The Washington times., 1915-03-22
COUNSELOR LANSING
. IS MAN OF THE HOUR
Heavy Load Of Responsibility
Falls on Real DipIomatist Of
State Department.
BY JOHN SNURE.


The jmperturbabIe Robert Lansing,
counselor for the State Department. ID
an official on whose shoulders in these
troubled days rests heavy load o. re-
sronsibility.
1t Is no secret to any OF those familiar
with the foreign affairs of the United
States that President Wilson Is taking
a large hand In the conduct of these al
fairs. It has been said with basis that
the President Is, in large measure, his
own State Department.
@. But while this Is true. it also Is true
that on the counselor there devolves a
burden such as not many officials Woulo
b. willing to assume. The International
sky since last July has been not only a
stormy one for the belligerents of Eu-
rope, but it has also been cloudy Tor the
United States.
The longer the war in Europe goes on
the more troublesome and complicated
become the questions affecting the COM
merce and interests of neutrals. The
recent war zone'' decree of Berlin and
the British order in council for block
ade of German commerce illustrate this
fact.
Mexico Troublesome.
And, as If the complications caused
by the war in Europe were not enough,
the Mexican tangle is as serious as
ever. Nobody knows when the situation
there will force the United States to
take drastic measures.
Then, asaln, there has been tre-
mendons deNland that this country take
advantage of the opportunity presented
by the war and expand trade; that IL
make itself the foremost commercial
nation of the world at a time when
other leading powers are hampered oy
war.
Added to these. there Is the cloud
looming up in the far eastern sky. The
grave nature of the complications
threatened by the Japanese demands on
China is just beginning to be generally
appreciated.
Unframed in the ways of diplomacy
and unfamiliar with foreign affairs.
Secretary Bryan himself cannot deal
with the extremely important problems
constantly arising to perplex the State
Department, except In most general
fashion. 1t is not as it used to be In
the days when Root or John Hay or
Richard Olney was the head of the de-
partment
Formerly. in tho State Department.
when the Secretary of State was absent
the First Assistant Secretary took ac-
tive charge. But that Is no longer the
arrangement
Counselor Takes Place.
The counselor is the man who acts
in all important matters when the
Secretary Is absent. He then becomes
the acting head OF the department
And. In practice, the real burden OF
handling complicated matters. the
preparation of important papers and
correspondence and the like, fall on
him.
President Wilson relies much on
Mr.. Lansing. Ambassadors and min
listers see him frequently on the most
important missions. He is called to
the White House at times for con-
ferences of moment
When John Bassett Moore took the
place Of counselor IL was the expec.
tation that he would be the. actual
though not the nominal head of the
State Department. But he found the
conditions unsatisfactory and uncon-
genial and did not remain. Mr.. Ian
sing. according to all outward indica-
tions. gets along in the office more
authority on international matters
though Mr.. Moore is. Meantime. the
assistant secretaries are largely in
the background.
Nobody questions the fact that Mr.
Lansing is an expert in international
law and an authority on diplomatic
matters. Besides this, he has the
faculty of keeping his poise and not
losing his head. He takes the oner-
Gus duties of his place coolIy and
calmly, gets grilled by newspaper
men daily. and. II he is ever ruffled
that the most important notes to the
foreign powers these days are vised
and sometimes modified by the White
House. the President may be said to
shape them. but their original prep
aration il the work of Mr.. Lansing
This is well understood in Congress
sional circles where without respect
to party he stands WELL