asitwasthismorning。"Adayortwoafterward，atthedinnergiventotheambassadorsbytheEmperor，Itoldhimthisstory。Helaughedheartily，andthensaid:"Yourfriendisright:ifamanistobeamonarch，lethimbeamonarch;DomPedroofBraziltriedtobesomethingelse，anditdidnotturnoutwell。"
ImpressiveinadifferentwayweretheceremoniesattendantuponthecomingofageoftheGermancrownprince，onthe6thofMay，1900。Todohonortotheoccasion，theEmperorFranzJosefofAustria—Hungaryhadsentwordthathewouldbepresent，andformanydaysthewholecityseemedmainlydevotedtodecoratingitsbuildingsandstreetsforhisvisit;theculminationofthewholebeingatthePariserPlatz，infrontoftheBrandenburgGate，whereatriumphalarchandobeliskswereerected，withotherdecorations，patrioticandcomplimentary。Onthemorningofthe4thhearrived，and，enteringthecityatthesideoftheGermanEmperor，eachintheproperuniformoftheother，hewasreceivedbytheburgomasterandtowncouncilofBerlinwithamostcordialspeech，andthen，passingonthroughtheLinden，whichwasshowilydecorated，hewasenthusiasticallygreetedeverywhere。Nodoubtthisgreetingwasthoroughlysincere，sinceallgoodGermanslookuponFranzJosefastheirtruestally。
Nexteveningtherewasa"gala"performanceattheRoyalOpera，theplaypresentedbeing，ofallthingsintheworld，Auber’s"BronzeHorse，"whichisafarcicalChinesefairytalesettoverylightandpleasingmusic。Thestagesettingwasgorgeous，buttheaudiencewasstillmoreso，delegatesfromallthegreaterpowersoftheworldbeingpresent，includingtheheirstotheBritishandItalianthrones，theGrandDukeConstantineofRussia，andamultitudeofotherscionsofroyalty。Onefeaturewascomical。NearmesatHisExcellencytheChineseminister，surroundedbyhissecretariesandattaches，allapparentlydelighted;andonmyaskinghim，throughhisinterpreter，howhelikedit，hesaid，"Verymuch;thisshowstheEuropeansthatinChinaweknowhowtoamuseourselves。"OfthefactthatitwasaratherhighlychargedcaricatureofChineseofficialdomheseemedeitherreallyordiplomaticallyunconscious。
OnthefollowingmorningIwasreceivedinaudiencebytheGermanEmperor，bringingtohimawarmmessageofcongratulationfromPresidentMcKinley;andwhenHisMajestyhadrepliedverycordially，heintroducedmetothecrownprincestandingathisside，towhomIgavethePresident’sbestwishes。Thencame，inthechapelofthepalace，animpressivereligiousservice，theaddressbyDr。Dryanderbeingeloquent，andthemusic，bythecathedralchoirand，attimes，byagreatmilitaryorchestra，bothfaraboveusinthedome，beautiful。Atitsclosethecrownprincecameforward，stoodbeforethealtar，whereIhadseenhisparentsmarriedtwentyyearsbefore，andtheoathofallegiance，whichwasquitelong，havingbeenreadtohimbythecolonelofhisregiment，herepeatedit，wordforword，andmadehissolemnpledge，liftingonehandandgraspingtheimperialstandardwiththeother。Then，afterreceivingaffectionateembracesfromhisfatherandmother，hewascongratulatedbythesovereignsandroyalpersonages。TheambassadorsandministershavingbeenthenreceivedbytheEmperorandEmpress，theyoungprincecamealongthelineandspoketoeachofusinaveryunaffectedandmanlyway。Hewasatthattimesomewhattallerthanhisfather，withanintelligentandpleasantface，andislikely，Ishouldsay，todowellinhisgreatposition，thoughnotpossessing，probably，anythinglikehisfather’svariedgiftsandgraces。
IntheeveningcameadinnerintheWhiteHallofthepalacetoseveralhundredguests，includingtheEmperorofAustria—Hungary，theKingofSaxony，andothervisitingpersonages，withtheheadsofthediplomaticmissions，andtheleadingpersonagesoftheempire;andnearthecloseofittheEmperorWilliamaroseandmadeanexcellentspeech，toallappearanceextemporaneous。TheanswerbytheEmperorofAustria—Hungarywasreadbyhim，andwassensibleandappropriate。
Thatthisvisitdidmuchtostrengthenthetieswhichbindthetwomonarchieswasshownnotmerelybyhurrahsinthestreetsanddithyrambicutterancesinthenewspapers，butbyamassofothertestimony。OnecuriousthingwasthegreatcareeverywheretakeninthedecorationstohonorthecrownandflagofHungaryequallywiththatofAustria，andthis，aswasshownbytheHungarianjournals，hadanexcellenteffect。Bythismeeting，nodoubt，theTripleAlliancewassomewhatstrengthened，andthechancesforcontinuedpeac...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：