The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-11-26

j. Bryan resigned his position
secretary OF state in the cabinet of President
Wilson. He was succeeded by Robert Lansing
These two statements of fact are put together
because 1t may be justified by the human inter
est which to exist in the fact that John
w. Foster is the father-in-aw OF Robert Lansing
II is probable that no two men more entirely
different In temperament and in manifestations
thereof ever existed than William j. Bryan and
his successor in office, Robert Lansing. Mr.
Bryan less inclined to be hail fell
low well met with Mr. Lansing has little
of the hail fellow well met in him, but never
theless he Is approachable, genial and almost
without question the best listener that the state
department has had for great many years.
Now it is said frequently that the man who is
good listener is more apt to get results than
the man who is, we shall not say a good
but great talker Those who know the pres
ent secretary of state say that there is no chan
mel connecting of his with the other
This simply is their way Of expressing the fact
that nothing that goes into one Of Mr.. Lansing's
finds exit from the other. He holds fast
what he hears and later he acts on his know
edge refuses to act on it as seems better to
his understanding Of the
Ordinarily speaking. persons like to hear
stories about in high positions. 1t is prob
ably exaggeration to say that there
thousand stories about Mr.. Bryan, about Mr.
Knox about Mr.. Root. and about one or an
other of the predecessors in office of the present
incumbent TO one about the present incumbent
himself When says stories, OF course, he
means human interest and humorous stories. Mr..
Lansing does not lend himself readily to the
poitaton Of fun making. He is grave man, a
receptive man and therefore not at all an ex'
uberant man. His sense of humor, however, is
keen and he enjoys a good story well told and
enjoys it with an evident If quiet. showing of
appreciation.
lind of oil oho Mr. Gil
when a story is demanded is I'm character some
thing like that OF the man himself grave and
dignfed, and not possessing the qualities which
make up the more or less substantial story with
a substratum of humor.
For instance, not long ago two ambassadors
representing foreign countries, and one high
official of the United States government,
pressed a desire for audience with Mr. Lam
sing on certain Thursday evening Mr.. Lam
sing said that he would be happy to see the
gentlemen at almost am other time, but on
Thursday evening must 60 to church"
Now, Robert Lansing is Presbyterian. and
good one II took real sincerity OF purpose for
a secretary OF state who is supposed to be ready
at any hours of the day night to listen to
the plenipotentiares of foreign powers, to say
In effect NO state matters must wait until
| after prayer meeting"
| When Mr.. Bryan secretary OF state he
| saw the newspaper men frequently, and his inter
| course with them was rather of the free and
| easy sort because the Nebraska gentleman
and is a newspaper man himself The CORE
| lspondents. however did not get any extraor-
| ,dinary amount OF news out OF Mr.. Bryan despite
his afrabnty Mr.. Lansing has regular business
meetings with the correspondents. There are
few stories TO fly back and FORTH few quips OF
,humor and there is the usual reticence on many
| subjects which marks diplomacy but Mr.. Ian.
sing nevertheless, always gives up a story. a
news item OF minor or greater Importance, when
ever II is proper for him so to do. and. moreover.
the fact that he is lawyer and probably does
not know 4-em dash from a linotype machine.
Some people say that Mr.. Lansing had several
| months training secretary of state before he
| took Office actually These are the people who
| think that he did most Of Mr.. Bryan's work
This probably is unjust to Mr.. Lansings prede
cessor but Il is known definitely that the pres
ent secretary was consulted constantly and con
sstently upon most OF the matters relating to our
foreign intercourse, which recently. as everybody
knows has been in a state not only delicate. but
perilous.
| IL is pretty definitely known now that when
Mr. Lansing was counselor for the state depart
ment he aided the president materially In writing
| the note TO Germany which penned June 3
II was the tone of this note which Mr. Bryan
| thought was too militant. and Il was this note II
a way which caused the Nebraskan to resign his
| position as chief OF the presidents cabinet
When Il is said that a is grave. a good
listener and not overgiven to talking. the im
preston received is perhaps that he is lacking