part05+-第40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！





by　about　two　hundred　of　our　American　colony；　and　a　dinner　at



which　he　and　Mrs。　Harrison　made　the　acquaintance　of　leading



representative　Germans　in　various　fields。







In　another　chapter　of　these　memoirs　I　have　spoken　of　President



Harrison　as　of　cold　and；　at　times；　abrupt　manners；　but　the



absence　of　these　characteristics　during　his　stay　in　Berlin；　and



afterward　in　New　York；　made　it　clear　to　me　that　the　cold　exterior



which　I　had　noted　in　him　at　Washington；　especially　when　Mr。



Roosevelt；　Mr。　Lodge；　and　sundry　others　of　us　urged　upon　him　an



extension　of　the　classified　civil　service；　was　adopted　as　a　means



of　preventing　encroachments　upon　the　time　necessary　for　his　daily



duties。　He　now　appeared　in　a　very　different　light；　his　discussion



of　men　and　events　showing　not　only　earnest　thought　and　deep



penetration；　but　a　rich　vein　of　humor；　his　whole　bearing　being



simple；　kindly；　and　dignified。







During　the　winter　of　1899…1900　came　an　addition　to　my　experiences



of　what　American　representatives　abroad　have　to　expect　under　our



present　happy…go…lucky　provision　for　the　diplomatic　service。　As



already　stated；　on　arriving　in　Berlin；　I　had　great　difficulty　in



obtaining　any　fitting　quarters；　but　at　last　secured　a　large　and



suitable　apartment　in　an　excellent　part　of　the　city；　its　only



disadvantage　being　that　my　guests　had　to　plod　up　seventy…five



steps　in　order　to　reach　it。　Having　been　obliged　to　make　large



outlays　for　suitable　fittings；　extensive　repairs；　and　furniture



throughout；　I　found　that　more　than　the　entire　salary　of　my　first



year　had　been　thus　sunk；　but　I　congratulated　myself　that　I　had　at



least　obtained　a　residence　good；　comfortable；　and　suitable。　To　be



sure；　it　was　inferior　to　that　of　any　other　ambassador；　but　I　had



fitted　it　up　so　that　it　was　considered　creditable。　Suddenly；



about　two　years　afterward；　without　a　word　of　warning；　came　notice



from　the　proprietor　that　my　lease　was　voidthat　he　had　sold　the



house；　and　that　I　must　leave　it；　so　that　it　looked　as　if　the



American　Embassy　would；　at　an　early　day；　be　turned　into　the



street。　This　was　trying　indeed。　It　was　at　the　beginning　of　the



social　season；　and　interfered　greatly　with　my　duties　of　every



sort。　And　there　cropped　out　a　feeling；　among　all　conversant　with



the　case；　which　I　cannot　say　was　conducive　to　respect　for　the



wisdom　of　those　who　give　laws　to　our　country。







But；　happily；　I　had　insisted　on　inserting　in　the　lease　a　clause



which　seemed　to　make　it　doubtful　whether　the　proprietor　could



turn　me　out　so　easily　and　speedily。　Under　German　law　it　was　a



very　precarious　reliance；　but　on　this　I　took　my　stand；　and　at



last；　thanks　mainly　to　the　kindness　of　my　colleague　who　succeeded



me　as　a　tenant；　made　a　compromise　under　which　I　was　enabled　to



retain　the　apartment　for　something　over　a　year　longer。







It　may　be　interesting　for　an　American　who　has　a　proper　feeling



regarding　the　position　of　his　country　abroad　to　know　that　the



purchaser　of　the　entire　housenot　only　of　the　floor　which　I　had



occupied；　but　of　the　similar　apartment　beneath；　as　well　as　that



on　the　ground　floorwas　the　little　Grand　Duchy　of　Baden；　which



in　this　way　provided　for　its　minister；　secretaries；　and　others



connected　with　its　legation　in　the　German　capital。







On　the　theory　of　line　upon　line　and　precept　upon　precept；　I　again



call　attention；　NOT　to　the　wrong　done　ME　by　this　American　policy；



or　rather　want　of　policy；for　I　knew　in　coming　what　I　had　to



expect；but　to　the　injury　thus　done　to　the　PROPER　STANDING　OF



OUR　COUNTRY　BEFORE　THE　OTHER　NATIONS　OF　THE　WORLD。　Again　I　insist



that；　in　its　own　interest；　a　government　like　ours　ought；　in　every



capital　where　it　is　represented；　to　possess　or　to　hold　on　long



lease　a　house　or　apartment　suitable　to　its　representative　and



creditable　to　itself。







Early　in　the　spring　of　1900　came　an　event　of　some　historical



interest。　On　the　19th　of　March　and　the　two　days　following　was



celebrated　the　two…hundredth　anniversary　of　the　founding　of　the



Royal　Academy　of　Sciences。　The　Emperor；　as　well　as　the　Academy；



had　determined　to　make　it　a　great　occasion；　and　the　result　was　a



series　of　very　brilliant　pageants。　These　began　by　a　solemn



reception　of　the　delegates　from　all　parts　of　the　world　in　the



great　hall　of　the　palace；　my　duty　being　to　represent　the



Smithsonian　Institution　at　Washington；　and　my　colleagues　being



Professors　White　and　Wolf　of　Harvard；　who　had　been　sent　by　the



American　Academy　of　Sciences。　The　scene　was　very　striking；　all



the　delegates；　except　those　from　America　and　Switzerland；　being



in　the　costumes　of　the　organizations　they　represented；　most　were



picturesque；　and　some　had　a　very　mediaeval　appearance；　those　from



the　ancient　universities　of　Wurzburg　and　Prague；　especially；



looking　as　if　they　had　just　stepped　out　of　an　illuminated



manuscript　of　the　fourteenth　century。　At　the　time　named　for　the



beginning　of　the　festival　the　Emperor　entered；　announced　by　the



blare　of　trumpets；　preceded　by　ministers　bearing　the　sword；



standard；　and　great　seal；　and　by　generals　bearing　the　crown；



scepter；　and　orb。　He　was　surrounded　by　the　highest　officials　of



the　kingdom　and　empire；　and　having　taken　his　seat　on　the　throne；



there　came　majestic　music　preluding　sundry　orations　and　lists　of



honors　conferred　on　eminent　men　of　science　in　all　parts　of　the



world；　among　whom　I　was　glad　to　note　Professors　Gibbs　of　Yale；



James　of　Harvard；　and　Rowland　of　Johns　Hopkins。







The　Emperor's　speech　was　characteristic。　It　showed　that　his　heart



was　in　the　matter；　that　he　felt　a　just　pride　in　the　achievements



of　German　science；　and　was　determined　that　no　efforts　of　his



should　be　wanting　to　increase　and　extend　them。　After　the　close　of



the　function；　which　was　made　in　the　same　stately　way　as　its



beginning；　my　colleagues　drove　home　with　me；　and　one　of　them



said；　〃Well；　I　am　an　American　and　a　republican；　but　when　I　am　in



a　monarchy　I　like　to　see　a　thing　of　this　kind　done　in　the　most



magnificent　way　possible；　as　it　was　this　morning。〃　A　day　or　two



afterward；　at　the　dinner　given　to　the　ambassadors　by　the　Emperor；



I　told　him　this　story。　He　laughed　heartily；　and　then　said：　〃Your



friend　is　right：　if　a　man　is　to　be　a　monarch；　let　him　be　a



monarch；　Dom　Pedro　of　Brazil　tried　to　be　something　else；　and　it



did　not　turn　out　well。〃







Impressive　in　a　different　way　were　the　ceremonies　attendant　upon



the　coming　of　age　of　the　German　crown　prince；　on　the　6th　of　May；



1900。　To　do　honor　to　the　occasion；　the　Emperor　Franz　Josef　of



Austria…Hungary　had　sent　word　that　he　would　be　present；　and　for



many　days　the　whole　city　seemed　mainly　devoted　to　decorating　its



buildings　and　streets　for　his　visit；　the　culmination　of　the　whole



being　at　the　Pariser　Platz；　in　front　of　the　Brandenburg　Gate；



where　a　triumphal　arch　and　obelisks　were　erected；　with　other



decorations；　patriotic　and　complimentary。　On　the　morning　of　the



4th　he　arrived；　and；　entering　the　city　at　the　side　of　the　German



Emperor；　each　in　the　proper　uniform　of　the　other；　he　was　received



by　the　burgomaster　and　town　council　of　Berlin　with　a　most　cordial



speech；　and　then；　passing　on　through　the　Linden；　which　was



showily　decorated；　he　was　enthusiastically　greeted　everywhere。　No



doubt　this　greeting　was　thoroughly　sincere；　since　all　good



Germans　look　upon　Franz　Josef　as　their　truest　ally。







Next　evening　there　was　a　〃gala〃　performance　at　the　Royal　Opera；



the　play　presented　being；　of　all　things　in　the　world；　Auber's



〃Bronze　Horse；〃　which　is　a　farcical　Chinese　fairy　tale　set　to



very　light　and　pleasing　music。　The　stage　setting　was　gorgeous；



but　the　audience　was　still　more　so；　delegates　from　all　the



greater　powers　of　the　world　being　present；　including　the　heirs　to



the　British　and　Italian　thrones；　the　Grand　Duke　Constantine　of



Russia；　and　a　multitude　of　other　scions　of　royalty。　One　feature



was　comical。　Near　me　sat　His　Excellency　the　Chinese　minister；



surrounded　by　his　secretaries　and　attaches；　all　apparently



delighted；　and　on　my　asking　him；　through　his　interpreter；　how　he



liked　it；　he　said；　〃Very　much；　this　shows　the　Europeans　that　in



China　we　know　how　to　amuse　ourselves。〃　Of　the　fact　that　it　was　a



rather　highly　charged　caricature　of　Chinese　officialdom　he　seemed



either　really　or　diplomatically　unconscious。







On　the　following　morning　I　was　received　in　audience　by　the　German



Emperor；　bringing　to　him　a　warm　message　of　congratulation　from



President　McKinley；　and　when　His　Majesty　had　replied　very



cordially；　he　introduced　me　to　the　crown　prince　standing　at　his



side；　to　whom　I　gave　the　President's　best　wishes。　Then　came；　in



the　chapel　of　the　palace；　an　impressive　religious　service；　the



address　by　Dr。　Dryander　being　eloquent；　and　the　music；　by　the



cathedral　choir　and；　at　times；　by　a　great　military　orchestra；



both　far　above　us　in　the　dome；　beautiful。　At　its　close　the　crown



prince　came　forward；　stood　before　the　altar；　where　I　had　seen　his



parents　married　twenty　years　before；　and　the　oath　of　allegiance；



which　was　quite　long；　having　been　read　to　him　by　the　colonel　of



his　regiment；　he　repeated　it；　word　for　word；　and　made　his　solemn



pledge；　lifting　one　hand　and　grasping　the　imperial　standard　with



the　other。　Then；　after　receiving　affectionate　embraces　from　his



father　and　mother；　he　was　congratulated　by　the　sovereigns　and



royal　personages。　The　ambassadors　and　ministers　having　been　then