Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-08-29
SECRETARY BRYAN
His Methods Differ from Those of Pre-
decessors. i'f
Democrat.

His Methods Differ from Those of Pre-
r- decessors. i'f
In the course Of his journeys to Eu-
rope and the Orient, Mr.. Bryan has
come to know European and Asiatic
statesmen well, writes Chas. Willis
Thompson. Whenever a situation
arises with regard to their countries
where 1t looks like an impasse, this
unconventional secretary Of state, in
stead Of sending formal note, writes
a personal letter to Lord This or Baron
That and asks him frankly If he can't
suggest some way out. He calls him
my dear So-and-So," and writes as
one friend to another. They are, In
fact, old acquaintances, but heretofore
no secretary Of state. has dreamed Of
dropping into personal and unconven-
tional letter writing to an old friend
who happens to be a member Of the
foreign office and asking him for
friendly advice about how to settle
some. problem that has just arisen be-
tween the two countries. A5tk
1t may surprise the foreign states
men, but there are more human traits
among statesmen than Is generally ad-
mitted. They are members Of the
race, after all. And they write to
Bryan and tell him what they think
can be done. And somehow things be-
gin to advance. It sounds incredible,
but it is actually happening before
our eyes.
He is making all the appointments
in the state department, except a few
like those of Penfield and McCombs,
which the president reserved for him
self. And 1t is curious to see how
some Of the minor appointments illus
trate Bryan's character.
His secretary, for instance, Is a man
named Weyvil, a New Yorker, who
never figured in politics. at least not
extensively. In 1896, when Bryan was
conducting his crosse gold campaign
for the presidency, he couldn't speak
in the "enemy's country" as he called
the East, without fairly good chance
of being howled down.
When he went to Ithaca in that
campaign, the Cornell students started
a blare Of sound the moment he open-
ed his mouth, and tried, with consid-
erable success, to prevent word from
being heard. Bryan fought against
the storm as well as he could, and he
noticed that there was little knot OF
students that tried to secure him a
hearing. They were not very success
full, but they did their best in the cause
of free speech.
Bryan went away smarting from the
insult offered him, and grateful for
the efforts made by the brave little
handful who were lead by one man.
He made inquiries before he left town,
and found that the man was Weyvii.
That was seventeen years ago, but
when Bryan became secretary Of state
he hunted Weyvil up, and found that
he had been practicing law In New
York all these years without becoming
specially famous. =, Weyvil is now Mr.
iBryan's secretary. a t.l
The chief clerk Of the department Is
named Ben Davis. Away back In
1890, when Bryan was young and
unknown congressman, serving his
first and only term, Davis was his sec
retary. When he became premier or
the Wilson administration he searched
for Davis, and found that he had been
an obscure clerk in the war depart
ment most of the time since. Bryan
transplanted him to the state depart
ment and gave him the chief clerk
ship. -
Bob Rose was Bryan's secretary In
the lean year of 1908, when Taft got
apparently all the votes there were.
Bryan hunted him up and gave him
a place as foreign trade commission
er in the state department.
None Of these men has any political
influence. There was only one
motive for their appointment. 1t Is
to be found in a phase Of Bryan's
character of which the reverse side Is
his devotion to President Wilson.