Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-06-09
MR.. BRYAN's RESIGNATION.


administration in the most critical hour sine
the Civil War
Mr.. Bryan's policy, undoubtedly that of
sincere, higlEminded man, bears too much TIN
tinge OF peace at-any price to suit the American
conscience, the American patriotism, the Ameri
can temper at this moment. We are in no moot
for peace5at any price. We demand peace, bu
not at the price of any yielding of honor; no
at the price of surrendering the rights o
Americaneitizens at home and abroad.
Until tlle,anouncement of Secretary Bryan
designations was made public, there was no
even hint of discord in the cabinet; not evei
hint that the chiefs of the national admins
tration were not standing together firmly I,
protect Americans from death at the hands o
ruthless belligerents in the great war. TIL,
news that twice previously Mr.. Bryan had pre-
sented his resignation and twice had been per
suaded to withdraw it is amazing. 1t wa
known that President Wilson personally wrot,
the first note to Germany and that he wrot,
most of the second note. The conjecture ha'
been that he felt so strongly personal re
sponsibility for the administration acts tina
he wished to mould even the phrases and sen
fences of the note. Now. it is apparent tina
Secretary Bryan disagreed with the spirit O.
the first note; that he felt it might involve til,
United States too deeply and irrevocably; an6
though he signed it, the signature was that o.
the Bryan hand, not of the Bryan heart.
Mr. Bryan's retirement will strengthen the
administration because it is the president and
not the secretary of state who is in step will
the American people today.
The president cannot possibly be accused Of
combativeness; he cannot possibly be accused
Of oyer-readiness to quarrel with Germany, OIL
with any other nation. Nine tenths of the crit
cism that has been hurled at hespresident has
been on the other side that lie sat too long
passive while American rights were violated
and American lives sacrificed in tile tur1noiled
War-zone His note to Germany brought even
from his critics, even from his deadliest politi
cbl enemies, q splendid chorus of praise, a fine
pledge of support. The president had shown
that he was willing to suffer misunderstanding
and affront abroad if thereby the United States
might give the world better example of peace
with a great humanitarian end in view; the
country supported him in this position--it too
vas willing to suffer much. But when it be-
t1lne apparent that sacred national and inter
national rights we're being more ruthlessly
khattered day by day, the president and the
country realized that further yielding was mol
compatible either with constructive peace OF
with national honor Then came that mastery
note to Germany.
That Mr.. Bryan differs with the administra-
tons program SO vigorously as to quit the
cabinet at national crisis does credit to his
independence but not to his conception of the
country s duty at this time. Nor does it display
the practically necessary in a truly great sec
retary of state. Perhaps he still relies upon tile
tabled virtues of his twenty-seven- was il
ffty-seveni peace treaties that were to make
war impossible. Perhaps he has expected
somehow that the United States could get along
ii peace through Gulflight and Lusitania and
Cushing incidents, and could retain respect at
home and abroad by program of mute pas
sivity, or unresisting sufferance He is much
better out of the cabinet than in it with these
views. The American people retain no such
Illusions.
There are political aspects in the cabinet
split which Immediately suggest themselves.
But they may for the moment be forgotten The
prime consideration now is that the admins
iration be united upon course which the whole
country can applaud. In Mr.. Robert Lansing
the president finds a master of international law
and q personality just beginning to be appre-
ciated as il is just beginning to be generally
Known He is Mr.. Bryan's equal in high
n;ndedness and his superior in practicality.
Mr.. BRYAN will continue to occupy the posi-
,;8n of an eminent critic of public affairs AS
z. axac,t;ve ne has been of negligible force in