Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-06-02
FROM COL. HARVEY

Col. George. Harvey, editor of tn" Mort
american Review. has never been strong SUI
porter of the Wilson administration and recent
v has criticised it severely.
Colonel Harvey is also Il speaker Of krel
.atiric wit. As an illustration of the viewpoin
f MANY Americans on the Mexican situation
Is we'll as an example Of the Harvey wit, tn
following brief extract from speech is wort
reading:
But while our composite democratic mind may
at times be closed, it is never really locked
We are always ready and willing to learn. No rea-
sonabe person, of course, would have expected us
recognize the de facto government of Mexico after
had put our heel in the ground in refusal,
but you may have noticed that subsequently when
precisely similar conditions in Peru and Haiti
lost not moment in according recognition to
what was, though it seemed to our higher
thought what it ought not to be, thus disprovng
conclusively accusations of obduracy and nattenon
to the demands of exnediency. Never agani, you
may assured, shall fall into the error de-
picted by Rameses II, when, in giving instructions
to the nephew who was to succeed him, he defined
the difference between a diplomat and lady.
IF diplomat" he obse rived, says yes he means
perhaps; if he says perhaps he means no; If he
says no he is no diplomat On the other hand. If
a lady says she means perhaps; If she says per-
haps she means yes; if she says yes she is lady.
You may be certain that hall not again
definitely. inflexbly and irrevocably negative the
designation Of a president of another nation. AS
the coored gentleman about to be hanged remarked,
somewhat pathetically, This experience is going
to be mighty good lesson to me-"
So far as our other diplomatic endeavors
cerned, direct attention to the Offence familiar
all between theory and practice We denounce dollar
diplomacy instinctively The very word dollar"
grated harshly upon our tender sensibtes. We
could hardly sleep O. nights while Mr. Knox was
making a sordid trade with Nicaragua And yet
when, after having been placed in authority,
listened, as our duty to the peadings of those
unhappy neighbors, we not only confirmed the trans
action, but voluntarily threw in 100000 to boot
as evidence of good faith and kindly feeling no less
than Of our own contempt for mere dross, so long
as can be extracted without undue attention from
the treasury of the United States.
So. too. with Colombia. There clear case
OF the pressing need Of righting wrong, and we
are doing 1t or trying to do it after fashion fully
illustrative of our magnanimous disregard of mil
lions That the injury was inflicted and that repara-
ton should be made there be question, but
why is 1t necessary tot take $4,000 900 from our
! taxpayers, when but few years ago $1000O0oO
would have been most gratefully accepted and to
couple with this payment an expression of regret
closely approaching an apology for the action of a
previous administration, along with the privilege
of using our canal free of charge may indeed seem
to some as undue encroachment upon our generosity
So, at least, l am confident it will appear to the
redoubtable huntsman whose comment upon his re-
turn we await with zestful anticipation