on the Prince’s tour of forty thousand miles round the world, and the effect his “winning personality” had had in bringing together loyal British subjects everywhere, and helping to consolidate the Imperium Britannicum, “on the territories of which,” as the Emperor said, doubtless with an imperial pang of envy, “the sun never sets.”  The Prince, in his reply, tendered his birthday congratulations, and expressed his “respect” for the Emperor, the appropriate word to use, considering the ages and royal ranks of the Emperor and his younger first cousin.

With 1902 may be said to have begun the Emperor’s courtship (as it is often called in Germany) of America.  His advances to the Dollar Princess since then have been unremitting and on the whole cordially, if somewhat coyly, received.

The growth of intercourse of all kinds between Germany and the United States is indeed one of the features of the reign.  There are several reasons why it is natural that friendly relationship should exist.  It has been said on good authority that thirty millions of American citizens have German blood in their veins.  Frederick the Great was the first European monarch to recognize the independence of America.  German men of learning go to school in America, and American men of learning go to school in Germany.  A large proportion of the professors in American universities have studied at German universities.  The two countries are thousands of miles apart, and are therefore less exposed to causes of international jealousy and quarrel between contiguous nations.  On the other hand, the new place America has taken in the Old World, dating, it may be said roughly, from the time of her war with Spain (1898); the increase of her influence in the world, mainly through the efforts of brave, benevolent, and able statesmen; the expansion of her trade and commerce; the increase of the European tourist traffic;—­these factors also to some extent account for the growth of friendly intercourse between the peoples.

Nor should the bond between the two countries created by intermarriage be overlooked.  If the well-dowered republican maid is often ambitious of union with a scion of the old European nobility, the usually needy German aristocrat is at least equally desirous of mating with an American heiress notwithstanding the vast differences in race-character, political sentiment, manners, and views of life—­and especially of the status and privileges of woman—­that must fundamentally separate the parties.  Great unhappiness is frequently the result of such marriages, perhaps it may be said of a large proportion of international marriages, but cases of great mutual happiness are also numerous, and help to bring the countries into sympathy and understanding.  Prince Buelow, when Chancellor, reminded the Reichstag, which was discussing an objection raised to the late Freiherr Speck von Sternburg, when German Ambassador to America, that he had married an American lady, that though Bismarck had laid down the rule that German diplomatists ought not to marry foreigners, he was quite ready to make exceptions in special cases, and that America was one of them.  The Emperor is well known to have no objection to his diplomatic representative at Washington being married to an American, but rather to prefer it, provided, of course, that the lady has plenty of money.