The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-21
Disappoints His Enemies By
Not Appearing in Role
of Big Noise
CAREFULLY KEEPS OUT
OF LIMELIGHT
All Important Announcements
Concerning Appointment OF
State, Made First By
President

WASHINGTON, April 20-The
Wilson administration has been under
way six weeks now and in that time
the nations eyes have been focused on
William j. BRYAN almost as constant
Nv as upon the new figure in the White
House There are some things about
MIR Bryan and his purpose in serving
as cabinet officer that are not yet
clear to observers al the national
capital. but one or two facts Of great
interest in regard to the Commonar
have established themselves.
Colonel Bryan has started out
with the definite purpose of sub
ordlnating himself in the present adj
ministration of doing nothing by word
or act that would lend color to the
charge that he was seeking to make
the Wilson administration his show"
This attitude has gradually become
so apparent that ii is now we'll UNI
derstood among Washington news
paper men that no information may
be expected from Secretary Bryan
unless the cue first has been given
by President Wilson.
Enemies Are Surprised.
Mr. Bryan entered the cabinet
under the prediction that it would be
impossible for him and President VIII
son to continue long without break;
that Bryan, with his large following
of loyal supporters would be certain
to seek to dominate the administra-
ton, and to sit In the spotlight and
that Mr. Wilson and he inevitably
would come to parting of the ways.
Bryan's harshest enemies in WASH
ington are ready 10 acknowledge now,
however, that he has given them a
surprise in the first weeks of the adj
ministration
President Makes Announcements.
Nearly every big act of the state
department, up to this time, has been
announced. not by Bryan. secretary
Of state, but by President Wilson. II
was the president who drew up and
issued to the world the statement de-
ffning the attitude OF the administra-
ton toward our relations with South
and Central America. 1t was the
president who announced the with
drawal OF the United States from par
tlcipation in the Chinese loan and the
end of dollar diplomacy. This latter
announcement by the president was
all the more unusual because Mr..
Bryan, himself. had conferred with
interested bankers and apparently
had handled the entire matter UP to
the point Of the issuing of the proc
lamation.
Many Of Bryan's critics have been
ready to interpret the small part that
BRYAN has played publicly thus far TO
his discredit They have attributed 1t
to President Wilson's own initiative.
and have made 1t appear that inn
portant affairs of state have been pur-
posely taken out Of the Comm oner's
hands, and managed by MIR. Wilson
himself
Have Understanding.
There is good reason 10 believe,
however, that an understanding has
existed between the president and Mr.,
BRYAN on this matter. and that the
course of events in the last six weeks
has represented not only determine
ton on tho part of the president to
assert himself as being in complete
charge of the ship of state, but also
studied effort on the part Of tire
Nehraskan to keep himself in the
BACKGROUND and to DE- nothing that
could afford basis for the charge
that he was attempting to monopohze
the limelight of the administration.
There is another phase, however, OF
Rryan's service as cabinet officer that
has caused comment here, Nearly
everybody in Washington believes
now that Bryan has made mis-
take IT ne expected 10 duNdilNS HIS
political fortunes in 1915 through TAX
Ing a cabinet Job. The fact Is that
Bryan, in the last six weeks, has made
lot of political enemies
Embarrassed by Friends.
The Nebraskan probably more than
any other man in the United States
has a greater number of close politi~
cal friends men whom he has met
personally in all parts of the country.
and who have stood by him through
sixteen years of disappointment,
In the six weeks since March 4th,
many of Bryan's friends have been
trooping into Washington. Most Of
them have been looking for offices
and they have gone not to the White
House. but to their dear old friend In
the state department They have
found a changed Bryan. They came
TO the national capital confident that
In return for their sixteen years Of
Loyalty they would find the Conn
moner ready to step to the front and
insist upon a reward for them. In
stead, he has appeared embarrassed
and different about urging candidates
for Office upon the Wilson administra-
ton.
The consequence has been that
many of Bryan's old friends have left
town disappointed, and sore, not at
Wilson, but at the Commoner hin-
self.