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to go through a similar ordeal； had shown me that the Berlin
makers could never be relied upon to get the apartment furnished
in time； and therefore it was that； having secured what was
possible in Berlin； I was obliged to make large purchases at
Dresden； London； and Paris； and to have the furniture from the
last…named city hurried on to Berlin in special wadded cars； with
attendants to put it in place。 It was a labor and care to which
no representative of the United States or of any other power
ought to be subjected。 The vexations and difficulties seemed
unending； but at last carpenters； paper…hangers； electric…light
men； furniture men； carpet…layers； upholsterers； and the like
were driven from the house just five minutes before the
chancellor of the empire arrived to open the first of these three
official receptions。 Happily they all went off well； and thereby
began my acquaintance with the leaders in various departments of
official life。
On my settling down to the business of the embassy； it appeared
that the changes in public sentiment since my former stay as
minister； eighteen years before； were great indeed。 At that time
German feeling was decidedly friendly to the United States。 The
Germans had sided with us in our Civil War； and we had come out
victorious； we had sided with them in their war of 1870…1871； and
they had come out victorious。 But all this was now changed。
German feeling toward us had become generally adverse and； in
some parts of the empire； bitterly hostile。 The main cause of
this was doubtless our protective policy。 Our McKinley tariff；
which was considered almost ruinous to German manufactures； had
been succeeded by the Dingley tariff； which went still further；
and as Germany； in the last forty years； had developed an amazing
growth of manufactures； much bitterness resulted。
Besides this； our country was enabled； by its vast extent of
arable land； as well as by its cheap conveyance and skilful
handling of freights； to sweep into the German markets
agricultural products of various sorts； especially meats； and to
undersell the native German producers。 This naturally vexed the
landed proprietors； so that we finally had against us two of the
great influential classes in the empire： the manufacturers and
the landowners。
But this was not all。 These real difficulties were greatly
increased by fictitious causes of ill feeling。 Sensational
articles； letters； telegrams； caricatures； and the like； sent
from America to Germany and from Germany to America； had become
more and more exasperating； until； at the time of my arrival；
there were in all Germany but two newspapers of real importance
friendly to the United States。 These two journals courageously
stood up for fairness and justice； but all the others were more
or less hostile； and some bitterly so。 The one which； on account
of its zeal in securing news； I read every morning was of the
worst。 During the Spanish War it was especially virulent； being
full of statements and arguments to show that corruption was the
main characteristic of our government； cowardice of our army and
navy； and hypocrisy of our people。 Very edifying were its
quasi…philosophical articles； and one of these； showing the
superiority of the Spanish women to their American sisters；
especially as regards education； was a work of genius。 The love
of Spanish women for bull…fights was neatly glossed over； and
various absurd charges against American women were put in the
balance against it。 A few sensational presses on our side were
perhaps worse。 Various newspapers in America repaid Teutonic
hostility by copious insults directed at everything German； and
this aroused the Germans yet more。 One journal； very influential
among the aristocratic and religious public of Northern Germany；
regularly published letters of considerable literary merit from
its American correspondent； in which every scandal which could be
raked out of the gutters of the cities； every crime in the
remotest villages； and all follies of individuals everywhere；
were kneaded together into statements showing that our country
was the lowest in the scale of human civilization。 The tu…quoque
argument might have been used by an American with much effect；
for just about this period there were dragging along； in the
Berlin and other city journals； accounts of German trials for
fraud and worse； surpassing； in some respects； anything within my
memory of American tribunals。 The quantity of fig…leaves required
in some of these trials was enormous； and； despite all
precautions； some details which escaped into the press might well
bring a blush to the most hardened American offender。 It was both
vexatious and comical to see the smug； Pharisaical way in which
many journals ignored all these things； and held up their hands
in horror at American shortcomings。 Some trials； too； which at
various times revealed the brutality of sundry military officers
toward soldiers； were heartrending； and especially one or two
duels； which occurred during my stay； presented features
calculated to shock the toughest American rough…rider。 But all
this seemed not for a moment to withdraw the attention of our
Teutonic censors from American folly and wickedness。 One of the
main charges constantly made was that in America there was a
〃Deutschen Hetze。〃 Very many German papers had really persuaded
themselves； and apparently had convinced a large part of the
German people； that throughout our country there existed a hate；
deep and acrid； of everything German and especially of
German…Americans。 The ingenuity of some German papers in
supporting this thesis was wonderful。 On one occasion a petty
squabble in a Roman Catholic theological school in the United
States between the more liberal element and a reactionary German
priest； in which the latter came to grief； was displayed as an
evidence that the American people were determined to drive out
all German professors and to abjure German science。 The doings of
every scapegrace in an American university； of every silly woman
in Chicago； of every blackguard in New York； of every snob at
Newport； of every desperado in the Rocky Mountains； of every club
loafer anywhere； were served up as typical examples of American
life。 The municipal governments of our country； and especially
that of New York； were an exhaustless quarry from which specimens
of every kind of scoundrelism were drawn and used in building up
an ideal structure of American life； corruption； lawlessness； and
barbarism being its most salient features。
Nor was this confined to the more ignorant。 Men who stood high in
the universities； men of the greatest amiability； who in former
days had been the warmest friends of America； had now become our
bitter opponents； and some of their expressions seemed to point
to eventual war。
Yet I doubt whether we have any right to complain of such attacks
and misrepresentations。 As a matter of fact； no nation washes so
much of its dirty linen in the face of the whole world as does
our own； and； what is worse； there is washed in our country； with
much noise and perversity； a great deal of linen which is not
dirty。 Many demagogues and some 〃reformers〃 are always doing
this。 There is in America a certain class of excellent people who
see nothing but the scum on the surface of the pot； nothing but
the worst things thrown to the surface in the ebullition of
American life。 Or they may be compared to people who； with a
Persian carpet before them； persist in looking at its seamy side；
and finding nothing but odds and ends； imperfect joints；
unsatisfactory combinations of color； the real pattern entirely
escaping them。 The shrill utterances of such men rise above the
low hum of steady good work； and are taken in Germany as exact
statements of the main facts in our national life。
Let me repeat here one example which I have given more than once
elsewhere。 Several years since； an effort was made to impeach the
President of the United States。 The current was strong； and most
party leaders thought it best to go with it。 Three senators of
the United States sturdily refused； their leader being William
Pitt Fessenden of Maine； who； believing the impeachment an
attempt to introduce Spanish…American politics into our country；
resolutely opposed it。 The State convention of his party called