South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-04-13
STATESMEN
REAL AND NEAR
BY FRED @. KELLY.

II BY FRED @ KELLY.
WASHINGTON, April 13 - AL
though q learned, serious-minded man
and an aulS GRITTY on international law.
Robert Lansing. the new counselor for
the department OF state, amuses him
self at odd moments by drawing fun
ny pictures of people and things about
him. This little habit once saved the
government of the United States
great real of money-but we'll come
to that presently.
Lansing does not draw pictures be-
cause OF any frivolous streak In his
makeup, for he is almost as ponder
our a person as his predecessor in the
important counselor's place, John
Bassett Moore. He does his caricatur-
ing almost absent mindedly. much as
a person will sit and abstractedly write
a phone number on a pad over and
over again while waiting for the OPP
orator TO get his party. Lansing will
be talking to man on some Welghty
topic across a fat-top desk. let us say,
and as they talk he begins to draw a
picture Of the other man. He scarce
ly knows he is doing it. for all the
time he is thinking about the grave
matter they're discussing. Yet when
the picture is done it is a first-rate
likeness with a humorous emphasis
on the mans more striking facial
characteristics.
As an indication that Lansing
draws pictures more less subconScl-
Ously we may cite the fact that he
does his drawing with his left hand,
though in all other things he is right
/ handed. If he were going to write
a letter spank a child, fill coal
! bucket, stroke a cat, or peel a boiled
potato. ne would not think of using
his left hand. You see he has 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 off a comical portrait of Will
liam Jennings Bryan, and it will not
/ be lese majestic at all, because he will
not realize what he is doing.
Here is how hfs drawing habit once
saved several thousand dollars to the
taxpayers of the United States. A
great many years ago Great Britain
presented claim for 100000 for
damages done TO their Bering Sea
| fishers. The state department court
/ eously O. KID the claim, but con-
gress thought it was too much money
much too much. So they wouldn't
let the itom stay in the appropriation
/ arbitrator by the two countries, and
! Lansing went along as counsel for the
/ United States.
Inasmuch as the state department
/ had once agreed to the payment of
\ $500 600, 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 arbitration hearing was
/ an old man named Munsey who was
/ the proprietor of a sealing vessel. He
I told about what large investment he
had in his boat, how finely ii was
equipped, and what a great loss he
had suffered due to-due to whatever
| il was that had caused his great loss.
AS she man talked, Lansing uncon-
sciously or subconsciously began 10
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 it, much more elaborate
I than the Lusitania of the present day.
| Ii had Turkish baths, a swimming
pool billiard parlors. handsome sa-
I Ions in which beautifully gowned
| women promenaded while their hus-
bands were out sealing, private dining
| rOom,-oh, everything to make life
aboard one sybaritic dream.
When the witness rad finished, one
I =
( drawing and passed it about that all
might see. Even the British arbitratOrs
I laughed heartily over the picture and
agreed that il 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 q new basis ana
in a little while agreed on a settle
ment many thousands less than had
I been demanded. Lansings picture did
the trick.
Lansing was counsel in the arbitra-
ton at The Hague in 1903 OF the
North Atlantic fisheries case. and dur
ing the progress of the arbitration. he
lures OF the judges. one of his as
sociates was so amused over these
that he insisted on showing the pic
lures TO the victims. Lansing agreed
that he might show the pictures pro-
vided that he carefully omit in each
case the one of the man 10 whom he
was showing them. In that way, each
Judge was made happy in the belief
that all had been cartooned except
himself
Counselor Lansing is a calm. courte-
Gus methodical person with dispo-
sition 10 give infinite care even TO the
details His occupation has been may
ing nlmSeH an authority Oh luleIud-
tiOnal law. and for purposes OF recre-
alton he reads and becomes more and
more of an authority on the history
habits traits and sterling qualities OF
the American Indian.
Two OF the most inseparable bud
dies" in congress are Representative
Dickinson ana Rucker of Missouri
Though both are from the Show-me
| state both were born in Virginia sub
I which seems TO be the basic excuse
for their strong friendship. They
. room together in washington. wear
each others clothes and are as thick
as a Walsh rabbit.
Copyright. 1914. by Fred c. Kelly
All rights reserved)