The weekly soliphone., 1915-06-11

washington, June S'-W iliidh
Jennings Bryan retired today as
secretary of state. His first act
as a private citizen was to issue
statement explaining his reasons for
leaving the cabinet and announcing
that he intended to lay his view
of what the American policy to-
ward Germany should be before
the public for judgment.
The statement came as sensa-
tional climax to a day of fare
well spsaches and good wishes from
President Wilson and executive
colleagues of the retiring secretary.
In his explanation, Mr.. Bryan
revealed that the president had not
felt justified in adopting two sug-
gestions made by his secretary of
state-that an offer should be
made to Germany to submit the
questions in dispute with the
United States to an international
commission for investigation during
a years time, and that meanwhile
Americans should by proclamation
be warned not to take passage on
any belligerent ships or on Ameri
can vessels carrying ammunition.
These propositions Mr.. Bryan ex-
poets to urge upon the people Sin
the hope of securing such an ex-
preston of public sentiment as will
support the president in employing
these remedies if in the future he
finds it consistent with his sense
of duty to favor them"
My. Bryan's statement was re-
ceived with undisguised amazement
in official quarters. No comment
was made at the White House, but
some high officials stated that they
believed it most unfortunate that so
pronounced an expression of opin-
ion should be made public while
the discussion with Germany was
that Mr.. Bryan told his colleagues
in a general way of the contents of
his statement, and some had ad-
vised against it.
LANSING is NAMED.
The principle advocated by Mr..
Bryan is embodied in treaties of
peace negotiated by the United
States with 80 nations. and was
accepted by Germany, although no
convention ever was drafted. The
statement is condensation of the
argument which Secretary Bryan
has been making repeatedly to
President Wilson in the last few
weeks, and upon which he hopes to
build up a public sentiment in the
United States that will make war
with Germany impossible.
The issuance of the explanation
had been timed to coincide exact
ly with the dispatch of the Ameri-
can note to Germany. Mr.. Bryan
had previously informed some Of
ficials of the character of the
statement. All of them stood with
the president.
The retiring secretary left sthe
state department shortly after 1
O'Clock The note was put on the
telegraph wires at O'Clock, when
Mr.. Bryan's resignation went into
effect.
Robert Lansing counsellor Of
the state department, today receiv-
ed his formal appointment as Sec
retary of state ad interim.
DANIELS WILL NOT RESIGN.
Following is the text of the pres
ident's designation of Counsellor
Lansing as acting secretary:
"The Honorable William Jen-
nings Bryan having resigned the
office of secretary of state, I,
Woodrow Wilson, president of the
United States of America, do here
by in conformity with the pro-
visions of sections lit and 179 of
the revised statutes, and of the
act of congress approved February
70, 1891, authorize and direct the
Honorable Robert Lansing, coun-
sellor for the department of state,
to perform the duties of the office
of secretary of state for period
mot to erceed 80 days, until a sec
retary shall have been appointed
and has qualified.
WOODROW WILSON. +"
Reports that Secretary Daniels
had resigned or would do so were
current today. but were flatly de-
MED on all sides. The reports, it
was said, grew out of the well
known intimacy in national poll
tics of Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. Daniels
AS matter of fact, nine mem
bers of the cabinet stood solidly for