The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1914-10-01
BRYAN'S HARD TASK
Warning Nations Seem Bent on
Involving United States.
Secretary Of state Visited Daily by
ENJOYS with Complaints or Pro.
possis. but Must Preserve
Our Neutrality.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.

Washington anybody thinks that
the state department In not earning It's
salary these days. haste should be
made to get another thought. The
work and the worry Of MIR. Bryan and
his lie~utenants have not been and are
not in the tenth part the result OF DIFF.
fculties In getting Americans out OF
Europe. The real work and the worry
come from the steadfast efforts OF
the United States government to re
main neutral In the war now waging.
II Ia perhaps unkind TO say that ev.
cry n OF the warning nations wishes
that the United States would become
involved in the conflict. and. becoming
involved. would take up arms on It's
side. The u%nkindness does not consist
In saying that the hope Of n ~belligerent
IL that II the United States does get
into II, II will fight for the cause repre-.
sented by the hopeful ones. but per.
haps II does consist In saying that any
nation wishes us the i'll luck that has
befallen the countries now losing men
and fortunes in the field.
Whether II Is unkind or not to say Il,
there seems TO be ample evidence In
Washington that certain OF the war.
ring countries would like nothing bet.
ter than TO see us mix in The state
department daily has to Withstand all
sorts OF subtle attempts to get II to
commit itself. which means the COM.
hitting OF this country TO some propo-
sition which would cause trouble for
the American people. The state de-
partment officials do not simply have
TO walk a chalk line. but they have to
walk q swaying tight rope. and they
are compelled to use a balancing pole
for all the virtue there Is In IL, 10
keep them steady on the line.
Every day there go 20 the state de-
partment. one after the other. the am.
b~assadors or the ministers OF the dit.
ferent powers at war. Each one has a
complaint or a proposition to make TO
the secretary OF state.
The envoy extraordinary and minis.
ter plenipotentiary to the United
States from Belgium is r. Havenith.
MIR. Havenith always writes his name
as II Is here set down. and very proba.
bly, there is no one In Washington
who knows what Mr.. Havenith's first
name Is. II seems TO be a sort OF a
state secret. The Belgium envoy In.
sistently protested to the state depart.
ment against the dropping OF bombs
ou Antwerp from n German ~dirigible.
IL Mr.. Bryan. after consultation with
President Wilson. had protested TO
the German government he would
have been compelled TO do II in the
name Of humanity" for IL was on a
humane basis that the plea OF Mr..
Havenith was made. A protest OF this
kind is a serious thing, and It might.
perhaps would, lead ultimately to war,
for II would be tantamount TO the say.
ing by the United States government
that the Germans were conducting a
barbarous warfare.
There could be no such protest
made. at least until the facts in the
case absolutely were assured and the
people OF this country were u to
the point OF demanding action. and
after a long and careful elaboration
on the subject by President Wilson's
cabinet. OF course Mr.. Havenith
wanted immediate action. lie had TO
be met with suavity. with a promise
10 take the matter into consideration
and with the usual diplomatic assur.
ance OF good will and high esteem"
While the Belgian envoy was thus
insistent, the representative Of Ger.
many in this country. acting in tho
temporary absence In New York OF
Ambassador Won Bernstorfr, was toll.
ing his side Of the story.
Representatives OF other countries
IN one hour were urging upon Mr..
Bryan the necessity OF taking notice
OF the bomb dropping. while In anoth.
er hour. the representa- yes OF still
other countries were telling him 10
pay nc attention 20 the pleas for q
protest.
There are scores OF things every day
which come before the state depart.
men In the form OF representations.
requests or protests. any one OF which
II acted upon Immediately might in.
volve this country In war, The cen.
lsorshlp OF the cables and Of the Ger.
man owned wireless stations was and
still Ia n OF the delicate subjects
which the state department must han.
die, Moreover. there are tho constant
representations that this ship or that
ship is taking out coal and provisions
from American ports ostensibly In.
tended for the supply OF neutral coun.
tries and which as the protesters put
'it. are really intended to al the bunk.
'ers OF warships lowering on the coast.
II is pretty well assured here that
the officials Of the state department
finally are convinced that II Ii a very
much harder job to keep out OF war
than II IL 10 get into war. n the INT.
ted States government acted In every.
thing as II has been requested to act
by the representatives OF foreign gov.
ernments. we would be at war today
with pretty nearly every country on
earth.