The Washington herald., 1914-01-16
GILLETT SCORES
foreign POLICY
Representative Also Takes
Fling at Bryan S Lectur-
ing Proclivities.
DANGER AHEAD FEARED
Secretary of State Criticised for Ar
ranging Moving Picture of Himself
Receiving Foreign ENJOYS.

Representative GiIlett. Republican, oi
Massachusetts,, yesterday delivered .
scathingiy partisan attack, both on tne
foreign policy of the Democratic admin.
istration. and some OF the personal
actions of Secretary Bryan
While the attack makes interesting
reading when boiled down, II resolved
itself into a declaration of fear that
President Wilson's foreign policy would
not turn out well in the end, although
no disastrous effects have been felt so
far, and a series Of sarcastic illusions to
Secretary Bryan's chautauqua and NOV
ing picture predictions. Mr.. Gillett
said in part:
.Partisanship ought to stop at the
frontier. In all that affects our relations
with foreign governments 1 want TO sup
port whatever administration is in power;
but an administration ought not to rely
upon that patriotic trait to plunge us
unnecessarily into danger. 1t ought not
TO court foreign war or hazard in order
to solidify its political strength. MOI
should reasonable criticism of a policy
be suppressed so long as encouragement,
and aid is not thereby given to an enemy,
And IL we abstain from all criticism un.
til after the crisis is past We shall in a
measure be estopped, for the retort ther
will be made that We withheld our COM
ment and advice until the result was
apparent and did not have the courage
TO express our opinions until We were
perfectly sure OF the event.
Calls 1t Bad Feature.
Great restraint certainly has been ex.
ercised in allowing this administration
unhampered scope in its foreign policy.
Yet 1 think the policy, or lack OF policy,
of the State Department is one of the
e. - hi,
tration. Such a policy should be framed
with the greatest care and foresight.
'I do not suppose our Secretary of State
had any special familiarity with his new
duties. I think when he accepted that
distinguished position we had a right to
expect from him painstaking and assidu-
GUS devotion. The country needed more
that he should read international law
than deliver chautauqua lectures His
much-criticised explanation of his contin-
ued absences I hardly thought did him
Justice. ! do not like to believe that
he was following Byron's precept:
So for a good old gsntlenanly rics.
I think must take up with avarice.
our generation. His sympathetic, ardent
temperament begets popularity. We all
like doing what we do well and the op-
portunity to display himself to new
audiences, to use his Office of premier to
attach to him new followers, to at once
swell his personal popularity. buii UP
his political machine and fill his purse,
may all have been more alluring than to
concentrate himself to the unwonted toll
of mastering the intricate details of
diplomacy and history.
I II think the episode which best exem-
plifies his administration is where he
arranged that the reluctant represent
atives OF foreign powers should pass by
and address him in formal procession
while a cinematograph preserved the
spectacle for the delectation OF Amer
lean audiences and the glorification of
Mr.. Bryan Most OF us do not read
foreign papers and are not very sensitive
to foreign criticism. Still, it is not pleas
ant to feel that the cultivated opinion of
the world is laughing at US, and that the
dignity and prestige OF the nation suffers
by II as well as the individuals directly
responsible.
Serious questions of state are not set
tied by remunerative lectures or by mov-
ing pictures. A carefully thought out pol