part05+-第73章

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surprise　at　the　efficiency　of　his　inspections　of　troops；　of　his



discrimination　between　things　essential　and　not　essential；　and　of



his　insight　into　current　military　questions。　Even　more　striking



testimony　was　given　to　me　by　our　naval　attaches　as　to　his　minute



knowledge　not　only　of　his　own　navy；　but　of　the　navies　of　other



powers；　and　especially　as　to　the　capabilities　of　various　classes



of　ships　and；　indeed；　of　individual　vessels。　One　thoroughly



capable　of　judging　told　me　that　he　doubted　whether　there　was　any



admiral　in　our　service　who　knew　more　about　every　American　ship　of



any　importance　than　does　the　Kaiser。　It　has　been　said　that　his



devotion　to　the　German　navy　is　a　whim。　That　view　can　hardly



command　respect　among　those　who　have　noted　his　labor　for　years



upon　its　development；　and　his　utterances　regarding　its　connection



with　the　future　of　his　empire。　As　a　simple　matter　of　fact；　he



recognizes　the　triumphs　of　German　commercial　enterprises；　and



sees　in　them　a　guarantee　for　the　extension　of　German　power　and



for　a　glory　more　permanent　than　any　likely　to　be　obtained　by



military　operations　in　these　times。　When　any　candid　American



studies　what　has　been　done；　or；　rather；　what　has　NOT　been　done；



in　his　own　country；　with　its　immense　seacoast　and　its　many



harbors　on　two　oceans；　to　build　up　a　great　merchant　navy；　and



compares　it　with　what　has　been　accomplished　during　the　last　fifty



years　by　the　steady；　earnest；　honest　enterprise　of　Germany；　with



merely　its　little　strip　of　coast　on　a　northern　inland　sea；　and



with　only　the　Hanseatic　ports　as　a　basis；　he　may　well　have



searchings　of　heart。　The　〃Shipping　Trust〃　seems　to　be　the　main



outcome　of　our　activity；　and　lines　of　the　finest　steamers　running



to　all　parts　of　the　world　the　outcome　of　theirs。　There　is　a



history　here　which　we　may　well　ponder；　the　young　Emperor　has　not



only　thought　but　acted　upon　it。







As　to　yet　broader　work；　the　crucial　test　of　a　ruler　is　his



ability　to　select　MEN；　to　stand　by　them　when　he　has　selected



them；　and　to　decide　wisely　how　far　the　plans　which　he　has　thought



out；　and　they　have　thought　out；　can　be　fused　into　a　policy　worthy



of　his　country。　Judged　by　this　test；　the　young　monarch　would　seem



worthy　of　his　position；　the　men　he　has　called　to　the　various



ministries　are　remarkably　fit　for　their　places；　several　of　them



showing　very　high　capacity；　and　some　of　them　genius。







As　to　his　relation　to　the　legislative　bodies；　it　is　sometimes



claimed　that　he　has　lost　much　by　his　too　early　and　open



proclamation　of　his　decisions；　intentions；　and　wishes；　and　it　can



hardly　be　denied　that　something　must　be　pardoned　to　the　ardor　of



his　patriotic　desire　to　develop　the　empire　in　all　its　activities；



but；　after　all　due　allowance　has　been　made；　there　remains



undeniable　evidence　of　his　statesmanlike　ability　to　impress　his



views　upon　the　national　and　state　legislatures。　A　leading　member



of　one　of　the　parliamentary　groups；　very　frequently　in　opposition



to　government　measures；　said　to　me：　〃After　all；　it　is　impossible



for　us　to　resist　him；　he　knows　Germany　so　well；　and　his　heart　is



so　thoroughly　in　his　proposals；　that　he　is　sure　to　gain　his



points　sooner　or　later。〃







An　essential　element　of　strength　in　this　respect　is　his



acquaintance　with　men　and　things　in　every　part　of　his　empire。



Evidences　of　this　were　frequent　in　his　public　letters　and



telegrams　to　cities；　towns；　groups；　and　individuals。　Nor　was　it



〃meddling　and　muddling。〃　If　any　fine　thing　was　done　in　any　part



of　the　empire；　he　seemed　the　first　to　take　notice　of　it。　Typical



of　his　breadth　of　view　were　the　cases　of　various　ship　captains



and　others　who　showed　heroism　in　remote　parts　of　the　world；　his



telegram　of　hearty　approval　being　usually　the　first　thing　they



received　on　coming　within　reach　of　it；　and　substantial　evidence



of　his　gratitude　meeting　them　later。







On　the　other　hand；　as　to　his　faculty　for　minute　observation　and



prompt　action　upon　it：　a　captain　of　one　of　the　great　liners



between　Hamburg　and　New　York　told　me　that　when　his　ship　was　ready



to　sail　the　Emperor　came　on　board；　looked　it　over；　and　after



approving　various　arrangements　said　dryly；　〃Captain；　I　should



think　you　were　too　old　a　sailor　to　let　people　give　square　corners



to　your　tables。〃　The　captain　quietly　acted　upon　this　hint；　and



when；　many　months　later；　the　Kaiser　revisited　the　ship；　he　said；



〃Well；　captain；　I　am　glad　to　see　that　you　have　rounded　the



corners　of　your　tables。〃







He　is　certainly　a　working　man。　The　record　of　each　of　his　days　at



Berlin　or　Potsdam；　as　given　in　the　press；　shows　that　every　hour；



from　dawn　to　long　after　dusk；　brings　its　dutiesduties　demanding



wide　observation；　close　study；　concentration　of　thought；　and



decision。　Nor　is　his　attention　bounded　by　German　interests。　He　is



a　keen　student　of　the　world　at　large。　At　various　interviews　there



was　ample　evidence　of　his　close　observation　of　the　present



President　of　the　United　States；　and　of　appreciation　of　his　doings



and　qualities；　so；　too；　when　the　struggle　for　decent　government



in　New　York　was　going　on；　he　showed　an　intelligent　interest　in



Mr。　Seth　Low；　and　in　various　other　American　matters　there　was



recognition　of　the　value　of　any　important　stroke　of　good　work



done　by　our　countrymen。







As　to　his　view　of　international　questions；　two　of　the



opportunities　above　referred　to　especially　occur　to　me　here。







The　first　of　these　was　during　the　troubles　in　Crete　between　the



Greeks　and　the　Turks。　As　I　talked　one　evening　with　one　of　my



colleagues　who　represented　a　power　especially　interested　in　the



matter；　the　Emperor　came　up　and　at　once　entered　into　the



discussion。　He　stated　the　position　of　various　powers　in　relation



to　it；　and　suggested　a　line　of　conduct。　There　was　straightforward



good　sense　in　his　whole　contention；　a　refreshing　absence　of



conventionalities；　and　a　very　clear　insight　into　the　realities　of



the　question；　with　a　shrewd　forecast　of　the　result。　More



interesting　to　me　was　another　conversation；　in　the　spring　of



1899。　As　the　time　drew　near　for　the　sessions　of　the　Peace



Conference　at　The　Hague；　I　was　making　preparations　for　leaving



Berlin　to　take　up　my　duty　in　that　body；　when　one　morning　there



appeared　at　the　embassy　a　special　messenger　from　the　Emperor



requesting　me　to　come　to　the　palace。　My　reception　was　hearty；　and



he　plunged　at　once　into　the　general　subject　by　remarking；　〃What



the　conference　will　most　need　is　good　common　sense；　and　I　have



sent　Count　Munster；　my　ambassador　at　Paris；　because　he　has　lots



of　it。〃　With　this　preface；　he　went　very　fully　into　the　questions



likely　to　come　before　the　conference；　speaking　regarding　the



attitude　of　the　United　States　and　the　various　powers　of　Europe



and　Asia　with　a　frankness；　fullness；　and　pungency　which　at　times



rather　startled　me。　On　the　relations　between　the　United　States；



Germany；　and　Great　Britain　he　was　especially　full。　Very



suggestive　also　were　his　remarks　regarding　questions　in　the　far



East；　and　especially　on　the　part　likely　to　be　played　by　Japan　and



Chinathe　interests　of　various　powers　in　these　questions　being



presented　in　various　aspects；　some　of　them　decidedly　original　and



suggestive。　While　there　were　points　on　which　we　could　hardly



agree；　there　were　some　suggestions　which　proved　to　be　of　especial



value；　and　to　one　of　them　is　due　the　fact　that　on　most　questions



the　German　delegates　at　The　Hague　stood　by　the　Americans；　and



that　on　the　most　important　question　of　all　they　finally；　after　a



wide　divergence　from