New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-23
A. D. WHITE THE GUEST.
DINNER FOR HIM AT THE LIEDERKRANz.
THE NEW AMBASSADOR HoNoRED BY CITIZENS
OF GERMAN DESCENT.

OF GERMAN DESCENT.
Andrew d. White the new Ambassador Of the
United States TO Germany, who before another
week has passed will have left this country for
Berlin was entertained at dinner last night by the
COMMUNICATIONS of New-York Besides extend
ing congratulations TO Mr.. White upon his appoint
ment those present took advantage Of the occasion
10 bid him Godspeed upon his journey TO the father
land. The dinner was held In the hall of the Ger
many Liederkranz. and was attended by large
number of the most prominent residents OF German
birth descent.
The large reception hall was beautifully decorated
with the American and German flags, and the
tables were adorned with profuse floral pieces
Carl Schurz presided and also seated at the guest
table. in addition 10 Mr.. White were Baron Won
Thielmann. the German Ambassador; Gustav H.
Schwab. Isaac Selisman, H. Falcke. Richard
katzenmayer. cX-Mayor Charles a. Schieren or
Brooklyn. Julius Hoffman,. Consul-General Feigei
Frederick w. Hollis. Graf Goetzen, Dr. A
jacob, Reinhard Siedenburg +. Ritschl and Jacob
ii. Schif. The other tables were presided over by
Judge II. c. Kudich. William Ngclius. Richard II.
Adams and r. Trautmann.
II was a11cr 10 o'clock when Mr.. Schurz rose 70
Introduce Mr. White lie said that in this instance
1t was not OF the man seeking the Office, but
the office seeking the man. At some length he re.
ferred 10 the early efforts Mr.. White had made in
transplanng TO this country the spirit and methods
Of German education, and alluded also 10 the excel
lent effects his influence had had upon American
scholastic institutions. At this time II required
a man Of exceptional ability at Berlin to repre-
sent America, because of complications that might
arise from the imposition Of higher tariffs. but
he gave it as his opinion that in Mr.. White Presi-
dent Mckinley had selected who wei
fitted TO cope with any political or diplomatic diff
cultes or differences that might occur.
THE AMBASSADORS RESPONSE.
Mr. Whites health was drunk with enthusiasm,
and upon rising TO respond he was greeted with
long-contnued cheers.
After recognizing with many oeful Words. the
kind cordially that had animated the German
Americans Of New-York in preparing a dinner IN
his honor, Mr.. White proceeded to speak OF his
own personal relations with Germany His hrst
acquaintance with that country dated so far pack
1855. when. with little knot of young Amerl-
cans, he found himself on the benches OF the Uni
versty of Berlin. Continuing he said IN part
In the political world Il was time OF unrest,
the German scholar was at his best. He had ridden
81, the in calmness and in strength There
"Humboidt Bumsen. August B5ckh, Karl Ritter,
Lepsus Pertz. Ranke. Friedrich yon Ra1 n1hdr
bright stars about them; and Berlin Itself was
pared with its present extent and population. To
those OF us who were then settled tor time IN
own eoanry we had left the feiment OF the Fug
tive slave Law. the plot TO give slavery supremacy
the constitutional safeguards against IT, and the
that the enslavement OF large fraction of man,
kind is the necessary condition OF freedom and
But in Germany all vas different. There was in
deed much that was imperfect The nation was
frontiers. each with its own conase-or, rather,
saGa o GenaT I more poeS gnsIion
which were 10 the Americans especially veXatious
the deep German belief in we-ordered freedom;
the steadily growing faith in political truth ana
rent out OF which long to be developed
German unity.
THE CHANGE FROM AMERICA.
But perhaps still more striking 10 those of us
who thus enjoyed the privileges extended by the
German university was a comparison between what
we had left and what had now gained as
scholars We had, indeed, left behind us in the
professional chairs Of the American universitie,
whose degrees we bore many strong ing men men t 5gt
tered by perhaps the worst system OF advanced
education ever developed. 1t Is now hard 10 mag
ine IT, but then really to be seen men Ike
Woolsey and FELTON,. and Hadley and Porter. men
%no at any Nein IN d syai 9 devntins Tber main
strength 10 hearing recitatons from textbooks
lean college university, more or less environed
by sectariansm to the German university WIN us
breadth It's zeal in research It's liberty OF teaching
in which the professors OF all sects and OF no sect
were equally free was like the change from a cav
ern 10 the open prairie in spring time. No thinking
young American who enjoyed this experience IN
the middle years Of this century can ever forget IT,
and more than of us then vowed that on his re-
turn home he would labor to send out more young
americans into ms I 0d e5dt amG o
nit something Of the liberty, the spirit ana me
methods OF the German universities to our own pc
loved country TO the influence thus exercised by
American students from those universities then ana
since IS due more than TO anything else me Vas1
American advanced education. The movement thus
begun is now developing out of the great mass OF
our colleges considerable number of universities
which are rapidly becoming the peers of any in the
world with splendidly endowed Libraries, Iapord-
tories, semnaries and with every appliance Tor re-
search and instruction; -, . -,
munifcence OF our men Of wealth who have ma"
the foresight and the public spirit TO make those
vast donations when n1Ee ednoa,;or nh,ainad
scholars 10 realize the ldealS OF euuca'''h o''eu
upon German soil.
GERMAN-AMER1CAN TREATIES.
There is every reason why such an alliance in
feeling and in effort should grow with the years
and strengthen with the strength OF both nations.
1t began with Frederick the Great the first OF all
Continental monarchs TO recognize our existence as
q nation II was continued most auspIciously In
i5S5 when Frederick the Great, through Ihulmtler,
made with Franklin. jefferson and Adams that
good. indeed for those times, since It emh b
principles Of international justice which aIth0ugn
they have more and more won the assent OF man man
kind, stu await their full frui,ion sSt S
BY the efforts of Henry Wheaton the greatest OF
dence as Minister Prussia and finally by George 1
Bancroft whS acting In Tif bo Mx res
which have proved such blessing TO both couh-
tries by allaying the greatest caus, OF hlwil De-
And here feel bound personally to acknowledg;e
friendly spirit of the German imperial autnOrl-
ties in this respect. The keynote Of what appeared
is the dominant German sentiment was struck Dy
one of the noblest men with whom | have ever
been called officially TO deal Baron Won BuloW,
formerly Minister OF Foreign Affairs, who sald 70
me: "As 10 the cases of German Americans held
10 military service. need never have any tears
regarding any which have any justice IN thein.
The gaining of a petty victory in twenty or TWO
hundred military cases is as nothing 10 us com,
pared with The advantage of maintaining the FRANK
and friendly relations which have 50 long cSlsted
between Germany and the United States; may
also add that the extension Of the Bancroft treatleS
over Asace- Lorraine by Herr Won Ealan ana VII
Gus other Ministers matter or comfy 10 ue
United states showed deep feeling IN the sam
direction which ! believe all thinking Americans
will appreciate more and more as tme goes Oh