Rock Island Argus., 1913-03-31

preceded him. He was said to be
austere
1t was exactly an opposite Bryan
who came in. From the first minute |
his geniahty seemed to warm the |
musty old department, in which the |
very furniture-old mahogany and wal |
nut-which has withstood 20 admins |
trations-chills ebulEence of spirit |
Bryan met the whole force of subordi- |
mates during his first day in Office, and |
completely won them with his kindly |
good nature.
new spirit pervaded the depart
ment By the end Of the week the civ
Il service employees. many of whom
had been taught to regard Bryan as
something between a horned demon
and a torch swinging anarchist, were
swearing by him, and bureau heads
who must soon give way to democrats
we're regretting their departure more
than ever.
While Bryan is taking his new work
with a seriousness equal to its i'm
portance. he is not allowing 1t to de
press him for moment. He has sim
ply adapted his CHEEKY democracy to
the confines of a mighty important
job. When he works il is with the
speed of a six-cylinder racer, but he
mixes up play with work He is new
er so happy as when relating some
personal mishap in learning the rou-
tine of his office.
Having sized up Bryan satisfactorily
from the personal standpoint, the next
| concern of the department experts
was to see how he would act as a d.
| plomat It was hard to believe that he
would handle delicate international af.
fairs with the finesse usually associat-
| ed with more aristocratic tempera-
ments than his. But Bryan immediate
| ly set fears at rest on this point.
The first situation confronting him
was the settlement of the Cuban an
mesty bill, Bryan summoned the Lat
tn-American experts. He grasped an
intricate situation so quickly that ii
surprised the subordlnates. Then he
disposed Of the manner thoroughly and
in a manner to satisfy the most criti-
cal of diplomats.
Shortly afterwards Bryan again
showed his skill as a diplomat. He is
sued the statement warning the tenn
peramental Latins not to revolute ex-
cept for good reasons, and not for rea-
sons of personal ambitions This was
followed by the famous Chinese loan
statement, whose secondary meaning
was that dollar diplomacy" will be
withdrawn from Central and South
America. Except for the warning COM
ing first, the announcement Of the re-
versal of the dollar diplomacy" policy
could reasonably have been expected
10 be followed by revolutions in Latin
America.
The fact is, Bryan is showing all the
signs of becoming an eminent secre-
tary of state, one of the greatest this
country has ever had. Even so nett
: culous critic as the precise Senator
Henry Cabot Lodge, a deep student OF
: foreign affairs, after observing Bryan's
= methods for two weeks. has predicted
as much; and Lodge has disapproved
: of every secretary of state since JohI
l Hay
Broadened by travel. Mr. Bryan has
? peculiarly fitted himself for his pres
, ent position by personal study of for
eign affairs. He is an enthusiastic
trade expansiOnist along democratic
I lines, and the recent promise in The
/ Chinese pronunciamento of Legislation
giving our exporters adequate bankinl
+ facilities abroad is probably the begip
: ming Of our most far sighted foreign
: policy of modern times.
| Contrary 10 expectations. the politi
clans and Office seekers bother Bryan
! who grudges the time taken from hi
o regular work There are severa
O doors TO Bryan's private Office, and tn,
{ other day an Office hunter asked whicl
S one would take him out
5 All of the doors to this Office Leaf
e outward said Bryan. There is onl.
d one door il, and that one is guarded
: But as a sphinx Bryan continue
10 be the wonder Of the administTa
|. ton. He was genuinely touched Tn
s other day by the plight Of the repOr1
L ers. II was after the Latin Amer
q can statement was issued-one of tn
Y most cryptic utterances that ever cam
n from the White house. A correspond
: ent told Bryan that unless official
/ enlightened by him, the reporter
would proceed to do their own readin
, between the lines
Is You may read between the line:
+ or above them or under them" sal
D Bryan. you are at liberty 70 do a
s you choose Then, thinking to ten
e per his attitude, he added: You al
the most unfortunate set Of newspape
4 men in Washington TO be assigned l
' this Office. l never knew a time il 10
Life when / felt more reticent."