Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1915-02-25
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SURE0F0UR
NEUTRALITY
Says These Are Critical Days
for the United States, But
Has Faith In President.

NEW YORK, Feb. 24.-Robert Lans
ing, counsellor of the state depart
ment, in speech before 700 alumni
of Amherst college at their annual
banquet here tonight, declared that
these were critical days for the Uni.
ted States, ''how critical only those
who are in intimate touch with af.
fairs can realize"
The European war, he said, had
raised series of problems which
never before had been solved and
the liability of error, the danger of
unitentional partiality and the con
stant complaint of one or another of
the belligerents makes the path of
neutrality rough and uncertain
Mr.. Lansing expressed disapproval
OF the suggestion that diplomatic Of
ficers be placed under civil service
rules and defended President Wilson
and Secretary Bryan against criti-
cism that they failed to retain diplo.
mats who had been named by former
administrations.
81 must say that the emphatic opin-
ions of some of our former representa-
tives are rather amusing, when one
considers that they would never have
been appointed under civil service
rules said Mr.. Lansing.
The trouble is that they, as well
as other advocates of the system,
start out on wrong premises. Chief
Of these, ! think, is the idea that an
ambassador or minister never acts in
dependently and his only duty is to
repeat words put in his mouth by the
department of state, that he has no
more initiative than consular
officer
Successful diplomacy required to-
day individual quality and sound
Judgment as it always has.
"When it comes to the principal
posts abroad, l am strongly opposed
to tying the hands of the president in
any way. If we had obtained all our
ambassadors and ministers by pro-
motion, we should not have had such
men at London as F. ]. Phelps and
Joseph H. ChOate or men like Myron
T. Herrick and Brand Whitlock Such
men, inexperienced in diplomatic
practice, but equipped with qualities
which command respect and achieve
success, are the ones who have
brought lustre to American diplomacy
Diplomacy today is wrestling with
novel problems to which it must apply
natural justice and practical common
sense. Things have to be done, not
studied, these days. The motto do it
now is not a piece of advice in the
department OF state; it is a command
"A question which is a week old is
ancient history. Considering the Gus
tomary slow and dignified ways of
diplomacy this touch and go method
OF doing business was decided in
nOvation and compelled a radical
change in the machinery through
which our foreign affairs are con-
ducted
"These are critical days for our
country. 1t is time for serious
thought, time of anxiety.
To-day when nations are swayed
with unreasonable passion, when pre-
judice blinds them, when they see
red; when they misjudge their friends
as we'll as their foes, is the time for
us to avoid harsh judgment, to pre-
serve calmness in dealing with them
and to curb the natural resentment |
which arises when our acts are mis-
interpreted and we are charged with .
wrong motives and purposes
American citizens, he concluded,
could not be too thankful that they
had president "Whom we can trust
to deal with the momentous and diff
fcult problem of the hour with wis
dom. justice and patience, having equal
regard for all and favor toward none,
by popular clamor and
answering in his determination to
maintain the strict neutrality which
this government has preserved
the war;