The Washington herald., 1907-06-30
AS TO WHITE LIES
BY EXATTACHE
BY EX-ATTACHE

subject Of truth. which was. indeed. the
main theme Of his address, but declined
! to discuss what he described as the un-
selfish considerations which may In eX-
IRENE cases justify man In departing
/ from verbal truthfulness." Now, II is pre-
ciseiy on that particular point that the
young men starting out into the world on
/ the completion Of their studies require the
guidance Of a mentor enjoying such world
/ wide experience and so much universal
! respect as the eminent president Of Old
/ Ell. The Importance Of this subject is
very great, and on more than one occa-
sion led Henry Labouchere, when IN the
/ House Of Commons, TO ask that royal
commission should be appointed by the
/ Crown to consider the question Of official
white lies in Parliament.
! He was quite serious in this. In Eng
land as in all the constitutional coun-
/ tries Of Europe, where the cabinet officers
/ occupy seats in Parliament the legisla-
tors enjoy the right Of interrogating the
! government with regard 20 its policy and
/ its administration Of the affairs Of the ma
/ ton Frequently these inquiries are Of an
| extremely indiscreet and awkward char
/ acter, and II addressed by the opposition
/ are usually intended either 20 embarrass
! the ministers or TO entangle them into
making statements of a compromising and
/ boomerang nature. The result is that
! those representatives Of the government
/ who constitute It's mouthpieces in Parlia-
meut devote a considerable amount Of
/ labor, as well as ingenuity, 10 answering
I these questions IN such a manner as 70
/ mislead those By whom they are made
/ and 70 misTepreseut what is the truth.
| Indeed, the promotion Of parliamentary
/ under secretaries, junior lords Of one OF
/ another OF the great departments Of state,
and Of other budding statesmen. depends
/ in great measure upon the Cleverness
which they display In answering ques-
: lions IN the house. and thus an official
/ premium is practically set 10y the highest
authorities IN the land upon equivocation
and distortion of the truth.
It cannot be denied that this is inevita-
bly, contributing TO the decline Of that
F.! i0ffv ~oga-4 Tor veracity which in ancient
/ times constituted one Of the most re-
nowned qualities Of the Euglish-spealdng
/ races. True. their frankness was often
/ formed a source Of strength. and al
. though foreigners might sheer at our
/ h01rishness. they respected our candOr.
Like the Chinese. We were reputed us
1 agreeable. what the French so pictur-
ssquely describe as "maUvais COucheurs''
/ lAnglice-unpleasan bed-fellowsl. but. as
in the case Of the Chinese, our word was
accepted as being as good as our bond,
/ and the distinction between American
diplomats, such as Benjamin Franklin.
and English statesmen. such as Pitt, on
/ the one hand. and those of foreign c1un-
| tries on the other was that it was posi-
bic TO credit implicitly the assurances Of
| the former, while i'm the case Of the latter
It was generally advisable 10 believe just
the contrary Of what they asserted No
/ one realized this To greater extent. nor
took advantage thereof In a more anus
ing manner than the great Prince Bis
I marck. Unlike MachiavelH OF Old. he
I made a point Of invariably hurting out
the truth, even when he might have re-
. manned silent. thereby successfully mis-
leading diplomats reputed the shrewdest
Of their day. Tor they could not realize
that be really meant what he said. and
persisted In acting on the mistaken
theory that. Ike themselves. he used the
git Of speech merely 10 conceal his
thoughts and plans. and usually placed
an Interpretation upon his utterances
directly opposed 10 their meaning
Il Is not, however. go much the white
lies Of political and official life that con-
stitute a problem to the young university
graduate who is starting out TO make his
way in the world, as it IS the distortions
Of truth that are absolutely indispen-
sable 10 the welfare and continuance Of
our social system as to-day constituted.
The difficulty is to define where the white
lies end and the black lies begin, and Il
Is this uncertainty as to the whereabouts
Of the exact border line which con-
/ tributes I'm no small measure 70 deaden
our qualms OF conscience on the subject
OF strict veracity
Society white lies are those which Dean
Hadley describes as dictated by "unsel-
fish considerations and In ninety-nine
cases out Of a hundred owe their exist
ence 20 a desire 10 avoid giving pain
/ When a man has unwittingly said some
thing about a third party that wounds
his friend the more amiabla he is the
more strenuously will he lie in order TO
wipe away the offense There Is the
story Of Constable. the artist who had
expressed his opinion that a certain land
scape painters pictures looked like putty
This criticism came TO the latter's ears,
and some time afterward on meeting Con-
stable he said. Il am told you say my
pictures are like putty II the Royal
Academician had adhered strictly to the
truth he would have said yes; and
will explain to you exactly what meant ."
and would have told him his objections
20 the paintings in question But being
a kind-hearted man and being unwilling
70 give unnecessary pain or offense. he
exclaimed. well. what of that? I like
putty It is hardly necessary 10 point
out that Constable did not and could not
like putty in pictures. but his excuse
soothed the feelings of his fellow-artlst
Gen. Chinese" Gordon. the hero Of
Khartoum. was more strict in his regard
for truth than Constable and it was his
scruples on this score that led the vari-
Gus governments which employed him to
regard him as so utterly impractical
He was more fitted for the ancient times
of the Crusaders and Christian martyr
uoiH imam LOT the ire OF the present ud4.
and he gave a curious illustration there
Of on the occasion Of his odd quarrel with
the Marquis of Ripon, now lord Of the privy
seal Lord Ripon. who is a most deeply
religious man. Of the highest honor and
integrity, was In 1880 appointed governor
general of india, and had induced Cor
don TO accompany him to the Orient as
his private secretary. The private sec
rotary Of a vicerOy Of India is a far
more important parsonage than his title
would indicate. He is the alter ego Of
his chief. his principal lieutenant. and
the power indeed behind the viceregal
throne. As such he draws a very large
pay and allowances.
On landing at Bombay to assume the
rcins of government, Lord Ripon re-
ceived a voluminous pamphlet, written