Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-06-12

however, did not add greatly to his
duties, as President Wilson coltln-
ued his policy Of handling all import
ant foreign matters.
During the Mexican trouble Mr..
Bryan unloaded so much work on his
first assistant, Counsellor Moore, that
The latter resigned. Mr.. Lansing, the
present Counsellor, has been doing
the bulk of the important work since
Mr.. Moore quit.
MIR. Bryan did not seem to mind the
action of the President in relieving
him Of the greater part OF the import
ant work, as that left Mr.. Bryan
comparatively free to lecture and ne
gotiate his peace treaties IT. this
latter effort Mr.. Bryan was proml-
nently successful. He negotiated In
the last year more than seventeen
peace and arbitration treaties with
as. many nations.
Soon after the breaking out of wal
in Europe the burdens of the State
Department increased many times
over. The greater part of this work
fell on the shoulders Of subordlnates.
That part of it appearing to the poi,
icy of the United States President
Wilson assumed himself, and actual
ly did the important work.
President Wilson defined the attl'
tude of the American Government IN
a statement issued by the White
House. When the United States and
Great Britain were about to become
involved in a diplomatic squabble re-
garding the seizure and detention OF
American ships carrying merchant
die to Germany and her neutral
neighbors, President Wilson n
Counsellor Lansing handled the great
er part Of the correspondence n the
conferences with the British Ambas'
sador. "-' s'.'
Bryan Not Consulted.
Then came the sinking OF the Lusl-
tania. Without conferr1ng with Mr..
Bryan or any other member Of the
Cabinet, President Wilson prepared a
statement for the German Govern
ment, defining the position OF the
American Government regarding the
loss of so mary American lives and
the general submarine policy OF Ger
many.
Secretary Bryan felt keenly the
action Of the President in not con-
ferring with him before the prepara-
ton of the note He felt even more
keenly the fact that the President
failed to follow the Bryan ideas OF
action in a situation of the character
of the Lusitania's destruction. He
saw that he stoou alone in the Ad-
ministration in advocating those
ideals which called for no action for
a whole year after an atfront had
been committed by a. sister. nation
sWhen he entered the Cabinet MI
Bryan had the friendship Of every
newspaper man in Washington.
! aAs a result of this policy on the
, part Of Mr.. Bryan there were several
occasions when. the White House and
the State did not agree
as to the news.
He came into office with an expe-
rience in dealing with public men and
newspaper reporters such as few, II
any, public officials ever possessed.
1t was with a. CHEEKY "Hello!" that he
answered his telephone in his office
and at his home, early and late. Twice
a day he saw the newspaper men In
a group and his door was always open
to them when they came individually
III quest CT some particular bit of IN
formation.
Closes Door on News.
This accommodating attitude OF Mr.
Bryan maintained for about six weeks
..-4:I co,.rof fhn NnuycnQ nnrs hp
gan heckling him regarding his Chau
tauoua lectures Even then he show
ed only a slight disposition to ques
ton the right of the newspapers tc
discuss personal affairs.
During this time there had been nc
real big questions before his depart
ment. Then came tho Japanese con:
~troversy. With Japan's note of pro
test came a paddock and Mr.. Bryan
put it on himself, and not a question
was answered regarding the details
Of the controversy or what would be
The next step Of his department. He
pur sued his policy of silence into the
Mexican trouble.
Since August, when the European
war begin, Mr.. Bryan has been seer
every day, but the most. important
information has come from the White
House or from some other member
Of the Cabinet.
Il Once or twice information was OBJ
Itained from some Of Mr.. Bryan's sub
ordinateS and he threatened to dis
tcharge any one in the State Depart
ment who gave out anything withou,
his authority.
Since the, despatch of the Presi
dents demands on Germany Mr.. Bry
an has had but one nswer to in
quirers, "a haven't anything to say
Repaid Friends With Jobs.
Mr.. Bryan's duties as Secretary Q.
State we're greatly complicated by his
wide political acquaintance and the
very large demands which were made
upon him TO take care Of his friends
This he did to the best Of his ability
and his capacity for obtaining Fed
eral positions tended for a time tt
augment .:ather than decrease the
pleas made to him. 2
His disposition Of the position 0;
private secretary is a typical instance
of his efforts to take care Of politica
friends. He first appointed Mantor
Wyvell of New York, later transfer
ring him to the position Of counsel o.
the International Commission or
Boundary Waters between the Unit
ed States and Canada.
Since Wyvel left this job has been
held by four different people, w. F
Schwind, a former Nebraska political
associate. was apDointed q month