In his diplomatic work at Berlin at this period, White was dealing with the German attitude toward laying the question of Chinese indemnity before the Hague tribunal. The royal celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Kingdom of Prussia was cut short by the death of the Kaiser's grandmother, Queen Victoria. On January eighth White was informed of his election as an honorary member of the German Royal Academy of Science. From America Holls kept White informed of Washington rumors, including the probable resignation of John Hay and the appointment of Charles Emory Smith as Secretary of State. Professor Hewett sent his views of the political scene, and said that McKinley would have carried Georgia if he had not made the mistake of appointing a negro to the important position of collector of the port of Savannah. There were a number of letters about the need for better organization of the diplomatic and consular service of the U.S., including one on February sixth from a Congressman, James Breck Perkins, who was planning to introduce a bill on the subject. Alfred Emerson wrote from Paris of his mission to buy antiques and works of art for Mrs. Phoebe Apperson Hearst's proposed museum at Berkeley. Arthur T. Hadley invited White to give the principal address at Yale's Bicentennial in October, but he declined. There were personal letters from Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Roosevelt, and Barrett Wendell.