The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-20
WILSON HITS BACK
Former Ambassador to Mexico
Makes Public a Letter
That He Wrote to Secretary
Bryan Last August.


; to Secretary of State Bryan, in which
Henry Lane Wilson rendered his resig-
| nation as American ambassador to
| Mexico, has been made public here by
| Mr.. Wilson. The letter was written
in Indianapolis, Ind, Aug. %. In part
| Mr.. Wilson wrote:
! II have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your note of Aug. IA,
| transmitting copy of a telegraphlc
! instruction of the department of state
! to the American ambassador in Lon
DON directing him to disclaim all re-
| sponsibiIity on the part of this gov
| eminent for an interview attributed 70
me.
/ The closing paragraph of the in
! struction referred to states that the
president regrets exceedingly that a
diplomatic official of this government
should have been guilty of such an
| impropriety.' The last paragraph of
! your note to me states that the presi-
! dent does not go farther at this time
because he takes it for granted that
the action which he has been obliged
to take in this matter will be to you a
sufficient reminder of your official OBJ
legations -
Mr.. Wilson calls attention to a mem
orandum of his dated Aug. Is, agree
ing to refrain from public comment on
the instruction to the ambassador in
London or the note to himself, but
adds that he must respectfully de-
cline to accept as definitive or just the
action of the president or the depart
ment over which you preside in this
matter. There is" he writes "a just
limit to patient silence. and I shall not
permit myself to be made the victim
of hasty and unmerited rebuke with
out jlacing on record with you my
earnest and solemn protest.
His Opinion of Bryan.
The interview, he declared, could not
possibly be construed as an expression
of the views of this government, as
Mr.. Bryan already had announced Mr..
Wilson's voluntary resignation. He
continues:
"Thereupon, with tempestuous haste
and apparently prompted by partisan
zeal, you dispatched an instruction to
the American ambassador in London,
directing him to apologize for language
uttered by me which was not in the
least degree offensive and which was
based entirely upon the assumption
that the supposed expression of the
British government was a malicious
fabrication. You thus hastily proceed
ed without aScertaining whether eth
er the supposed expressions by the
British government or my comment
thereon We're veritable and, as has
since been developed, your action
caused the greatest possible surprise
to the government of Great Britain
Tended, and had no official knowledge
of the views attributed to it.
Thus, through pique, you have
spontaneously and unjuStly diScredite11
a diplomatic officer of his government
and at the same time have exposed
to the British foreign office the spirit
of hazardous adventure which presides
over the department of state and the
possibility of errors at any moment in
future diplomatic exchanges.
THAT the president of the United
States, whom I know to possess high
and patriotic ideals and whose lofty
purpose ought never to be questioned
by any American citizen, should lend
himself to the hasty criticism of an
old and tried official of the govern
ment, upon totally unwarranted and
since discredited sources of informa-
ton, convinced me that he has been
badly advised and that you, Mr.. Sec
rotary, who have been identified with
the movement for higher and better
things in this country, should, except
as the result of investigation and calm
consideration, find reason for the CEN
sure of plain and truthful statement
of facts which had to do solely with
matters that are of record in the de-
partment of state and probably on the
records of all foreign offices with rep
resentativeS accredited to Mexico Iy
assuming an attitude which involves
the correctness of the official procedure
of diplomatic officer under your con-
troll, inspires me with serious doubts as
to your future success in dealing with
delicate international AFFAIRS
No Comment to Make.
Washington, Oct. 20.-Secretary
Bryan, an early caller at the White
House, when asked whether he would
comment on the letter of resignation
of Henry Lane Wilson, former ambas-
sador to Mexico, said:
81 don't care to discuss it, and don't
intend to-"
President Wilson had no comment
to make on the letter beyond saying
that he had read it when it was pre-
sented last August