part05+-第47章

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number　of　persons　who；　having　left　Europe　just　in　time　to　escape



military　service；　have　stayed　in　America　just　long　enough　to



acquire　American　citizenship；　and　then；　having　returned　to　their



native　country；　seek　to　enjoy　the　advantages　of　both　countries



while　discharging　the　duties　of　neither。　Even　worse　were　the



cases　of　the　descendants　of　such　so…called　Americans；　most　of



them　born　in　Europe　and　not　able　even　to　speak　the　English



language；　worst　of　all　were　the　cases　of　sundry



Russianssometimes　stigmatized　as　〃predatory　Hebrews〃who；



having　left　Russia　and　gone　to　America；　had　stayed　just　long



enough　to　acquire　citizenship；　and　then　returned　and　settled　in



the　eastern　part　of　Germany；　as　near　the　Russian　frontier　as



possible。　These　were　naturally　regarded　as　fraudulent　interlopers



by　both　the　German　and　Russian　authorities；　and　much　trouble



resulted。　Some　of　them　led　a　life　hardly　outside　the　limits　of



criminality；　but　they　never　hesitated　on　this　account　to　insist



on　their　claims　to　American　protection。　When　they　were　reminded



that　American　citizenship　was　conferred　upon　them；　not　that　they



might　shirk　its　duties　and　misuse　its　advantages　in　the　land　of



their　birth；　but　that　they　might　enjoy　it　and　discharge　its



duties　in　the　land　of　their　adoption；　they　scouted　the　idea　and



insisted　on　their　right；　as　American　citizens；　to　live　where　they



pleased。　Their　communications　to　the　embassy　were；　almost　without



exception；　in　German；　Russian；　or　Polish；　very　few　of　them　wrote



or　even　spoke　English；　and　very　many　of　them　could　neither　read



nor　write　in　any　language。　For　the　hard…working　immigrant；



whether　Jew　or　Gentile；　who　comes　to　our　country　and　casts　in　his



lot　with　us；　to　take　his　share　not　only　of　privilege　but　of　duty；



I　have　the　fullest　respect　and　sympathy；　and　have　always　been



glad　to　intervene　in　his　favor；　but　intervention　in　behalf　of



those　fraudulent　pretenders　I　always　felt　to　be　a　galling　burden。







Fortunately　the　rules　of　the　State　Department　have　been　of　late



years　strengthened　to　meet　this　evil；　and　it　has　finally　become



our　practice　to　inform　such　people　that　if　they　return　to　America



they　can　receive　a　passport　for　that　purpose；　but　that　unless



they　show　a　clear　intention　of　returning；　they　cannot。　Very　many



of　them　persist　in　their　applications　in　spite　of　this；　and　one



case　became　famous　both　at　the　State　Department　and　at　the



embassy。　Three　Russians　of　the　class　referred　to　had　emigrated



with　their　families　to　America；　and；　after　the　usual　manner；



stayed　just　long　enough　to　acquire　citizenship；　and　had　then



returned　to　Germany。　One　of　them　committed　a　crime　and



disappeared；　the　other　two　went　to　the　extreme　eastern　frontier



of　Prussia　and　settled　there。　Again　and　again　the　Prussian



Government　notified　us　that　under　the　right　exercised　by　every



nation；　and　especially　by　our　own；　these　〃undesirable　intruders〃



must　leave　Prussian　territory　or　be　expelled。　Finally　we



discovered　at　the　embassy　that　a　secret　arrangement　had　been　made



between　Germany　and　Russia　which　obliged　each　to　return　the



undesirable　emigrants　of　the　other。　This　seemed　to　put　the　two



families　in　great　danger　of　being　returned　to　Russia；　and；　sooner



than　risk　a　new　international　trouble；　a　proposal　was　made　to



them；　through　the　embassy；　to　pay　their　expenses　back　to　America；



but　they　utterly　refused　to　leave；　and　continued　to　burrow　in　the



wretched　suburbs　of　one　of　the　German　cities　nearest　the　Russian



border。　Reams　of　correspondence　ensuedall　to　no　purpose；　a



special　messenger　was　sent　to　influence　themall　in　vain：　they



persisted　in　living　just　as　near　Russia　as　possible；　and　in



calling　themselves　American；　though　not　one　of　them　spoke



English。







From　time　to　time　appeared　in　our　own　country　attacks　against　the



various　American　embassies　and　legations　abroad　for　not



protecting　such　American　citizens；　and　a　very　common　feature　of



these　articles　was　an　unfavorable　comparison　between　the　United



States　and　England：　it　being　claimed　that　Great　Britain　protects



her　citizens　everywhere；　while　the　United　States　does　not。　This



statement　is　most　misleading。　Great　Britain；　while　she　is



renowned　for　protecting　her　subjects　throughout　the　world；



bringing　the　resources　of　her　fleet；　if　need　be；　to　aid



them；makes　an　exception　as　regards　her　adopted　citizens　in　the



land　of　their　birth。　The　person　who；　having　been　naturalized　in



Great　Britain；　goes　back　to　the　country　of　his　birth；　does　so　at



his　or　her　own　risk。　The　British　Government　considers　itself；



under　such　circumstances；　entirely　absolved　from　the　duty　of



giving　protection。　The　simple　fact　is　that　the　United　States　goes



much　further　in　protecting　adopted　citizens　than　does　any　other



country；　and　it　is　only　rank　demagogism　which　can　find　fault



because　some　of　our　thinking　statesmen　do　not　wish　to　see



American　citizenship　prostituted　by　persons　utterly　unfit　to



receive　it；　who　frequently　use　it　fraudulently；　and　who；　as　many



cases　prove；　are　quite　ready　to　renounce　it　and　take　up　their　old



allegiance　if　they　can　gain　advantage　thereby。







Another　general　duty　of　the　embassy　was　to　smooth　the　way　for　the



large　number　of　young　men　and　women　who　came　over　as　students。



This　duty　was　especially　pleasing　to　me　now；　as　it　had　been



during　my　life　as　minister　in　Berlin　twenty　years　before。　At　that



time　women　were　not　admitted　to　the　universities；　but　now　large



numbers　were　in　attendance。　The　university　authorities　showed



themselves　very　courteous；　and；　when　there　was　any　doubt　as　to



the　standing　of　the　institution　from　which　a　candidate　for



admission　came；　allowed　me　to　pass　upon　the　question　and　accepted



my　certificate。　Almost　without　exception；　I　found　these



candidates　excellent；　but　there　were　some　exceptions。　The



applicants　were　usually　persons　who　had　been　graduated　from　some



one　of　our　own　institutions；　but；　from　time　to　time；　persons　who



had　merely　passed　a　freshman　year　in　some　little　American　college



came　abroad；　anxious　to　secure　the　glory　of　going　at　once　into　a



German　university。　Certificates　for　such　candidates　I　declined　to



sign。　To　do　so　would　have　been　an　abuse　sure　to　lead　the　German



authorities　finally　to　reject　the　great　mass　of　American



students：　far　better　for　applicants　to　secure　the　best　advantages



possible　in　their　own　country；　and　then　to　supplement　their　study



at　home　by　proper　work　abroad。







In　sketches　of　my　former　mission　to　Berlin　I　have　mentioned



various　applications；　some　of　them　psychological　curiosities；



these　I　found　continuing；　though　with　variations。　Some



compatriots　expected　me　to　forward　to　the　Emperor　begging



letters；　or　letters　suggesting　to　him　new　ideas；　unaware　that



myriads　of　such　letters　are　constantly　sent　which　never　reach



him；　and　which　even　his　secretaries　never　think　of　reading。



Others　sent　books；　not　knowing　the　rule　prevailing　among　crowned



heads；　never　to　accept　a　PUBLISHED　book；　and　not　realizing　that



if　this　rule　were　broken；　not　one　book　in　a　thousand　would　get



beyond　the　office　of　his　general　secretary。　Others　sent　medicine



which　they　wished　him　to　recommend；　and　one　gentleman　was　very



persistent　in　endeavoring　to　secure　his　Majesty's　decision　on　a



wager。







Then　there　were　singers　or　performers　on　wind　or　string



instruments　wishing　to　sing　or　play　before　him；　sculptors　and



painters　wishing　him　to　visit　their　studios；　and　writers　of　music



wishing　him　to　order　their　compositions　to　be　brought　out　at　the