The Washington times., 1913-09-17
WILL NOT DISCUSS
OFFER FOR SILENCE
Secretary Bryan Had Chance
to Receive So, 900 by Giving
Up His Lectures.

SCSEcIdIy bryan
today to discuss an offer made him by
2 New York paper to pay himssS,OOo
year, during his incumbency in the CT
flee OF Secretary of State, If he would
refrain from lecturing for money and
stick To his office in Washington.
II have no comment to make" he de-
clared abruptly.
After reciting the fact that the S,cre-
tary has justified his activities as lee.
turer by the statement that he cannot
meet his ordinary expenses with an m
So ,0e0 more than he gets as Secretary of
State, the proposition Is made by the
newspaper with no obligation on your
part except to observe the one CONDITION
herein expressed" namely. that you
win devote your entire time to the duties
Of your office and refrain during your
tenure from lectures or other addresses
At which admission fees are charged.
The Secretary had no lecture engage
ments on for today, but tomorrow after
neon he will speak at Richmond, and in
the evening at Charlottesville, Va
Consider Offer Joke.
Some of the few Democratic Senators
In town today assumed that the whole
thing was joke. Several laughed, but
refused to comment on it. while Sen
ator Reed calculated: Get out"
Senator Vardaman, a close friend OF
Mr.. Bryan, was impatient with the
Newspaper. 1T is none of the worlds
business" he said. ''and l suppose Mr..
Bryan will treat the incident with the
silence 1t deserves. He has the right to
employ his own time as he sees fit. 1t
is matter which he will settle with
the American people
mo good can come of the persistent
01Dcussion of this affair, and it would be
IN my opinion. much better if the news
papers would devote more of their at
tention instead to matters of serious
tnportance to the public welfare.
Says Uncle Sam Should Pay.
That it would be undignified for Sec
retary of State Bryan to accept the
offer of 5000 annually. made by the
Kew York World, in return for his quit
Secretary should. instead. be reimbursed
BY the Government for living expenses
1n excess of 1000, his annual salary,
Eas tn. opinion of many members of
congress today
Even though Secretary Bryan feels
thet he Is right in mounting the lecture
Platform as an attraction, sandwiched
between Tyrolean yodelers and
dancers" said Congressman Britton of
Illinois, Il believe that Congress should
provide for him. The Secretary, un-
derstand. Is forced to do his own mar
ketsng, and buys provisions as cheaply
es the common laborer. This Is a de-
plorable situation. If he cannot live on
the salary now paid the office of Sec
retary OF State, the Government, and
not the New York World, should stand
for the deficit
Suggests Contingent Fund.
A contingent fund to make up the diff
ference spent by Secretary Bryan on
living expenses was Suggested by Con-
Eressman Nolan of California. He de-
clared this fund should be available at
all dmes either In the case of Bryan, or
other members Of the Cabipst
The newspaper has overstepped its
rtghts. said Congressman Foster of
Illinois. Although the affair seems
more or less humorous, l think the pa
per goes too far when 1t attempts to
dabble in Government business Mr.
Bryan Is entirely right in spending his
vacation as he chooses
Congressman Murdock. Progressive
leader, and himself a Chautauquan star
or no mean dimensions, had nothing TO
say.
I'm a friend of both of them he
said. referring to Bryan and the World.
I'm not talking Congressman
Humphreys of Mississippi grinned.
isn't that awful?" he questioned. Il
think it's impertinent''
Congressman Cline Of Indiana and
Russell of Wyoming declared that
Bryan would be selling out IL he ac-
cepted the World offer.