The Washington times., 1915-11-28

oH''' 'flNeT WAS CNluentlN nOTTlhtu
Your saying that Lee ought to be ahot;
, simple truth OF law and equity. !
md. after n careful reading OF dozen
b,ogra phies and all his own reports. that
| Stonewall Jackson was howiinS
Mr.. Hays work as Secretary Of state
| IL history. yet there is much contained
In the biography that has not yet been
available to history. Ills greatest
door In China. the Hay::Paunr eiote
treaty. tho cemcnting of the synipa-
thetic bond between the United states
and Great Britain. and tho securing ior
this country In the society OF nations a
recognition of its place and influence as
lofty and powerful rs II Is unchaEenH.a,
all are thrown upon tho screen. WIN
the stronger light of his own obserVa-
tions. though with a modesty and some-
more enhance ones liking for the man
aud admire ton for his deeds.
Opposed Great Armsments.
lie was not free from error. and after
, once declaring: "The fact Is that no
government, not absolutely imbccile.
| would ever think of fortifying the
canal - he became converted to
the argument In favor Of its fortifica-
| ticn.
Mr.. HAY never believed In great arma-
Seward as early a. 1855: The great
calamity and danger of Europe ton,,y
are these enormous armaments. 40
honest statesman can say that he secs
in the present attitude OF politics inc
necessity of war"
cords full credit for the srcccssiui exc,
cution of the plans for the "onstru,tt,o,' ,t,
Of the Panama canal. More thah MA,
MIR. Hay gave his entire ap,!,LS 1,i ~ and ,n
approved of every step taken bY n.l'
Roosevelt Mr. Hay WAS In entire sym
pnthy with the President In ui tne
trsnsactlons affecting forc,En aTl,'S ini,tni,vc ~
and were proof required II Is III apun
dance in MIR. Hays own diary ana ie'-
ters.
Friend of Great Britain.
Mr. uay was distinctly the FRIEND OIL
Grcat britain and he decidedly distrust-
cd ccrmnny. when the Venezuelan d's-
mute became acute he wrote: 1T Is in
cumbent on all sane men to be very
careful how far they commit themselves
to the support Of one In so disturbed
state Of mind as the President at tn,s
momcnt" lie did not belong TO the
school which taught that the President.
right or wrong. should be followed in
policies affecting other nations. In INC
Boer war. nc huVcd that England NH
, make quick work of Uncle paul. Inc
serious thing he told fehiy Aua
'is the discovcry-now past doupt.tha'
the British have lost all skill In nght,
, ing. and the whole world knows II. ana
IL regulating itself accordingly. IL ~
portcntous fact. altogether deplorabie
IN my opinion: for their infiuehcn on
tho whole made for peace and civiliza-
tIop. II Russia and Germany arranS"
things. the balance is lost for ages. As
| for France. Mr.. Hay entertained doupts.
deriving her to former Secretary OF
state Foster as "Russia's harlot.
As to the Hyphenated.
There were hyphenated citizens In
Mr.. HAYS time He wrote President
| Roosevelt: the prime motive
of every German rnerlcan Is hostility
to every country in the world. including
America. which Is not friendly to Ger
many" OF the Kaiser himself. Mr., Hay
! said Il would rather. ! think. be the
dupc OF China than the chum OF the
kaiser" And he found the German
| Emperor's representative in Washing
ton to be absolutely without initiative.
| and in mortal terror OF his Kaiser"
Mr. Thavcrs scholarship shines
| throug hout his work His discussions OF
| events and men give conference and
symmetry to certain parts of 1t where
there are gaps IN the dlary or intrOduc-
| ton of letters treating OF incidents or
| personages where explanation for the
| reader IL necessary. These are enlight-
cning little essays that adorn the bi-
| ographv.
Biographer True TO Facts.
| Mr.. Thayer has performed the func-
tions Of bioGraphcr with fidelity. He has
omitted nothing from the writings OF
Mr.. Hay because it might detract from
the estimate which has been placed
upon the lattcr's statesmanship. and
wherever possible he has filled In the
| names where Mr.. Hay gave initials
| only. One OF the chief pleasures in
reading the work is derived from the
! confessions of Mr.. Hay to his most init
| mate companions. in which he discussed
| freely men and things width no thought.
! possibly. that what he wrote ever would
be published. r. L. Z.