Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-06-11

ministration now more than ever next
in importance to his own.
Mr.. Bryan courted failure when he
took charge of the state Department.
Probably no one who ever held that
Office was more untitled than lie was
TO discharge with credit its delicate
and exacting duties He was himself
dimly aware that he was tempting
fate. But he trusted to luck to es-
cape any exposure of his incapacity.
He hoped TO pull through with the
aid Of others, If no serious complied
tions should arise That he consid
cred the post as a sinecure was prov
ed by the stipulation which he con-
fessed to making before assuming IL.
When censured by the newspapers for
accepting multifarious lecture en-
gaeements. most of them out of keep
ing with the dignity OF his position.
he defended himself by saying that it
was understood that he was to be al
lowed TO exc out his salary by con-
/ tinuing TO be a topliner on the Chau-
/ tauQua circuits.
A man with such a cheaply conf
mercial conception of the post held by
so long q line of American statesmen
was by nature disqualified for it. But
there were two added disqualified
lions i'm Mr. Bryans case. He enter
ed the State Department with a case
of coarse contempt for its traditions
5. and its work He sadly misconceived
the qualities needed In the mon who
were to represent the government
abroad lie undervamed the useful
ness to the country of trained. expert
enced diplomats. and his first impulse
on acquiring power was 10 use the
foreign service to pay off political
debts. He treated appointments sole
ly as party patronage, and searched
the department register high and low
, TO find places even places in SantC
, Domingo, the salaries attached C
| which we're payable out of the Sar
e Dominican customs to bestow on de
| serving Democrats"
, Moreover. i'm so far as Mr.. Brysni
! activities directly affected the conduc
, OF foreign relations. he cut loose from
b. the ideas and policies on which
, American diplomacy had previOusl.
B. been based He introduced a new per
/ sonal system of his own under whicl
[ foreign relations were to be vastl
simplfed and diplomacy itself was Il
{ become a lost art, a vanished profes
: sion
I IN trying to enforce on this coun
s try and on other countries the prin
I ciple of unqualified and Unlimited ar
3 bitratiOn he lost sight Of all the reali
n ties which still govern the attitud
e. of nations toward one another II
- foi got-and perhaps he had too muc
Hfara. na q
a Wilson In fOrgetting-tha the fogeig
s policy Of the United States has bee
S a continuous growth, plan of actio
based on long matured conceptions @
n national interest and national destiny
( Making fetichos of peace, good vii
\ and the avoidance of friction. he CON
h united the department. so far as il
s ever succeeded in controlling it, to
n program of utopianism in which n
allowance was made for the unread
l. ness of the rest of the world to liv
" up TO these altruistic ideals
j. Fate is kind TO some men; unkin
@ to others II is the tragedy of M
n Bryan's career that when he took
n long chance fortune frowned upC
% him. Seeking consolation from thr,
N defeats for the Presidency in an off
At which other defeated Presidential a
ID pirants have filled with distinction
he Calhoun, Clay, Webster, Seward an
A. Blaine among them-he experience
10 only disappointment and disilusio
ID Chance put on him tasks for whiC
nj he had no training and to which ]
Of was not equal. His failure shou
serve as a warning to President
r tempted in the future to dispose
is the Secretary of State merely as
n. consolation prize. II is far too gre
l. and too vital an Office to be Civ,
le away in payment of a political del
IN Tho next Secretary of State shou
IN not be politician. He should be fr'
d. last and all the time a diplomat.