Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-08-14
AN. AMBASSADORS TRIALS.
som. Experiences. of the Hon. An

some Experiences OF the Hon. An
drew ID. White I'm Germany.
IL has sometimes seemed TO me while
doing duty at the German capital I'm
those days as minister, and at a more
recent period as ambassador, that
could not enter my office without meet
ing some vexatious case. One day Il
was an American who. having thought
that patriotism required him I'm
crowded railway carriage loudly to
denounce Germany. the German peo-
pie and the imperial government, had
passed the night in a guard house; an
other day il was one who, feeling call
cd upon, in restaurant, to proclaim
very loudly and grossly his unfavora-
bic opinion of the emperor, was ar
rested; on still another occasion 1t was
one of our fellow citizens who, having
thought that he ought to be married In
Berlin as easily as I'm New York, had
found himself entangled i'm a network
of regulations, prescriptions and pro-
hibitions
or this latter sort there were in my
time several curious cases. One morn
Ing man came rushing into the lega-
ton in high excitement exclaiming:
MIR. Minister, L am in the worst fix
that any decent man was ever in. I
want You to help me out OF itr' And he
then went on with bitter TRADE
against everybody and everything in
the German empire. When his wrath
had effervesced somewhat he stated his
case as follows: Last year, while trav-
cling through Germany, 1 fell in love
with young German lady, and after
my return to America became engaged
TO her. L have now come for my bride.
The wedding is fixed for next Thurs
day; our steamer passages are taken n
day or two later, and 1 find that the
authorities will not allow me to marry
unless l present multitude of papers
such as never dreamed of Some of
them 1t Will take months to get and
some l can never get. Ny intended
bride is In distress: her family evident
iy distrust me; the wedding is post
poned indefinitely, and my business
partner is cabling me to come back to
America as soon as possible. 1 am
asked for a baptismaI eertiicate-a
taufschein. Now, so far as 1 know.
was never baptized. L am required to
sent of my parents to my marriage-I,
man thirty years old and In a large
business of my own! 1 am asked to
give bonds for the payment of my
debts in Germany. l owe no such
debts, but L know no one who Will give
such a bond. 1 am notified that the
banns must be published n certain num-
Der of times before the wedding. What
kind of country Is this, anyhow"
We did the best we could. In an In
terview with the minister of public
worship I was able to secure a dis
pensation from the publishing of the
eanns; then bond was drawn up,
which signed and thus settled the
question regarding possible debts in
Germany. AS to the baptismal GER
tificate, L ordered inscribed, on the
largest possible sheet Of Official paper.
the geRtlsman's affidavit that, In the
state OF Ohio, where he was born, NJ.
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 peculiar; but 1t was thought
best not TO startle the authorities with
the admission that the man had not
been baptized at all. They could
easily believe that q state like Ohio,
which some of them doubtless regard
ed as still i'm the backwoods and MAIN
ly tenanted by the aborigines, might
have omitted, In days gone by, to re-
quire taufschein; but that an unbap-
tied Christian should offer himself TO
he married in Germany would perhaps
have SO ,painiyzed their powers of be-
lief that permission for tho marriage
night never have been secured.--From
"Chapters From My Diplomatic Life"
In Century.flN 49, 49,