St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-01-27
PRESS COMMENT
Another Example of Bryan and For
eign Service.

PRESS COMMENT
Another Example of Bryan and For
eign Service.
If Secretary of State Bryan had
not already been so thoroughly and
completely discredited as a diplomat
and statesman, the letter of his read
in the testimony being taken in an
investigation of Dominican affairs
would create a nationwide sensa-
ton and scandal 1t is only because
Mr.. Bryan has so repeatedly exposed
his utter unfitness for the respons-
ible post which he is supposed to fill
that the publication of this letter
will be received with comparative in
difference. The Pindell affair, the
invitation to the government of
Switzerland to send it's navy, to par
ticipate in the Panama-San Francisco
exposition celebration, the dispatch
of secret instructions inimical to Brit
ish interests to a British charge de
affairs who was temporarily serving
this country in the absence of the
American representative at one of
the North African consulates, the
decentralization of the American con-
sular and minor diplomatic service
by the reckless appointment of un-
fit men in the discharge of political
obligatiOns,-all these have served
to give the American public an i'm
preston of Mr.. Bryan's incapacity
which this latest revelation can hard
ly make more contemptuous.
1t will be recalled that this coun-
try, after interminable turmoil in
San Domingo, under the threat of
European interference to compel
that republic to honor it's obliga-
lions, took over the fiscal affairs of
San Domingo under a receivership.
This arrangement supplied the first
stability in finance San Dominican
affairs had ever known. Under
Roosevelt and Taft the receivership
was discharged, capably and with
scrupulous honesty. No breath Of
scandal ever attached to it. Secre-
tary Roots admonition to treat the
administration of the receivership
as sacred trust was fulfilled to the
letter.
1t was all changed when Bryan
became secretary of state. The re-
sponsible post of receiver went to
Walter w. Wick Shortly after his ar
rival, Mr.. Wick received the follow
ing letter from his chief concerning
James M. Sullivan, a political aide
de camp of the Great Commoner,
who had been appointed as Ameri-
can minister to the republic:
Now that you have arrived
and have acquainted yourself
with the situation, can you let
me know what positions you
have at your disposal with
which to reward deserving Dem
ocrats Whenever you desire
a suggestion from me in regard
for any place down there call
on me.
"You have had enough expe-
rience in politics to know how
valuable workers are when the
campaign is on and how difficult
it is to find suitable rewards for
the deserving. l do not know
to what extent a knowledge of
the Spanish language is neces-
sary for employees. Let me
know what is requisite, togeth-
err with the salary and when ap-
pointments are likely to be
made Sullivan will be down
before long and you and he to-
gether ought to be able to bring
about such reforms as may be
necessary there. You will find
SULLIVAN d ObAOhS, NOAA ooOOAog
reliable fellow. The more /
have seen of him the better sat
isfied 1 am that he will mt into
the place there and do what is
necessary to be done.
Very truly yours,
"WM. J. BRYAN"
Adequate comment is quite be-
yond us. The thing is almost I'm
believable. Little wonder that
American prestige has fallen to the
lowest ebb in fifty years. Little
wonder that contempt is the DOM
inent feeling for Americans through
out Central and South America.
Little wonder that Americans them
selves blush when they stop to con-
trast the present foreign relations
of this country with those which OBJ
tanned under Roosevelt, when Hay
and Root made America stand for
all that was best and most desirable
in international affairs, and when
the name of the United States COM
manded both respect and confidence.
All that Bryan's letter needs to
make it complete would be the ad-
monition with which it is said an
other famous American diplomat
discreetly closed an epistle:-
Burn this letter.! '-Mancheste
Union.