The sun., 1915-06-10
Mr.. Bryan's Pitifully insufficient
Statement-What Was His
Real Reason?

Real Reason?
n 10 natural to suppose that II the
explanation Of Mr.. BRYAN's resIgna-
tion was inherent in the text OF the
note that has now gone 10 Berlin. he
could not honorably give his true
reasons until the note had been pub
lished. In that view OF the matter
we might assume that considerations
Of propriety. nay, even of delicacy,
restrained him from stating his com
plete cas- in advance Of the publica-
tion Of the rejoinder to the German
Government
But, on the other hand. It Is obvi-
GUS that politician so adroit as Mr..
BRYAN Is in every sense personal to
himself would have withheld his state.
rnent altogether for twenty-fcur o.
forty-eight hours until the note was
published and his own explanation
could he made with full force. We
must therefore conclude that he has
nothing better to say for himself than
that which he said yesterday.
The statement which Mr.. BRYAN
did issue yesterday is SO absurdly in
adequate as justification Of his
choice of time for parting cbnpany
with the Administration, So far from
affording the specifications which he
promised at the time Of resi- gning
that we are left 10 wonder whether
this muddled document Is the prod
uct Of a muddled mind. no longer able
TO grasp ideas in their larger rea.
tiOns, or whether Mr.. BRYAN has de-
liberately chosen not to be entirely
candid with the country.
The most cnrsory examination Of the
statement" reveals its weakness as 4
whole and in detail Mr.. BRYAN begin.
by creditlng the President with a de
sire, equal to his own. tn find peace
ful solution of the submarine aues
ton. We take II that the same de
sire 10 active in the mind OF ever,
loyal and sensible American. The diff
ference Of opinion Is as to methods
The methods adopted by the President
were plainly outlined as long ago rs
last February and defined with In
compa rable clarity in the note of MAY
13. II the difference as to methods
was radical enough to warrant tn,
Secretary of State in making n public
exhibit Of personal dissent, unlmpor
tant or even welcome in the domes
tic view but vastly mischevous ir
misleading German opinion MS to tn,
firmness and unanlmity OF our atti
tude. then last February perhaps. ant
last month certainly. was the tim,
when he should have quit. There cal
he no doubt of this Nothing short o
some recent development of compel
ling character could possibly excuse
him from doing now what he omitted
TO do before.
Now, Mr., BRyhN's statement OF
yesterday fails TO allcge or even re
motely to indicate any new III lfcrenc
Of opinion between himself and th
rest Of the AdmlniStrat ton. lie pre-
sents two grievances. In the frs
place he explains In the somewhat tedi
Gus phra scology Of personal pique hi
sorrow and modification that his Gel
cbraied idea Of preventing all wa
hy the lnterposltion of n year betwee,
provocation and hostility has not bee
found applicable in the present cir
cumstances. In these days Of swift
moving events and diminished regnr
for written treaties, particularly treat
les "acceIred in principle" but not ac
tually signed, Mr. BRYAN solemnly re-
affirms his belief in the efficacy of
formal pledge of ycar's ro.lDea,
ahce to deter two nations at warfeve
heat from really going TO war. III
hrst grievance against the President
simply that the years delay cure In
not been adopted in the treatment q