The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-26
WILSON POLICY
Is UNDERGOING
GREAT CHANGE
Move for Adequate Defence
Most Important Shift of
Administration.
BRYAN'S DEPARTURE
A DECISIVE FACTOR

WASHINGTON, July 2J.-ENents nave
been crowdins in upon Washington so
rapidly In the last few months that
IL has not been generally realized what
great changes have taken place in the
attitude OF the Wilson Administration
toward many matters of the highest i'm
portance.
The Presidents promise. announced
yesterday. that he will give careful con-
sidera tion 10 the needs Of the naval
and military establishments affords the
most recent and perhaps the most strik-
ing example of the extent to which the
Administration has discarded notions
with which 1t was imbued when /, came
into power.
II has long been we'll understood here
that President Wilson manifested only
a lukewarm interest in the army and
the navy, and was inclined to regard
them as the two branches OF Govern-
ment 10 which it would be necessary
for him to give the least attention. They
figurel hardly at all In his scheme OF
things. as disclosed by his messages
and addresses IN the first two years
of his Administration.
The Presidents change in this regard.
AS we'll as In respect To other govern
mental matters. is attributed here chiefly
TO his contact with hard. unyieldng
facts and TO better appreciation of
practical necessities There is. however,
another factor that has counted in the
change and that Is the elimination Of
the Bryan influence.
Announcement Well Timed.
The timing the white II H,use state
ment on national defences so that II
reached the public on the day after the
| Presidents note was presented in Ber-
/ lin was the last instance that is being
( cited of the Presidents disposition to
meet facts In practical way.
There is no doub; here that those
! Cabinet members whose advice has peen
| consistently In accord with the Presi-
dert's views on the submarine issue
! succeeded in convincing him that 'he
I real strength of his note D. Ge' many
, would depend upon what was back OF
II and tnat some demonstration Of seri-
q
size In Berlin the earnestness OF the
: United states Hence the Official an.
pouncement at this time Of the Presi-
, den:'s deep interest In the strengthen
ing of the national defenceS.
! A little incident In connection with the
, situation in Mexico alsr indicates the
drift of the Administration. President
Wilson's authorization To Gen. Funstoi
,o return any fire across the border al
hiph q iph A
the President was wholly unwilling Il
take, though at that time persons were
being wounded almost every day on th'
American side OF the line.
Recent shifts in and appointments Il
the Diplomatic posts have denoted
another change of mind on the part o
President Wilson. These. in connection
with notable change IN the state DE
partment itself, are taken to indicate
! that the President no longer subscribe
. to the Bryan theory that "descrvln I'M
=. Democrats" are exclusively fitted 70
handling problems in connection wit
/ foreign relations
Bryan's Going the Greatest.
But the Sreatest single change in tn
Administration came as the result of tn
elimination of the Bryan influence, Tn
effect of the retirement of Mr.. Bryan
daily becoming more apparent and IN
matter is now being openly commente
on by high officials. one of these OF
ficials acknowledged to-day that he wa
Just beginning to realize how the Brya
presence permeated and sometime
dominated the Admin stration.
Many are now saying that the Prcsi
, dent probably would have recognize
earlier the necessity of giving attentio
to the national defence had he not ha
In his Cabinet Il man who was express
ing in the ConimOHer keen satisfactio
, at the war the Administration and Con
gress were making to keep down ap
propriations for battleships and troop:
Many things We're left undone. eve
unmentioned, In the Adminstratio
councils because of the certainty In ad
/. vance that they would arouse the al
tagonism of Mr.. Bryan. All this re
? straint has now been lifted and official
admit that the change Is being reiiecte
happily in the way In which the affair
I Of certain Departments are running.
stronger Policy In sight.
, Events of the last few months--th
: retirement OF Mr.. Bryan, the last Lus
tania note. followed by yesterdays al
r nouncement regarding national defeno
y have already given great stimuli
v to those who have been long an
/ earnestly hoping and working for
2 stronger foreign policy and he';er pre-
: paredness OF the nation for meeting
war emergency. The specialists an
q oxperts In these fields now are cor
q yiuced that not only Is President Wi
a son taking into account many vital fact
I but that he is also showing "a dispos
;. ton to accept guidance and couns
i from those supposed to know most abol
: the technicalities OF their particular su,
v ject
;. That the Presidents national defen'
announcement yesterday IL. howeve
only the opening gun Of what Is like
: to be the greatest struggle WashingtC
will have seen in many years Is u
generally accepted view here. Man
fear that there will he no adequate r.
sponse from Congress without tr
!, mendous fight.
u IL is known that 1t Is Secretary Carr
sons determination to speak the who
:. truth as regards the military establish
, ment lie intends to announce in IA fe
= weeks the details Of what he and h
advisers regard as the minimum nee,
OF the military establishment, and the
is reason to believe that his concl
sions as to what Is required will start
N the country.
- Secretary Garrison's recommendation I
n will be based more on what he thinl
N the situation requires than on what
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