The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-30

James Bryce was appointed anhas-
sador 20 the United States in Feb
ruary, 1907, and Ii was my pleasure
TO meet him for the first time In Octo-
Der of that year. He was then SIXTY
eight years of age and looked much
as he locks today---a small, wiry, alert
man. with white hair, white whiskers
white eyebrows and a face that almost
matches in whiteness. The bushy eye
brows bristle like Interrogation points,
but 1t is the bright eyes beneath that
catch and hold your attention. They
are deep eyes that for nearly three
quarters of century have been try
ing to pierce through appearance and
sham TO substance and reality The
eyes are not dimmed and are still
alert in what has been the quest OF
wise men and philosophers in all the
ages. Amid all changes what Is per-
manent? Among ell the objects that
men seek after, and that arnuse them
for a while. are there any worth the
effort7 What is there worthy the eff
fort OF O. man or a nation?
A Seeker After Truth.
Ambassader Bryce has travelled In
all lands. with eyes open looking for
an answer; IN has carefully scanned
the pages of hissGly for the game pur-
pose. You go to question him and
he questions you. He asks questions
that go to the heart of the subject.
For many years he was a barrister,
and all his life he has been question:
ing and cross~Questioning nature and
men, science and history, philosophy
and religion. His large fund of i'm
formation has been gained by shrewd
and clear questioning, by wide and &C
curate obsurvation, by broad and sys-
tematio reading and by constant and
profound reflection. 1t is q luminous
flash from his own experience when he
writes. "One arrives at measure
OF truth by observing alertly and re-
fiecting necessarily"
The result OF his observations
queries, studies and reflections he has
been giving to the world In his ad-
dresses. lectures and books and has
won a place as one of the most pro-
found of living historians. He has
been honored by degrees of every de-
scription and has held and holds high,
office yet he Is one OF the most hum
BILE and democratic of men.
He was known and esteemed when
he came to this country; his stay has
but endeared him to the heart Of the
American people. He Is most loved
is
national capital.
Effective On the Platform.
He has given unsparingly of his
time in speaking on all sorts of oc-
casions and always tactfully and to
edification. The several speeches that
have heard him make were none
OF them long but always apt and
Illuminating. At Mayfower dinner
he paid tribute to the Pilgrims who
sailed in the Mayfiower and then
spoke OF the helpful influence Of the
Pilgrims who stayed at home. AT q
gathering in the interest of the Boy
Scout movement he talked of the
value OF military training and the
wisdom of developing the soldierly
qualities of obedience and chivalry II
1t can be done without throwing a
false glamour over war.
AT the dedication of a monument
to John Witherspoon, a signer Of the
Declaration of Independence, he
natvely remarks that it is a peculiar
position for the British ambassador to
occupy and then speaks of the con
tribution that Scotland has made to
the United States and of the nearly
one hundred years of peace between
mother and daughter. AT meeting
of the Archaeological Society, OF
which he Is an officer, he speaks OF
the value of these researches for the
historian as throwing light upon hui
man origins
He somewhere mentions five quail
ties that are essential to excellence in
oratory. one OF them liz, "Quickness in
catching the temper and tendencies
of the particular audience addressed"
This sixth sense of the successful
speaker he possesses In marked de.
gree, rs may be seen from the above
examples.
One can always speak interestingly
from n large background OF informa-
ton. That background he possesses
yet he always gives the impression OF
having made careful and adequate
preparation for the special occasion.
n Good Story-Teller.
Though a Scotchman, he has a fine
sense OF humor and enjoys telling or
listening to a good story that reaches
the point quickly.
On one occasion introduced 10
him college president who was
anxious TO have the Ambassador de-
liver commencement address. He
received us graciously and listened to
the request, then no told a story. A
famous English barrister who had a
great many clients and many impor-
smoking his cigar as though he had
nothing TO do. Some one asked him
IL he had nothing TO do. and he an
swered. ''Oh. yes. but this liz the only
way In which I can treat all my
clients impartiaIly." Then with a
twinkle in his eye he said 81 have
had more than hundred invitations
TO deliver commencement addresses
and / have treated them impartially;
have. declined them all"
His Answers to Leading Questions.
AT the request of The Congrega-
tionaiist called on the ambassador
to get sort OF farewell message TO
the people of the United States. There
were three questions to which / de-
sired answers:
What constitutes a good Christian?
He iaughfngiy answered, "Nou ara
the theologian, and that lies in your
department rather than in the de-
partment of State"
What constitutes a good citizen I?
The answer to that Is very i'm
portant, but I tried to say what j
thought on that subject I'm a course
of lectures gave at Yale on Him.
ORANGES to good citizenship. have
probably stated 1t better there than
/ could in an extempore definition. If
you can eliminate the hindrances I
mention there, you win have the good