AMERICA, GERMANY, AND SPAIN -1897 -1903 173 



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 state 

 ment is most misleading. Great Britain, while she is re 

 nowned 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 coun 

 try, 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 wo 

 men were not admitted to the universities ; but now large 

 numbers were in attendance. The university author 

 ities 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 



