province, which is directly opposite the island of Formosa, was causing
considerable uneasiness in Peking.

We were armed with telegrams from Mr. C.R. Kellogg, of the Anglo-Chinese
College, with whom we were to stay while in Foochow, assuring us that all
was quiet in the province, and through the influence of Dr. Reinsch, the
Chinese Foreign Office viséd our passports. The huge red stamp which was
affixed to them was an amusing example of Chinese "face saving." First came
the seal of Yuan's impotent dynasty of Hung Hsien, signifying "Brilliant
Prosperity," and directly upon it was placed the stamp of the Chinese
Republic. One was almost as legible as the other and thus the Foreign
Office saved its face in whichever direction the shifting cards of
political destiny should fall.

At a luncheon given by Dr. Reinsch at the Embassy in Peking, we met Admiral
von Hintze, the German Minister, who had recently completed an adventurous
trip from Germany to China. He was Minister to Mexico at the beginning of
the war but had returned to Berlin incognito through England to ask the
Kaiser for active sea service. The Emperor was greatly elated over von
Hintze's performance and offered him the appointment of Minister to China
if he could reach Peking in the same way that he had traveled to Berlin.
Von Hintze therefore shipped as supercargo on a Scandinavian tramp steamer
and arrived safely at Shanghai, where he assumed all the pomp of a foreign
diplomat and proceeded to the capital.

The Americans were in a rather difficult position at this time because of
the international complications, and social intercourse was extremely
limited. Dinner guests had to be chosen with the greatest care and one was
very likely to meet exactly the same people wherever one went.