part05+-第34部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





of　the　interior；　Count　Posadowski。　His　discussions　of　all　matters



touching　his　department；　and；　indeed；　of　some　well　outside　it；



were　masterly。　Save；　perhaps；　our　own　Senator　John　Sherman；　I



have　never　heard　so　USEFUL　a　speaker　on　fundamental　questions　of



public　business。　As　to　the　representatives；　there　were　many　well



worth　listening　to；　but　the　two　who　attracted　most　attention　were



Richter；　the　head　of　the　〃Progressist；〃　or；　as　we　should　call　it；



the　radical　fraction；　and　Bebel；　the　main　representative　of　the



Socialists。　Richter　I　had　heard　more　than　once　in　my　old　days；



and　had　been　impressed　by　his　extensive　knowledge　of　imperial



finance；　his　wit　and　humor；　his　skill　in　making　his　points；　and



his　strength　in　enforcing　them。　He　was　among　the　few　still



remaining　after　my　long　absence；　and　it　was　clear　to　me　that　he



had　not　deteriorated；that　he　had；　indeed；　mellowed　in　a　way



which　made　him　even　more　interesting　than　formerly。　As　to　Bebel；



though　generally　disappointing　at　first；　he　was　quite　sure；　in



every　speech；　to　raise　some　point　which　put　the　conservatives　on



their　mettle。　His　strongest　characteristic　seems　to　be　his



earnestness：　the　earnestness　of　a　man　who　has　himself　known　what



the　hardest　struggle　for　existence　is；　and　what　it　means　to



suffer　for　his　opinions。　His　weakest　point　seems　to　be　a　tendency



to　exaggeration　which　provokes　distrust；　but；　despite　this；　he



has　been　a　potent　force　as　an　irritant　in　drawing　attention　to



the　needs　of　the　working…classes；　and　so　in　promoting　that　steady



uplifting　of　their　condition　and　prospects　which　is　one　of　the



most　striking　achievements　of　modern　Germany。







Among　the　many　other　members　interesting　on　various　accounts　was



one　to　whom　both　Germans　and　Americans　might　well　listen　with



respectHerr　Theodor　Barth；　editor　of　〃Die　Nation；〃　a



representative　of　the　best　traditions　of　the　old　National　Liberal



party。　He　seemed　to　me　one　of　the　very　few　Germans　who　really



understood　the　United　States。　He　had　visited　America　more　than



once；　and　had　remained　long　enough　to　get　in　touch　with　various



leaders　of　American　thought；　and　to　penetrate　below　the　mere



surface　of　public　affairs。　Devoted　as　he　was　to　his　own



fatherland；　he　seemed　to　feel　intuitively　the　importance　to　both



countries　of　accentuating　permanent　points　of　agreement　rather



than　transient　points　of　difference；　hence　it　was　that　in　his



paper　he　steadily　did　us　justice；　and　in　Parliament　was　sure　to



repel　any　unmerited　assault　upon　our　national　character　and



policy。　He　was　clear　and　forcible；　with；　at　times；　a　most



effectively　caustic　utterance　against　unreason。







While　the　whole　parliamentary　body　is　suggestive　to　an　American；



the　Parliament　building　is　especially　suggestive　to　a　New…Yorker。



This　great　edifice　at　Berlin　is　considerably　larger　on　the　ground



than　is　the　State　Capitol　at　Albany。　It　is　built　of　a　very



beautiful　and　durable　stone；　and；　in　spite　of　sundry　criticisms



on　the　dome　in　the　center　and　the　pavilions　at　the　corners；　is



vastly　superior；　as　a　whole；　to　the　Albany　building。　It　is



enriched　in　all　parts；　without　and　within；　with　sculpture



recalling　the　historical　glories　of　all　parts　of　the　empire　and



calculated　to　stir　patriotic　pride；　it　is　beautified　by　paintings



on　a　great　scale　by　eminent　artists；　its　interior　fittings；　in



stone；　marble；　steel；　bronze；　and　oak；　are　as　beautiful　and



perfect　as　the　art　of　the　period　has　been　able　to　make　them；　and



the　whole；　despite　minor　architectural　faults；　is　worthy　of　the



nation。　The　building　was　completed　and　in　use　within　ten　years



from　the　time　of　its　beginning。　The　construction　of　the



State…house　at　Albany；　a　building　not　so　large；　and　containing



to…day　no　work　of　art　either　in　painting　or　sculpture　worthy　of



notice；　has　dragged　along　during　thirty　years；　and　cost　nearly



four　times　as　much　as　the　Berlin　edifice；　the　latter　having



demanded　an　outlay　of　a　trifle　over　five　million　dollars；　and　the



former　considerably　over　twenty　millions。







The　German　Parliament　House；　apart　from　slight　defects；　as　a



great　architectural　creation　is　in　a　style　worthy　of　its



purposea　style　which　is　preserved　in　all　its　parts；　while　that



at　Albany　is；　perhaps；　the　most　curious　jumble　in　the　whole



history　of　architecture；the　lower　stories　being　Palladian；　the



stories　above　these　being；　if　anything；　Florentine；　the　summit



being；　if　anything；　French　Renaissance；　while；　as　regards　the



interior；　the　great　west　staircase；　which　is　said　to　have　cost



half　a　million　of　dollars；　is　in　the　Richardsonesque　style；　the



eastern　staircase　is　in　classic　style；　and　a　circular　staircase



in　the　interior　is　in　the　most　flamboyant　Gothic　which　could　be



got　for　money。　To　be　sure；　there　are　rooms　at　Albany　on　which



precious　Siena　marble　and　Mexican　onyx　are　lavished；　but　these



are　used　so　as　to　produce　mainly　the　effect　of　an　unintelligent



desire　to　spend　money。







While　in　or　near　the　Berlin　edifice　there　is　commemoration　by



sculpture　or　painting　of　a　multitude　of　meritorious　public



servants；　there　is　nowhere　in　the　whole　building　at　Albany　a



statue　or　any　fit　remembrance　of　the　two　greatest　governors　in



the　history　of　the　State；　DeWitt　Clinton　and　William　H。　Seward。







The　whole　thing　plunges　one　into　reflection。　If　that　single



building　at　Albany；　which　was　estimated；　upon　plans　carefully



made　by　the　best　of　architects；　to　cost　five　millions　of　dollars；



and　to　be　completed　in　four　years；　required　over　thirty　years　and



an　expenditure　of　over　twenty　millions；　what　is　a　great　〃barge



canal〃　to　cost；　running　through　the　whole　length　of　the　State；



encountering　enormous　difficulties　of　every　sort；　estimated　at



the　beginning　to　cost　one　hundred　millions　of　dollars；　but



including　no　estimate　for　〃land　damages；〃　〃water　damages；〃



〃personal　damages；〃　〃unprecedented　floods；〃　〃unforeseen



obstacles；〃　〃quicksands；〃　〃changes　of　plan；〃　etc。；　etc。；　which



have　played　such　a　costly　and　corrupting　part　in　the　past　history



of　our　existing　New　York　canals？　And　how　many　years　will　it　take



to　complete　it？　This　was　the　train　of　thought　and　this　was　its



resultant　query　forced　upon　me　whenever　I　looked　upon　the



Parliament　House　at　Berlin。















CHAPTER　XLI







AMERICA；　GERMANY；　AND　THE　SPANISH　WAR1897…1903







During　the　early　days　of　this　second　official　stay　of　mine　at



Berlin；　Russia　had；　in　one　way　and　another；　secured　an　entrance



into　China　for　her　trans…Siberian　railway；　and　seemed　to　have



taken　permanent　possession　of　the　vast　region　extending　from　her



own　territory　to　the　Pacific　at　Port　Arthur。　Germany　followed



this　example；　and；　in　avenging　the　murder　of　certain



missionaries；　took　possession　of　the　harbor　of　Kiao…Chau。　Thereby



other　nations　were　stirred　to　do　likewise；England；　France；　and



Italy　beginning　to　move　for　extensions　of　territory　or　commercial



advantages；　until　it　looked　much　as　if　China　was　to　be　parceled



out　among　the　greater　European　powers；　or　at　least　held　in



commercial　subjection；　to　the　exclusion　of　those　nations　which



had　pursued　a　more　dilatory　policy。







Seeing　this　danger；　our　government　instructed　its　representatives



at　the　courts　of　the　great　powers　to　request　them　to　join　in　a



declaration　in　favor　of　an　〃open…door　policy〃　in　China；　thus



establishing　virtually　an　international　agreement　that　none　of



the　powers　obtaining　concessions　or　controlling　〃spheres　of



influence〃　in　that　country　should　secure　privileges　infringing



upon　the　equality　of　all　nations　in　competing　for　Chinese　trade。



This　policy　was　pushed　with　vigor　by　the　Washington　cabinet；　and



I　was　instructed　to　secure；　if　possible；　the　assent　of　the　German



Government；　which；　after　various　conferences　at　the　Foreign



Office　and　communications　with　the　minister　of　foreign　affairs；



some　more；　some　less；　satisfactory；　I　was　at　last　able　to　do。　The



assent　was　given　very　guardedly；　but　not　the　less　effectively。



Its　terms　were　that　Germany；　having　been　from　the　first　in　favor



of　equal　rights　to　all　nations　in　the　trade　of　China；　would



gladly　acquiesce　in　the　proposed　declaration　if　the　other　powers



concerned　would　do　so。







The　Emperor　William　himself　was　even　more　open　and　direct　than



his　minister。　At　his　dinner　to　the　ambassadors　in　the　spring　of



1900；　he　spoke　to　me　very　fully　on　the　subject；　and；　in　a



conversation　which　I　have　referred　to　elsewhere；　assured　me　of



his　complete　and　hearty　concurrence　in　the　American　policy；



declaring；　〃We　must　stand　together　for　the　open　door。〃







Finally；　on　the　9th　of　April；　1900；　I　had　the　satisfaction　of



sending　to　the　German　Foreign　Office　the　proofs　that　all　the



other　powers　concerned；　including　Japan；　had　joined　in　the



American　declaration；　and　that　the　government　of　the　United



States　considered　this　acquiescence　to　be　full　and　final。







It　was　really　a　great　service　rendered　to　the　world　by　Mr。



McKinley　and　Secretary　Hay；　their　action　was　farseeing；　prompt；



bold；　and　successful。







Yet　another　subject　of　contention　was　the　exclusion　of　sundry



American　insurance　companies　from　Germany；　due　in　part　to　a



policy　of　〃protection；〃　but　also　to　that　same　distrust　of　certain



American　business　methods　which　had　given　me　much　trouble　in



dealing　with　the　same　question　at　St。　Petersburg。　The　discussions



were　long　and　tedious；