Ellsworth American., 1914-08-12
Three Costly Lessons.

come true, general European war. has
proved the wisdom of three policies cham.
pioheo py the republican party in the face
oi democratic opposition. They are: a(
the restoration by subsidy OF our mer-
enant marine; (2) the undermining OF our
banking and currency system; (3) the re-
cruiting oil permanent foreign service.
although in its initial stage, the mighty
conflict overseas has dragged the United
states within the shadow OF its hardships.
neither the three thousand miles inter-
vening nor our traditional policy of
splendid isolation" has avaiIed to save
our ocean trade from paralysis. Ninety
per cent. OF the nations foreign commerce
was carried in foreign bottoms when the
war broke out. To-day eighty per cent.
OF that fleet is put out of business.
Yet the democrats in Congress during
the administrations of Mckinley, Roose-
welt and Taft defeated the ship subsidy
bills championed by those Presidents, It
Is true that small minority OF republic
cans representing inland states rallied to
their support, but the democratic party,
while voting for mail subsidies on land, !,
has always opposed the application OF the
same principle on the sea.
1t was the farmer OF the Middle West
whose republican representative in Con-
gress opposed his party creed and Joined
with the democrats to defeat ship subsidy.
BY the fortunes OF war it is the western
farmer who will suffer most from the
paralysis OF American overseas commerce
as result Of the withdrawal of foreign
ships and the absence of any American
vessels to take their place in carrying to
market the produce Of the western farms.
1t is due to the financial mobilization
made possible by the Aldrich- vreeland
emergency currency law that the nations
whole financial structure is being safe
guarded from the shock of the collapse of
the money markets ofthe Old World. That
reserve measure OF relief was forced
through Congress by a republican ma
jority in the face Of bitter democratic op-
position. 1t was intended to serve Just
such an emergency as the present crisis
precipitated. 1t was the forerunner OF the
complete undermining OF the country's
financial system for which the way was
paved by the monetary commission, and
which is soon to go into effect.
Were it not, however, for the existing
republican emergency law, which the
democratic minority opposed and the
democratic party denounced, the present
democratic administration would be hard
put to cope with the resultant financial
crisis precipitated by Europe's war panic.
President Roosevelt began and President
Taft continued the recruiting OF perma-
eminent was enlisting in the lower diplo-
matte grades young men desiring to make
diplomacy their life work. Some OF these
had under the merit system been advanced
to ministerial posts. President Wilson
and Secretary Bryant began their official
regime by raid upon the diplomatic SER
vice, to reward contributors to their cam
paign fund, with the result that every
minister promoted under the merit system
was dismissed, the European embassies
stripped OF experienced dipiomatists.
What is our predicament to-day? No
ambassador at st. Petersburg, and the
charge d'aFaires compelled, due to the
lack OF funds at the embassy's disposal
and the absence of any adequate clerical
force, to decline the request OF Germany
to represent the Berlin government in
Russia. Instead OF leaving Ambassador
Guild at his post at least until his sue
cessor had qualified, the administration
recalled him, and for year and a half we
have been without ambassadorial repre-
sentation at the Russian capital
Although war was declared on July rs,
relief ship is just starting
[Aug.,6.l for Europe with funds for our
nationals caught there by the conflict. 1t
may be weeks before ships are secured to
bring them home. Secretary Bryan ap-
pears to have been the most surprised man
in Washington when the war cloud broke.
Last week he cabled instructions to. our
ambassador in London that q party Of
American schoolgirls be given passports
to the Continent, although the ambassador
had protested against it.
The department Of state appears to have
been taken completely by surprise at the
outbreak OF the war. Were it represented
abroad by a corps OF experienced dip
lomatists, the Washington government
might have received an inkling Of what
was coming. With green diplomats at
every capital, their channels of comuuni-
cation undeveloped, it is not surprising
that the administration at Washington
should Just be waking up to what has
happened.