 Washburne arranged for the evacuation of 30,000 North German subjects from France in the opening days of the war.As the only chief of mission from a major power to remain in the French capital during the Siege of Paris, he was also charged with the protection of seven Latin American consulates and was responsible for feeding 3,000 German civilians who were stuck in the city.After the Franco-Prussian War, the appointment of protecting powers became customary international law.