166 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE -XVI 



April I proceeded to Dresden, with, the embassy secreta 

 ries and attaches, for this purpose. About midnight be 

 tween the 20th and 21st there came a loud and persistent 

 knocking at my door in the hotel, and there soon entered 

 a telegraph messenger with an enormously long de 

 spatch in cipher. Hardly had I set the secretaries at work 

 upon it than other telegrams began to come, and a 

 large part of the night was given to deciphering them. 

 They announced the declaration of war and instructed me 

 to convey to the various parties interested the usual no 

 tices regarding war measures : blockade, prohibitions, ex 

 emptions, regulations, and the like. 



At eleven o clock the next morning, court carriages hav 

 ing taken us over to the palace, we were going up the 

 grand staircase in full force when who should appear at 

 the top, on his way down, but the Spanish ambassador 

 with his suite ! Both of us were, of course, embarrassed. 

 No doubt he felt, as I did, that it would have been more 

 agreeable just then to meet the representative of any other 

 power than of that with which war had just been declared ; 

 but I put out my hand and addressed him, if not so cor 

 dially as usual, at least in a kindly way ; he reciprocated 

 the greeting, and our embarrassment was at least lessened. 

 Of course, during the continuation of the war, our relations 

 lacked their former cordiality, but we remained personally 

 friendly. 



In my brief speech on delivering President McKinley s 

 letter I tendered to the King and Queen the President s 

 congratulations, with thanks for the courtesies which had 

 been shown to my countrymen. This was not the first 

 occasion on which I had discharged this latter duty, for, 

 at a formal presentation to these sovereigns some time 

 before, I had taken pains to show that we were not un 

 mindful of their kindness to our compatriots. The fes 

 tivities which followed were interesting. There were din 

 ners with high state officials, gala opera, and historical 

 representations, given by the city of Dresden, of a very 

 beautiful character. On these occasions I met various 



