The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-28
AN AMBAssADoR,s TRIAL.
Trying Experience of the Hon. An
 drew D. White of Germany.

 From Chapters From My Diplomatic Life" in August Century.
 It has sosmetimes seemed to me, while doing duty at the German capital in thosa days as minister, and at a mor& recent period as ambassador, that I could not enter my office without meet ing some vexatious case. One day 1t was an American who, having thought that patriotism required him, in crowded railway carriage. loudly to denounce Ger many. the German people, and the inn perial government had passed the night in a guard house; another day 1t was one who, feeling called upon. in a res taurant to proclaim very loudly and grossly his unfavorable opinion of the Emperor. was arrested; on still another occasion 1t was ore of our fellow-ctti- zens who, having thought that he ought to be married in Berlin as easily as in New York. had found himself entangled in a network of regulations, prescriptions and prohibitions.
 Of this latter sort there were in my time several curious cases. One morn ing a man came rushing into the legation in high excitement. exclaiming: MT. Minister, am in the worst fix that any decent man was ever in. I want you to help me out of it." and he then went on with bitter tirade against everybody and everything in the German empire. When his wrath had effervesced some what he stated his case as follows: Last year, while travelling through Germany, fell in love with young German lady. and after my return to America became engaged to her. I have now come for my bride. The wedding is fixed for sext Thursday; our steamer passages are fafs en day or two later. And I find that the authorities will not allow me to mar ry unless present a multitude of papers -H, -A them 1t will take months to get, and some can never get. My intended bride is in distress: her family evidently dis trust me; the wedding Is postponed in- definitely; and my business partner is calling me to come back to America as soon as possible. I am asked for bap- tismal certificate-a Taufschein. Now, so far as I know. I was never baptized. am required to present a certificate show ing the consent of my parents to my mar riage-I am thirty years old and in a large busino&s of my own! I am asked to give bonds for the payment of my debts in Germany. owe no such debts; but I know no one who will give such bond. I am notified that the bonds must be published certain number of times before the wedding. What kind of country Is this, anyhow?''
 We did the best we could. Tn an inter- view with the Minister of Public Wor- ship l was able to secure a dispensation from the publishing of the banns; then a bond was drawn up. which I signed and thus settled the question regarding pos sible debts in Germany. As to the bap- tismal certificates, I ordered inscribed on the largest possible sheet of official pa per, the gentleman's affidavit that, in the State of Ohio, where he was born, no Taufschein, or baptismal certificate. was required at the time of his birth, and to this was affixed with plenty of wax the largest seal of the legation. The form of the affidavit may be judged pe- culiar; but it was thought best not to startle the authorities with the admission that the man had not been baptized at ali. They could easily believe that State like Ohio, which some of them doubtless regarded as still in the backwoods and mainly tenanted by the aborigines. might have omitted. in days gone by, to require Taufschein; but that an unbaptfzed Christian should offer himself to be mar ried in Germany would perhaps have so baptized Christian should offer himself to be sion for the marriage might never have been secured.