part05+-第41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！





father　and　mother；　he　was　congratulated　by　the　sovereigns　and



royal　personages。　The　ambassadors　and　ministers　having　been　then



received　by　the　Emperor　and　Empress；　the　young　prince　came　along



the　line　and　spoke　to　each　of　us　in　a　very　unaffected　and　manly



way。　He　was　at　that　time　somewhat　taller　than　his　father；　with　an



intelligent　and　pleasant　face；　and　is　likely；　I　should　say；　to　do



well　in　his　great　position；　though　not　possessing；　probably；



anything　like　his　father's　varied　gifts　and　graces。







In　the　evening　came　a　dinner　in　the　White　Hall　of　the　palace　to



several　hundred　guests；　including　the　Emperor　of　Austria…Hungary；



the　King　of　Saxony；　and　other　visiting　personages；　with　the　heads



of　the　diplomatic　missions；　and　the　leading　personages　of　the



empire；　and　near　the　close　of　it　the　Emperor　William　arose　and



made　an　excellent　speech；　to　all　appearance　extemporaneous。　The



answer　by　the　Emperor　of　Austria…Hungary　was　read　by　him；　and　was



sensible　and　appropriate。







That　this　visit　did　much　to　strengthen　the　ties　which　bind　the



two　monarchies　was　shown　not　merely　by　hurrahs　in　the　streets　and



dithyrambic　utterances　in　the　newspapers；　but　by　a　mass　of　other



testimony。　One　curious　thing　was　the　great　care　everywhere　taken



in　the　decorations　to　honor　the　crown　and　flag　of　Hungary　equally



with　that　of　Austria；　and　this；　as　was　shown　by　the　Hungarian



journals；　had　an　excellent　effect。　By　this　meeting；　no　doubt；　the



Triple　Alliance　was　somewhat　strengthened；　and　the　chances　for



continued　peace　increased；　at　least　during　the　lifetime　of　the



Emperor　Franz　Josef。　As　to　what　will　follow　his　death　all　is



dark。　His　successor　is　one　of　the　least　suitable　of



men；unprepossessing；　and　even　forbidding；　in　every　respect。



Brought　up　by　the　Jesuits；　he　is　distrusted　by　a　vast　mass　of　the



best　people　in　the　empire；　Catholic　and　Protestant。　A　devout



Catholic　they　would　be　glad　to　take；　but　a　Jesuit　pupil　they



dread；　for　they　know　too　well　what　such　have　brought　upon　the



empire　hitherto；　and；　indeed；　upon　every　kingdom　which　has



allowed　them　in　its　councils。　His　previous　career　has　not　been



edifying；　and　there　is　no　reason　to　expect　any　change　in　him。　The



Emperor　Franz　Josef　is　probably　as　thoroughly　beloved　by　his



subjects　as　any　sovereign　in　history　has　ever　been。　His　great



misfortunesfearful　defeats　in　the　wars　with　France　and　Germany；



the　suicide　of　his　only　son；　the　assassination　of　his　wife；　and



family　troubles　in　more　recent　timeshave　thrown　about　him　an



atmosphere　of　romantic　sympathy；　while　love　for　his　kindly



qualities　is　mingled　with　respect　for　his　plain　common　sense。



During　his　stay　in　Berlin　I　met　him　a　second　time。　At　my　first



presentation　at　Dresden；　two　years　before；　there　was　little



opportunity　for　extended　conversation；　but　he　now　spoke　quite　at



length　and　in　a　manner　which　showed　him　to　be　observant　of　the



world's　affairs　even　in　remote　regions。　He　discussed　the　recent



increase　of　our　army；　the　progress　of　our　war　in　the　Philippines；



and　the　extension　of　American　enterprise　in　various　parts　of　the



world；　in　a　way　which　was　not　at　all　perfunctory；　but　evidently



the　result　of　large　information　and　careful　observation。　His



empire；　which　is　a　seething　caldron　of　hates；　racial；　religious；



political；　and　local；　is　held　together　by　love　and　respect　for



him；　but　when　he　dies　this　personal　tie　which　unites　all　these



different　races；　parties；　and　localities　will　disappear；　and　in



place　of　it　will　come　the　man　who　by　force　of　untoward



circumstances　is　to　be　his　successor；　and　this　is　anything　but　a



pleasing　prospect　to　an　Austro…Hungarian；　or；　indeed；　to　any



thoughtful　observer　of　human　affairs。







Interesting　to　me　at　this　period　was　a　visit　from　representatives



of　the　〃Kriegerverein〃German…Americans　who　had　formerly　fought



in　the　war　between　Germany　and　France；　who　had　since　become



American　citizens；　and　who　were　now　revisiting　their　native　land。



They　were　a　very　manly　body；　evidently　taking　pride　in　the



American　flag　which　they　carried；　and　also　in　the　part　they　had



played　in　Germany。　Replying　to　a　friendly　address　by　their



commanding　officer；　I　took　up　some　current　American　fallacies



regarding　Germany　and　Germans；　encouraged　my　hearers　to　stand



firm　against　sensational　efforts　to　make　trouble　between　the　two



countries；　urged　them　to　keep　their　children　in　knowledge　of　the



German　language　and　in　touch　with　German　civilization；　while



bringing　them　up　as　thoroughly　loyal　Americans；　reminding　them



that　every　American　who　is　interested　in　German　history　or



literature　or　science　or　art　is　an　additional　link　in　the　chain



which　binds　together　the　two　nations。　The　speech　was　of　a　very



offhand　sort；　but　it　seemed　to　strike　deep　and　speed　far；　for　it



evoked　most　kindly　letters　of　congratulation　and　thanks　from



various　parts　of　Germany　and　the　United　States。







The　most　striking　episode　in　the　history　of　the　world　during



these　years　was　the　revolution　in　China。　The　first　event　which



startled　mankind　was　the　murder　of　Baron　von　Ketteler；　the　German



minister　at　Peking；　a　man　of　remarkable　abilities　and



accomplishments；　who　was　thought　sure　to　rise　high　among



diplomatists；　and　who　had　especially　attracted　American



friendships　by　his　marriage　with　an　American　lady。　The　impression



created　by　this　calamity　was　made　all　the　greater　by　the　fact



that；　in　the　absence　of　further　news　from　the　Chinese　capital；



there　was　reason　to　fear　that　the　whole　diplomatic　corps；　with



their　families；　might　be　murdered。　American　action　in　the



entanglements　which　followed　was　prompt　and　successful；　and



thinking　men　everywhere　soon　saw　it　to　be　so。　Toward　the　end　of



July；　1900；　being　about　to　go　to　America　for　the　summer；　I　took



leave　of　Count　von　Bulow　at　the　Foreign　Office；　and；　on　coming



out；　met　one　of　my　colleagues；　who；　although　representing　one　of



the　lesser　European　powers；　was　well　known　as　exceedingly　shrewd



and　far…sighted。　He　said：　〃I　congratulate　you　on　the　course



pursued　by　your　government　during　this　fearful　Chinese　imbroglio。



Other　powers　have　made　haste　to　jump　into　war；　your　admiral　at



Tientsin　seems　the　only　one　who　has　kept　his　head；　other



governments　have　treated　representatives　of　the　Chinese　Empire　as



hostile；　and；　in　doing　so；　have　cut　themselves　off　from　all



direct　influence　on　the　Peking　Government；　the　government　at



Washington　has　taken　an　opposite　course；　has　considered　the



troubles　as；　prima　facie；　the　work　of　insurrectionists；　has



insisted　on　claiming　friendship　with　the　constituted　authorities



in　China；　and；　in　view　of　this　friendship；　has　insisted　on　being



kept　in　communication　with　its　representative　at　the　Chinese



capital；　the　result　being　that　your　government　has　been　allowed



to　communicate　with　its　representative；　and　has　thereby　gained



the　information　and　issued　the　orders　which　have　saved　the　entire



diplomatic　corps；　as　well　as　the　forces　of　the　different　powers



now　in　Peking。〃







It　was　one　of　those　contemporary　testimonies　to　the　skill　of　Mr。



McKinley　and　Secretary　Hay　which　indicate　the　verdict　of　history。







Our　later　policy　was　equally　sound。　It　was　to　prevent　any　further



territorial　encroachments　on　China　by　foreign　powers；　and　to



secure　the　opening　of　the　empire　on　equal　terms　to　the　commerce



of　the　entire　world。　On　the　other　hand；　the　German　Government；



exasperated　by　the　murder　of　its　minister　at　Peking；　was　at　first



inclined　to　go　beyond　this；　and　a　speech　of　the　Emperor　to　his



troops　as　they　were　leaving　Germany　for　the　seat　of　war　was



hastily　construed　to　mean　that　they　were　to　carry　out　a　policy　of



extermination　and　confiscation。　Even　after　the　first　natural



outburst　of　indignation　against　the　Chinese；　it　looked　as　if　the



ultimatum　presented　by　the　powers　would　include　demands　which



could　never　be　met；　and　would　entangle　all　the　powers　in　a　long



and　tedious　war；　leading；　perhaps；　to　a　worse　catastrophe。



Quietly　but　vigorously；　from　first　to　last；　the　American　policy



was　urged　by　Mr。　Conger；　American　minister　at　Peking；　and　by



other　representatives　of　our　government　abroad；　and　it　was　a



happy　morning　for　me　when；　after　efforts　many　and　long　continued；



I　received　at　the　Berlin　Foreign　Office　the　assurance　that



Germany　would　not　consider　the　earlier　conditions　presented　by



the　powers　to　the　Chinese　Government　as　〃irrevocable。〃　My



constant　contention；　during　interviews　at　the　Foreign　Office；　had



been　that　the　United　States　desired　as　anxiously　to　see　the　main



miscreants　punished　as　did　any　other　nation；　but　that　it　was　of



no　use　to　demand；　upon　members　of　the　imperial　family；　and　upon



generals　in　command　of　great　armies；　extreme　penalties　which　the



Chinese　Government　was　not　strong　enough　to　inflict；　or



indemnities　which　it　was　not　rich　enough　to　pay；　that　our　aim　was



not　quixotic　but　practical；　and　that；　in　advocating　steadily　the



〃open　door〃　policy；　we　were　laboring　quite　as　much　for　all　other



powers　as　for　ourselves。　Of　course　we　were　charged　in　various



quarters　with　cold…bloodedness；　and　with　merely　seeking　to



promote　our　own　interest　in　trade；　but　the　Japanese；　who　could



understand　the　question　better　than　the　Western　powers；　steadily



adhered　to　our　policy；　and　more　and　more；　in　its　main　lines；　it



proved　to　be　correct。







On　the　Fourth　of　July；　1900；　came　the　celebration　of