The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-01-26
.bRYAN'S HARD TASK
Warning Nations Seem Bent on
Involving United States.
Secretary Of State Visited Daily by
ENJOYS With Complaints or Pro-
posaIs, but Must Preserve
Our Neutrality.
BY EDWARD 8. CLARK.

salary these days. haste should be
made to get another thought. The
work and the worry OF Mr. Bryan and
his lieutenants have not been and are
not In the tenth part the result Of DIFF
hculties In getting Americans out OF
Europe. The real work and the worry
come from the steadfast efforts of
the United States government to re-
main neutral in the war now waging.
1t Is perhaps unkind to say that ev-
cry enc of the warning nations wishes
that the United States would become
involved In the conflict, and becoming
involved, would take up arms on it's
side. The unkindness does not consist
in saying that the hope of belligerent
is that il the United States doea get
into 1t, it will fight for the cause repre-
sented by the hopeful ones, but per-
haps Ii does consist in saying that any
nation wishes us the i'll luck that has
befallen the countries now losing men
and fortunes in the field.
Whether 1t Is unkind or not to say Il,
there seems to be ample evidence In
Washington that certain of the war.
ring countries would like nothing bet
ter than to see us mix in. The state
department daily has to withstand all
sorts of subtle attempts to get It to
commit itself, which means the COM
hitting OF this country to some propo-
sition which would cause trouble for
the American people. The state de-
partment officials do not simply have
to walk chalk line. but they have to
walk a swaying tight rope. and they
are compelled to use balancing pole
for all the virtue there is in It, to
keep them steady on the line.
Every day there 60 to the state de-
partment one after the other, the am.
bassadors or the ministers Of the diff.
ferent powers ut war. Each one has
complaint or proposition to make to
the secretary OF state
The envoy extraordinary and minis.
ter plenipotentiary to the United
States from Belgium Ia 3. Havenith.
aMr. Havenith always writes his name
as It Is here set down, and very proba.
bly, there Is no one In Washington
who knows what Mr.. Havenith's first
name is, 1t seems to be sort Of a
state secret. The Belgium envoy in
sistently protested to the state depart.
ment against the dropping of bombs
GU Antwerp from German dirigible.
p II Mr.. Bryan, after consultation with
President Wilson, had protested to
the German government he would
have been compelled to do 1t '1n the
name OF humanity" for 1t was on a
humane basis that the plea Of Mr..
Havenith was made. A protest Of this
kind is a serious thing, and 1t might.
perhaps would, lead ultimately to war,
for 1t would be tantamount to the say.
ing by the United States government
that the Germans were conducting q
barbarous warfare.
There could be no such protest
made, at least until the facts in the
case absolutely were assured and the
people Of this country we're aroused to
the point of demanding action, and
after a long and careful elaboration
on the subject by President Wilson's
cabinet. OF course Mr.. Havenith
wanted immediate action. He had to
be met with suavity, with promise
to take the matter into consideration
and with the usual diplomatic assur.
ance OF good win and high esteem"
While the Belgian envoy was thus
insistent the representative of Ger.
many in this country, acting in the
temporary absence in New York OF
Ambassador Won Bernstorff. was tell
Ing his side of the story.
Representatives of other countries
In one hour were urging upon Mr..
Bryan the necessity of taking notice
of the bomb dropping, while in anoth.
er hour. the representatives of still
other countries were telling him to
pay no attention to the pleas for q
protest.
There are scores of things every day
which come before the state depart
ment In the form of representations,
requests or protests. any one OF which
II acted upon Immediately might In.
volve this country in war. The cen.
sorship of the cables and OF the Ger.
man owned wireless stations was and
still is one of the delicate subjects
which the state department must han.
die. Moreover, there are the constant
representations that this ship or that
ship is taking out coal and provisions
from American ports ostensibly In
tended for the supply of neutral coun.
tries and which as the protesters put
It. are really intended to fill the bunk
ers of warships lowering on the coast.
It is pretty well assured here that
the officials of the state department.
finally are convinced that 1t is very
much harder Job to keep out OF war
than It II to get into war II the J1ni-
ted States government acted In every.
thing as 1t has been requested to act
by the representatives of foreign gov
ernments, we would be at war today
with pretty nearly every country on
earth.