The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-09-04
SECRETARY BRYAN.
His Methods Differ from Those of His
Predecessors.

In the course of his Journeys to
Europe and the Orient, Mr.. Bryan
has come to know European and
Asiatic statesmen we'll, writes Chas.
Willis Thompson. Whenever a situ-
alton arises with regard to their
countries where it looks like an i'm
passe, this unconventional secretary
of state, instead of sending formal
note. writes a personal letter to Lord
This or Baron That and asks him
frankly if he cant suggest some way
out. He calls him My dear SO-and-
So," and writes as one friend to
another. They are, in fact, old ac-
quaintances, but heretofore no secre-
tary of state has dreamed of dropping
into personal and unconventional
letter writing to an old friend who
happens to be a member of the for
eign office and asking him for friend
ly advice about some problem that
has just arisen between the two coun-
tries.
1t may surprise the foreign states
men, but there are more human
traits among statesmen than is gener-
ally admitted. 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 begin to advance. 1t sounds
incredible, but it is actually happen
ing before our eyes.
He is making all the appointments
in the state department, except few
like those of Penheld and McCombs,
which the president reserved for him
self. And it is curious to see how
some of the minor appointments illus
trate Bryan's character.
His secretary, for instance, is a
man named Weyvil, New Yorker,
who never figured in politics, at least
not extensively. In 1896, when
Bryan was conducting his cross-of-
gold campaign for the presidency, he
couldn't speak in the "enemy's coun-
try" as he called the East, without
fairly good chance of being howled
down.
When he went to Ithaca in that
campaign, the Cornell students start
ed a blare of sound the moment he
opened his mouth, and tried, with
considerable success, to prevent a
word from being heard. Bryan fought
against the storm as we'll as he could,
and he noticed that there was little
knot of students that tried to secure
him hearing. They were not very
successful, but they did their best in
the cause ?, free speech.
Bryan went away smarting from
the insult offered him, and grateful
for the efforts made by the brave
little handful who were led by one
man. He made inquiries before he
left town, and found that the man
was Weyvil.
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 becom-
ing specially famous. Weyvil is now
Mr.. Bryan's secretary.
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
secretary. When he became premier
Of the Wilson administration he
searched for Davis, and found that he
had been an obscure clerk in the
war department most of the tina
since. Bryan transplanted him to
the state department and gave him
the chief clerkship.
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
q place as foreign trade commission
er in the state department.
None of these men have any politi-
cal 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.