The Washington times., 1917-10-08
ars in Germany"-By Ambassador James Watson Gerard

very frivolous and far away. But an
ambassador is compelled to become
part Of this system. The most I'M
portant conversations with the EN-
peror sometimes take place at court
functions. and the ambassador and
his secretaries often gather their
most useful bits OF information over
teacups or with the cigars after din
ner.
Aside from the short court season,
Berlin is rather dull; Bismarck char
acterized 1t as desert Of bricks and
newspapers"
! In addition to making visits to the
royalties. custom required me to call
first upon the imperial chancellor and
the minister OF foreign affairs. The
other ministers are supposed TO call
first, although / believe the redoubt-
able Won TirpitE claimed a different
rule. So, during the first winter. /
gradually made the acquaintance of
those persons who sway the destinies
Of the German empire and It's seventy
millions.
/ dined with the Emperor and had
long conversations with him on New
Year Day and at the two court balls.
Tried To Excite Suspicion.
All during the winter Germans
from the highest down tried to i'm
press me with the great danger
which they said threatened America
from Japan. The military and naval
attaches and l were told that the
German Information system sent news
that Mexico was full of Japanese
colonels and America of Japanese
spies. Possibly much Of the preju-
! dice against the Japanese was cooked
lup by the German propagandists
whom we later learned to. know. SO
we'll
| 1t is noteworthy that during the
whole of my first winter in Berlin
f, was not officially or semi-officially
afforded an opportunity to meet any
of the members of the Reichstag or
any of the leaders in the business
! world. The great merchants whose
acquaintances / made, as well as the
literary and artistic people, I had to
seek out, because most of them were
not Hof-faehig. 1 did not come in
! contact with them at any court func-
tions, official dinners, or even in the
houses of the court mobiles or those
connected with the government
A very interesting character whom
IL met during the first winter and
often conyersed with was Prince
Henkel-Donnersmar Prince Don
nersmarck, who died December. 1916,
at the age OF eighty-six years, was
the richest male subject in Germany,
the richest subject being Frau Won
Krupp-Bohlen, the heiress OF the
Krupp cannon foundry. He was the
FIRST governor OF Lorraine during the
war of 1870. and he had a finger In
all of the political and commercial
activities OF Germany for more than
half a century. He told me, on one
occasion, that he had advocated eI-
acting a war indemnity OF 30 mil
Iards from France after the war Of
1870, and said that France could cas-
lily pay it-and that a like sum, or
much more, should be eXacted as an
/ indemnity at the conclusion Of the
world war OF 1914.
The prince said that he had always
advocated q protective tariff for ag-
ricultural products in Germany, as
well as encouragement of the Ger
man manufacturing interests; that
agriculture was necessary to the
country in order to provide strong
soldiers for war, and manufacturing
Industries were needed to provide
and their equipment He made me
promise to take his second son to
America in order that he might see
American life and the great iron and
coal districts OF Pennsylvania
OF course, most OF these converse
tions took place before the world war
After two years of that war and as
prospects OF paying the expense of
the war from the indemnities to be
eXacted from the enemies OF Germany
/ gradually melted away the prince
quite naturally developed a great anx-
iety as to how the expenses OF the
war should be paid by Germany. and
I am sure that this anxiety had much
to do with his death at the end of
the year 1915.
Calling on AmbaHsadora.
Custom demanded that should ask
for an appointment and call on each
OF the ambassadors on arrival. The
English ambassador was Sir Edward
Goschen, a man OF perhaps sixty-eIght
years. widower. He spoke French,
Of course, and German. and accom-
panied by his dog. was a frequent
visitor at our house. am very
grateful for the help and advice he
| so generously gave me-doubIy yaIu-
able as coming from a man of his
fame and experience.
Jules Cambon was the ambassador
OF France. His brother. Paul, is am
! bassador TO the Court of st. James
Jules Cambon is well known to Amer
leans, having passed five years in this
country. He was ambassador 10
Spain for fve years, and at the time
of my arrival had been about IN.
same period at Berlin. In spite OF his
long residence in each OF these coun-
/ tries, he spoke only French, but nos
sessed a really marvellous insight into
the political life OF each of these ns-
tions. Bollati, the Italian. was a
great admirer OF Germany; he smoke
German well. and did everything DOS.
sible to keep Italy out of war with
her former allies in the triple al
! lance.
Spain Represented.
Spain was represented by Polo de
Barnebe, who now represents the in
terests OF the United States in Ger
many asTwell as those of France. Rus
sia- Belgium, Serbia and RoumanIa. II
is curious commentary on the All
surdity OF war that on leaving Belin I
handed over the interests of The
United States to this Ambassador who