Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-06-10
GOES TO country
FOR ITS JUDGMENT
Entire Country Receives
Bryan's Statement With
Amazement
MANY sPECULATIONS.
Commoner Says He Will Act as
Private Citizen and Tell Why He
Left Wilson's Cabinet.

Hardly anything was talked abou
in Washington last night and toda.
but the cabinet resignation, Mr..
Bryan's statement of yesterday after
noon furnishing an additional topic
Administration officials, politicians oi
all parties and the great army of lay
politicians in Washington were
amazed at the tenor of the pronun-
ciamento and the circumstances Of its
issue.
To officials it semed incredible
that Mr. Bryan should have fore
stalled the Presidents note to Ger
many by disclosing and criticising its
purport in advance Of its publication
taking advantage of his knowledge
of its contents gained in his official
capacity as Secretary of State. No
official utterance from the admins
tration was made upon this feaure,
but there were as bitter private COM
ment upon it.
William jennings Bryan, shortly
after turning over his Office of Sec
retary of State to his successor yes
terday issued a statement. He said /:
My reason for sreSigIing: is; se,eas.
ly stated in my letter of resignation
namely, that | may employ as pri-
vate citizen the means which the
President does not feel at liberty to
employ. l honor him for doing what
he believes to be right, and l am sure
that he desires, as | do, to find a
peaceful solution of the problem
which has been created by the action
of the submarines.
1.-TWO of the points on which we diff.
fer, each conscientious in conviction
are.
First, as to the suggestion of in
vestigation by an; international CONF
mission, and
Second, as ito warning Americans
against travelling on belligerent YES
sells or with cargoes Of ammunition
u believe, that this nation should
frankly state to Germany that we
are willing to apply in this case the
principles which we are hound by
treaty to apply to disputes between
the United States and 80 countries
with which we have; made treaties
providing for investigation of all
disputes of every character and ma
ture.
"These treaties, negotiated under
this administration, make war prac-
tically impossible. between this coun.
try and these 3G governments, repre-,
senting nearly three-fourths of all
the people of the world.
"Among the nations with which we
have these treaties are Great Britain
France and Russia. No matter whaI
disputes may arise between US and
these treaty nations. we agree thai
there shall be no declaration of wal
and no commencement of hostilitie:
until the matters in dispute have
been investigated by an internationa
commission and a years time is al
lowed for investigation and report
This plan was offered to all nations
without any exceptions whatever, AM
Germany was one of the nations tha
accepted the principle, being tn
twelfth, I think, to accept. No treat,
was actually entered into with Ger
many. but ! cannot see that; shoul
stand in the way, when both nation
indorsed the principle,sI do not kno'
whether Germany would accept IN
offer, but our country should, IN m
judgment, make the offer.
"Such an offer, if accepted, woul
at once relieve the tension and S
lence all the jingoes who are de
manding war. Germany has alway
been a friendly nation, and gres
many of our people are of Germa
ancestry. Why should we not des
with Germany according to this plu
to which the nation has pledged il