New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
MIR. BRYAN Does the Expected.

ouence Of the Presidents course in recent
months. He has endeayored 10 please the
pacifst and satisfy the American demand
for proper defence He has carried water
on both shoulders, and one Of the buckets
has upset. Is it improbable that the other
will capsize in its turn?
All through the long months since the
Mexican crisis first called for leadership
the Pres. dent has balanced, compromised,
straddled In Mexico he would neither let
we'll enough alone nor yet having inter
vened, pursue a course consistent with his
first actions.
In the Mexican affair, In the German
affair. there was needed a strong man
with a clear vision and courageous
spirit The country asked for a leader,
ard 49, demand was met by such weak
words as I'VE are in Mexico 10 serve man
kind. if we can find way" A way not
being found. having killed Mexicans and
sacrificed American lives, we scutted out
On the morning Of the Lusitania a
whole people asked the President for
firm. strong patriotic word, a guarantee,
not of turbulence but of determination.
Instead Of this while the ink was not dry
on his "omit no word or act note. Mr.
Wilson went to Philadelphia and told Ger
,aYy that his own countrymen were too
proud TO fight"
The weak man who temporizes in the
hope of pleasing all infallibly ends by in
censing all. Mr.. Wilson's experience is no
exception to the rule. He has disguised
the Americans who hold national honor
and national self-respect to be worth main
tanning at any cost But he has equally
failed TO satisfy the Communications,
who found his wavering equally distaste-
full and his complaisance in the face Of
German outrage too slight.
No one has the smallest sympathy for
Bryan. II the President had never put
him in a place for which he was grossly
unfit his voice would be received with
derision now. But the President made
him Secretary of State. He retained him
when the intimation conveyed to Dumba
by Bryan resulted in the utter ruin Of our
foreign policy and the disgrace of our ma
ton in the eyes Of the world.
A year ago Mr.. Wilson still believed
that a majority of his fellow countrymen
opposed national preparation, and he
wrote message TO Congress demolishing
Secretary Garrisons modest programme.
Now. believing the popular mind has
changed, he changes, too, but his change
is marked by familiar hesitations. We are
to have an army for defence not war
but how, except in war can the army de-
fend US?
All this is mere word chopping. 1t is
trimming the sails TO all the winds. 1t is
"watchful waiting" in a new form. Above
all it is not strong, brave or convincing
leadership. 1t is measuring national de-
fence in desire TO catch just the right
degree to satisfy the country without Of
Tending those who honestly oppose national
armament
Mr.. Bryans revolt was inevitable. A
selfish. sef-seeking, discredited politician,
always hunting for some new para
mount issue to give Bryan passing pub
lcity, Mr.. Bryan has been recognized for
many years at his true value by all save
Mr.. Wilson and his advisers.
But Mr.. Wilson did not dare one year or
two years ago TO break with Bryan. On
the contrary, he permitted Bryan TO fill the
State Department, the diplomatic and con-
sular services with deserving Demo
Gratis" whose deserving consisted in hav-
ing followed Bryan from defeat TO defeat
He gave Bryan the patronage TO make
him strong, and he openly and unmistaka-
bly, established the fact that he feared
Bryan too much politically 10 have any
but close personal as well as political rela-
tons with him.
All this is regrettable for the nation
since it endangers for another year the
\ possibility of beginning of the work OF
national defence. Instead Of facing q ma
tional and international crisis, we shall
have a Democratic administration, over
taken by party split, trying in every con-
ceivable fashion and at the cost or any
compromise TO mend its fences and reunite
its forces against the coming election.
Never in our long political history
which has many interesting lessons, has
the failure of the policy of compromise
been more perfectly illustrated than ir
Mr.. Wilson'S case. He has never beer
able TO make up his mind on any public
question. He has hestated taken one
side and then the other followed the
winds and the tides; opportunity after op-
portunity has come and gone, opportunity
which il taken would have made Mr.. Will
son a great President But not once has
he been able TO meet opportunity squarely
or master IT,
II Is only few years ago that Mr.. Will
-. R...n.. int 2.