536 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE-V 



Under such circumstances, universal military service in 

 Germany is a condition of its existence, and evasion of 

 this is naturally looked upon as a sort of treason. The 

 real wonder is that Germany has been so moderate in her 

 dealing with this question. The yearly &quot;budgets of mili 

 tary cases in the archives of the American Embassy bear 

 ample testimony to her desire to be just and even lenient. 



To understand the position of Germany, let us suppose 

 that our Civil War had left our Union as at one time 

 seemed likely embracing merely a small number of Mid 

 dle States and covering a space about as large as Texas, 

 with a Confederacy on our southern boundary bitterly 

 hostile, another hostile nation extending from the west 

 bank of the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains ; a Pacific 

 confederation jealous and faultfinding; British domin 

 ions to the northward vexed by commercial and personal 

 grievances; and New England a separate and doubtful 

 factor in the whole situation. In that case we too would 

 have established a military system akin to that of Ger 

 many; but whether we would have administered it as 

 reasonably as Germany has done is very doubtful. 



Fortunately for the United States and for me, there was 

 in the ministry of foreign affairs, when I arrived, one of 

 the most admirable men I have ever known in such a 

 position: Baron von Billow. He came of an illustrious 

 family, had great influence with the old Emperor William, 

 with Parliament, and in society; was independent, large 

 in his views, and sincerely devoted to maintaining the 

 best relations between his country and ours. In cases such 

 as those just referred to he was very broad-minded; and 

 in one of the first which I had to present to him, when 

 I perhaps showed some nervousness, he said, &quot;Mr. Min 

 ister, don t allow cases of this kind to vex you; I had 

 rather give the United States two hundred doubtful cases 

 every year than have the slightest ill-feeling arise between 

 us.&quot; This being the fact, it was comparatively easy to 

 deal with him. Unfortunately, he died early during my 

 stay, and some of the ministers who succeeded him had 

 neither his independence nor his breadth of view. 



