The Washington herald., 1913-12-21
Statesmen, Real and Near.
By FRED c. KELLY.

William Jennings Bryan is a man who
can eat choice food OH short notice, and
with much apparent relish, at almost
any time or place. One would have to
make a thorough search TO find more
hearty impromptu eater than the present
Secretary of State. He can eat or let it
alone. of course, but the odds are usually
heavily in favor of his deciding not to
let it alone
The Bryans are invited out for dinner
rather frequently. A fashionable dinner
in Washington is not served until be-
TWEEN and o'clock. or later. where's
the ordinary family dinner Will tail
ground half past six. This seems TO M.
Bryan a grand little arrangement as one
can go home and eat dinner at the usual
time and then have an hour or more in
which to work up an appetite for the
next one Ever since they came TO
Washington, Mrs. Bryan has been en-
deayoring to persuade the Secretary Oh
state to omit the home dinner when
they're invited out, declaring that one
owes it to ones hostess TO sit down to 4
dinner with a good piquant appetite Mr.
BRYAN readily comedies that she Is ex-
actly right about the last part. BY All
means one should be gastronomically mt
to sit in judgment on the merit OF eacn
course his hostess places before him. And
that is why he likes to eat substantial
dinner at home before he starts out Inc
first dinner seems to sharpen his appre-
Ciation for the second. He really seems
to have the better side of the argument
for indeed there has been no serious
complaint OF his hurting the feelings oil
his hostess by failing to eat what Is
set before him or even OF behaving ike
a canary bird. He may turn down ms
goblet when they serve the wine' put
he accepts everything else with quiet
satisfaction that cannot fail to please.
When Mr.. Bryan goes a-marketing'
as he does occasionally, hS Is certain
to see a great many things that look
appealing and appetizing. Al sueh
times he is Just like a boy with sack
of candy; he is not disposed 10 wait
until some time off in the future 70 70
taste of the good things at manu. II
he buys a quantity of cheese, for ex-
annie he usually reserves a comfort
able Slice of the purchase for imme-
diate needs, and eats 1t on the spot
Sometimes he may be seen going ABOUT
from stall to stall, nibbling with great
informality at cheese, apples radlshes'
raw turnips. and one things ana an
other, until one might think ne
wouldn't care for a bite OF alnneI.
But there is where one would guess
wrong.
Nearly every noon Mr.. Bryan hnds
himself too busy to go out 10 iuhcn'
and eats right in the State Department
To start with he will consume a guam
tity Of picked lambs tongue. ne
keeps this near his desk at all times
for emergencies. The rest OF the luncn
consists of cheese, crackers, milk, and
two bananas. That layout seldom
varies.
Charles F. Hamlin, Assistant Secretary
of the Treasury, was recently the victim
of a neat little joke played on him by
Circumstances.
The first stage of the joke consisted
simply in friend happening in and IN
viting Hamlin out to see some high grade
moving picture shows.
NO." said Hamlin, with a decisive
shake Of his head, that's the one thing
have resolved not TO do. I'm never
going to look at any more moving pic
lures. 1t isn't, you understand, that i
feel myself above looking at moving pic
lures, but I've tried it and somehow 1
find that form Of entertainment an aw-
full bore. We all have to do lot OF
things in this life that we don't care
about but I'm at least going to have
the satisfaction Of dodgihg moving picture
exhibitions"
Within two hours after Hamlin had
thus expressed himself, a strange thing
occurred. He learned from one of his
assistants that under the new tariff ect,
only those moving picture Aims which