the masters of international diplomacy."

"Precisely," I said.

"Very good. And then," continued the Baron, "as soon as
you find yourself sufficiently _en rapport_ with everybody,
or I should say," he added in correction, for the Baron
shares fully in the present German horror of imported
French words, "when you find yourself sufficiently in
enggeknupfterverwandtschaft with everybody, you may then
proceed to advance your peace terms. And now, my dear
fellow," said the Baron, with a touch of genuine cordiality,
"one word more. Are you in need of money?"

"Yes," I said.

"I thought so. But you will find that you need it less
and less as you go on. Meantime, good-bye, and best wishes
for your mission."

Such was, such is, in fact, the mission with which I am
accredited. I regard it as by far the most important
mission with which I have been accredited by the
Wilhelmstrasse. Yet I am compelled to admit that up to
the present it has proved unsuccessful. My attempts to
carry it out have been baffled. There is something perhaps
in the atmosphere of this republic which obstructs the
working of high diplomacy. For over five months now I
have been waiting and willing to dine with the American
Cabinet. They have not invited me. For four weeks I sat