My Four Years in Germany

lm ensued. No one seemed to think that the murders

t, but, as I believe, not until a cert

British Ambassador, as well as the Russian Ambassador, left Berlin. Th

farmed, as I explained, not by tenant farmers, but by his own superintendents. In the centre is a beautiful country house or castle. We were thirty-two guests in the house-party. This Count and his charming wife had travelled much and evidently desired to model their country life on that of

was very little excitement, and, when the Serbian answer was published, it was believed that this

far as possible, with the other diplomats, as the German officials were exceedingly uncommunicative, although I called on von Jagow every day and tried to get something out of him. On the night of the twenty-ninth, the Chancellor

r the object of his policy had been to bring about an understanding with England a

en and France beaten, so long as French territory was not taken. Sir Edward Grey said that the so-called bargain at the expense of France would consti

ere was no danger whatever of war. But in spite of his assurances and judging by the situation and what I learned from other diplomats, I had cabled to the State Department on the morning of that day saying that a general European war was inevitable. On the thirty-first, Kriegsgefahrzustand or "condition of danger of war" was proclaimed at seven P. M.,

essed. After leaving them I met Sir Edward Grey upon the street a

ility, I sent the followin

Exce

can do? Nothing that I can do t

t would approve any act of

rs

JAMES W

er I never h

and at seven-ten P. M. war was declared by Germany on Russia, the Kaiser

and Ueber Alles" and demanding war. Extras, distributed free, were issued at frequent intervals by the newspapers, and there was a general feeling

is Embassy was filled with unfortunate Russians who had gone there to seek protection and hel

the Embassy surrounded by a crowd of Americans, Mrs. James, wife of the Senator from Kentucky and Mrs. Post Wheeler, wife of our Secretary to the Embassy in Japan, came to me and said that they were anxious to get through to Japan via Siberia and did not know what to do. I immediately scribbled a note to the Russian Ambassador asking him to take them on the train with him. This, and the ladies, I confided to the care of a red-headed page boy of the Embassy

ted, perhaps, by the scenes on the way to the station, had lost her nerve at the railway station and refused to depart with the

of ladies, entered the room. He walked with a martial stride and glanced toward the gallery where the diplomats were assembled, as if to see how many were there. Taking his place upon the throne and standing, he read an address to the members of the Reichstag. The members cheered him and then adjourned to the Reichstag where the Chancellor addressed them, making his famous declaration about Belgium, stating t

for the purpose of asking for his passports. He spoke in English, of course, and I am sure that he was overheard by a man sitting in the room who looked to me like a German newspaper man, so that

lieved, and this belief had percolated through all classes in the capital, that the English we

E EMBASSY AWAITING BU

CENTRE OF INTEREST TO MANY IN

here was no one at the station except a very inferior official from the German Foreign Office. Cambon was in excellent spirits and kept his nerve and composure admirably. His family, luckily, were not in Berlin at the time of the outbreak of the war. Cam

s charged afterwards that people in the Embassy had infuriated the crowd by throwing pennies to them. I did not see any occurrences of this kind. As the Unter den Linden and the Wilhelm Platz are paved with asphalt the crowd mus

of the Hotel Adlon. A man standing on the outskirts of the crowd begged me not to go i

ile rang up the porter of the Embassy after we had gone to bed and, no

rasse, with Holand Harvey, the Second Secretary to the British Embassy. Sir Edward and his secretaries were perfectly calm and politely declined the refuge which I offered them in our Embassy. I chatted with them for a while, and, as I was starting t

use when they are especially angry and which is supposed to convey the utmost contempt. This

hat. I stopped the automobile, jumped out and chased this man down the street and caught him. My German footman came running up and explained that I was the American Ambassador and n

he British Embassy; seals were placed upon the archives, and we received such instructions and information as could be given us, with reference to the British su

rtress of Spandau. I remonstrated with von Jagow and told him that that was a measure taken only in the Middle Ages, a

his passport, and, while one of the department chiefs was signing the passport, he stopped in the middle of his signature, threw down the pen on the table, and said he absolutely refused to sign a passport for Wile because he hated him so and becau

ere well grounded, and knowing of this incident, which I did not tell him, I was very glad to have him accept the hospitality of the Embassy for

ng early, about six A. M. No untoward incidents occurred at the time of

treets and, in some instances, on the theory that they were French or Russian spies, were shot. Foreigners wer

thers turned out on the roads with guns, and travelling by automobile became exceedingly dangerous. A German Countess was shot, an officer wounded and the Duchess of Ratibor

from whence Berlin draws part of its water supply. There were constant ru

els; among these were Archer Huntington and his wife; Charles H.