Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-04-20
Blunders Follow Blunders
in Wilson Administration
Bryan and McAdoo Have Stirred Up Plenty Trouble for
cratic Leaders at Washngt Secretary and Con
dition of Submarines 5FSFs.s

washington, u. e., Anr!! l9.-The
secretary of the treasury, Mr.. Nc,
Adoo, and the comptroller of the cur
rency, John SHELTON Williams, have
been charged with conspiracy to in.
jure one Of the Oldest and most res.
pected banks II the country. by the
Riggs bank of this city, an institution
which began business in 1886. The
officials named are charged with us.
ing their Office to satisfy a personal
spite. in what promises to be the
most sensational suit in the history
of the National Bank act.
.,f Technical Character. ss
While the controversy between the
bank and the present management of
the treasury is largely of a technical
character, ani while the merit of that
controversy will be determined by the
courts, the friends of the administra.
ton are greatly distressed over it be-
cause Of its inevitable political effect.
Such an attack, made by so conserve
tive and reputable an institution, on
Secretary McAdoo, following the very
general criticism OF him in connection
with the recently defeated Shipping
bill, strikes at Presidents Wilson's
administration in it's most vulnerable
point. Democratic senators said
when congress adjourned that, could
they have allayed the widespread sus.
picion which had been 0ccasiOned,
even among their colleagues, by Mr..
McAdoo's refusal to permit that bill
to be so amended as to prohibit the
purchase Of informed vessels belong
ing to belligerants, they coild have
passed the Shipping bill, SO dear to
the Presidents heart. Furthermore,
many democrats in both houses of
congress expressed the opinion that
although there had been much unkind
criticism Of Secretary Bryan, Mr. Nc
Adee had become the administrators
greatest liability. Unless, therefore,
the courts shall completely exonerate
Secretary McAdoo from the charges
brought by the Riggs bank, he. will
become still greater liability and the
Presidents position would be most
embarrassing because Mr.. McAdoo Is
his sOn-in-law, as well as secretary Of
the treasury, a fact which would make
it most distasteful to the, President to
have to ask for his resignation.
Bryan in Trouble.
Still further to embarass the Presi.
dent has arisen an unfortunate con.
troversy between Secretary Bryan
and the German ambassador over the
publication of the latest German note.
1t is not clear, in the first place,
whether the so.called mote" is really
a communication from the foreign Of
flee or whether 1t originated with the
ambassador. Furthermore, Count
Won Bernstorff maintains that it was
delivered to the state department on
April 2. At first Mr.. Bryan declared
1t was not so delivered until April 9.
Now Mr.. Bryan says the note was de.
livered on April 5, just as he was leav-
ing to spend the week end at his
country home in Asheville, N. c., that
1t was In German and that he paid
little attention to it, merely passing
1t over to translator, and that he did
not receive the translation until APP
ril 9. Mr.. Bryan says he never con.
sented to the publication of the note.
whereas the ambassador maintains
that he did. Some days ago, Mr.. Bry-
an said he had not read the German
note, but that his subordinates had
and were preparing reply. The
President gravely objects to the char
acter of the note and he considers It
most unfortunate that this controv-
ersy regarding its receipt and publ.
cation should have arisen.
No Chance In 1916.
The administration realizes keenly
that unless there is return of pros