The San Francisco call., 1913-07-17

seen them They took their woes to
the White House.
Tumulty gathered a select few OF the
correspondents in his private Office,
called Bryan on the phone and lacked
him up properly. telling Him that he
must see the correspondents twice
day.
Bryan 1 imagine, does not know yet
that some writers heard the White
House end of the talk. Anyhow, lie
sees the boys twice day and, what is
making them all sore, lies to them.
Il don't think there is any doubt that
Bryan is trying TO build up to succeed
Wilson. I do not think he is really
loyal to Wilson at heart.
As secretary of state Bryan is max
ing much of an ass of himself Now
he has John Bassett Moore in the de-
partment as the actual secretary. but
Moore, while profoundly learned in the
ways of the job. dstrusts his own
Judgment and is timid.
The result is that Wilson is .his own
foreign minister in all big matters
Joscphus Daniels. like Bryan and Nc
Reynolds, has had his little curtain
lecture from Wilson and they do say
that Wilson is some curtain lecturer.
Daniels got pretty brash in the de-
partment. He was going to reform
things all along the line. reopen the
political southern navy yards and raise
perdition generally with the. personnel
of the navy. Where he tripped was
in the old matter of promotion. Cap
ryt1 -
Phil Andrews were due for promo
ton and had passed the examinations.
Suddenly Daniels held up the promo
tions on the ground that they had not
had enough sea service in their pres
ent ranks. Though their sea service
In lower ranks was unusually long
this was disregarded. Also the fact
was disregarded that both had applied
for sea service under the late admin
istration and had been denied Admiral
Dewey got hot about it and wrote
long letter of complaint to Wilson.
Wilson was convinced that Dewey was
fright, so he called in Daniels. 1t is said,
as you newspapermen say, Josephus
heard some one say.
You made grave mistake in that
matter. l have examined into it and
am convinced that you are wrong.
However. in the interests of discipline,
| propose to stand by you; but please
see to it that never again do you put
me in the position of having to sup
port you in wrongful action
Since then Daniels hasn't had much
to say about doing. things to the navy.
He tries to find out the presidential
mind on everything before he moves.
Things in the navy are not progressing
fast.
l notice in today's newspaper that
poor Templin Potts has been plucked
by the plucking board, which is piling
injury on injury. And the new law
prohibiting retirement with the next
higher rank has just gone into effect.
He goes out with the old rank.
In addition to the backing of the
Colonel Houses, the president is for
tunate in possessing Tumulty He is
wise-wonderfully wise, with the wis
dom of blue eyed Irishman.
What an elegant priest he would
have made--or a bishop,
Before coming here Tumulty made
deep study of all of the mistakes of
Tafts private secretaries. That took
much labor. for the list is long. He
learned the lesson. faithfully and profit
ed thereby. Wilson hasn't quite got
the hang of the newspaper bunch yet.
Tumulty makes him see them twice a
week. but the gatherings are not yet
quite satisfactory. Wilson fancies his
own ability in verbal fence He likes
MS own W.T. RE Is 1Ond or showing 1t
off in parryng questions where frank
ness would serve him much better and
do no harm. He seeks to turn the
laugh on the questloner, and several os
the youngsters have acquired the name
of Wilson's laugh easy boys" for they
always get convulsed at the expense OF
their fellow writers. Some of the
older correspondents are undertaking
disciplinary steps that may teach the
laugh easy boys something.
But Tumulty is a peach.s Correspond
ents get a warm reception always, even
If senator's and representative have to
be snubbed to make this possible. In
fact, | think the young man deliberate
" administers snub to statesman
row and then for the ediiication of
the writers. But he does not 20 too
far. He s~no fool.