The Washington herald., 1914-04-13
Statesmen, Real and Near.
BY FRED c. KELLY.

Although learned. serious minded
mar and an authority on international
law. Robert Lansing. the new Counselor
himself at odd moments by drawing
about him This little habit once saved
the government Of the United States a
great deal Of money-but we'n come to
that presently.
Lansing does not draw pictures be
cause Of any frivolous streak In his
makeup. for ho is almost rs pOnderous
a person his predecessor in the i'm
portant COunselOr's place, John Bassett
Moore. He does his caricaturing almost
absent-mindedly. much rs a person will
sit and abstraCtedly write a phone num-
Der on a pad over and over again while
waiting for ehe operator to get his party.
Lansing will be talking to a man on
some weighty topic across A fiat-top
desk. let us say. and as they talk he
begins to draw picture of the other
man. He scarcely knows he is doing il.
for all the time he Is thinking about
the grave matter they're discussing, Yet
when the picture is done II is a first
rate likeness. with humorous emphasis
on I'll" mans more striking facial char
acteristics.
Az an indication that Lansing draws
cite the fact that he does his drawing
with his left hand. though in all other
things he is right handed. r. he were
going to write a letter. spank a child.
lift coal bucket. stroke a cat. or peel
boiled potato. h~ would not think Of
using his left hand. You see. ne has a
sort Of dual personality, and does not
let his right hand know OF all the mis-
chief his left hand gets into.
Some day. perhaps. Lansing will sketch
of a cOmiCal portrait OF William Jen-
nings Bryan, his cr'~r and il will not
be lese majestic al all. because he will
not realize what he is doing
Here is how his drawing habit once
saved several thousand dollars to the
taxpayers Of the United States 4 great
many years ago Great Britain presented
claim for s5N001 for damages done to
their Bering Sea fishers. The State De-
partment cOurteOU-ly O. X d the claim
but Congress thought il was too much
mOney-much too much. So they wouidn I
let the item stay in the appropriation
bill. That led to the appointment OF ar
bitratOrs by the two countries. and Lam
sing went along as counsel for the United
States.
InasmuCh as the State Department had
once agreed TO the payment Of $4,000
Great Britain stuck out for that amount
and it was extremely difficult to drive
any better bargain with them one of the
witnesses who testified at the arbitra-
tiOn hearing was an old man named
MnngaV u he n-nprfnYnr ~ n
sailing vessel. He told about what a
large investment he had in his boat. how
finely ii was equipped. and what a great
loss he had suffered due to-due to what
ever it was that had caused his great
loss.
As the man talked. Lansing uncon-
sciously or subconsciOusly began to
draw. first a picture OF him. and then
a Cross-sectiOnal view of his boat The
boat was a magnificent affair as Lam
sing drew il. much more elaborate than
the Lusitania of the present day II
had Turkish baths. a swimming pool.
billiard parlOrs. handsome sal rs in which
beautifully Gowned women prOmenaded
while their husbands were out sealing.
private dining everything to
make life aboard one sybaT!tic dream.
When the witness had finished. one Of
the arbitrators picked up Lansing ;
drawing and passed il about that all
might see. Even the British arbitrltOTs
laughed heartily over the picture and
agreed that II was indeed some boat
And when YOU can get a British arbi-
traitor to laugh out loud. you have made
a whole lot Of progress. They proceeded
then on a new basis. and in a little
while agreed on settlement many thou
sands less than had been demanded
Lansing's picture did the trick.
Lansing was counsel in the arbitration
at The Hague in 1879 OF tho North At
lantic fisheries case. and during III, pro
gross Of the arbitration. nc amused him
S"If ny drawing cariCatUres nf tho Judges.
One of his assoc lates was so amused over
these that hr insisted on showing the
pictures TO the victims. Lansing agreed
that he might show tho pictures provided
that he carefully omit in each case IN"
one of the man to whom ne was showing
them. In that way. each judge was made
happy in tho belief that all had been
CartoOned except himself.
Counselor Lansing is calm. courteous.
methOdicaI person with a disposition to
give infinite care even To the details His
occupation has been making himself an
authority on international law. and for
purposes Of recreation n, reads and be-
comes more and more of an authority on
the history. habits traits and sterling
qualities of the American Indian.
Two Of tn" most inseparabIC "hUddIcs'
in Congress are Representatives D"kin-
son and RuCker. of Missouri. Though
both are from the Show-me State. both
were born in Virginia. sub. which seems
10 he the basic excuse for their strong
friendship They room together in Wash
ington. wear each others clothes and are
as thick as a Welsh rabbit
Copyright. 1914. h. Frd e. KcIly. Al rshts
rpS,HedI