New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-19
DICKSON WHITE:
HIS PUBLIC SERVICES
Snry w. Sacketts Address on Mr. Whites Public
Career at the dwelling of His Statue on the
Campus at Cornell University.

braced practically all the chief men Of
note in the world.
when President Grant asks him to
suspend his work as president of Cor
nell to go as q member Of his COM
mission 20 Santo Domingo he puts
behind him his old opinions, satisfies
himself Of the sincerity and patriotism
of General Grants motives and accepts
the task He rescues the commission
from what might otherwise have been
failure by securing the assistance OF
scientific experts; and opens his mind
to recognize in President Baez the man
of ability and honest purpose, despite
his color and antecedents.
when Andrew d. White went as
minister to Germany, in 1879, it was
his first important independent diplo-
matte mission. But he did not go as
stranger. His life as a student in Ger
many, his frequent visits there as
traveller, his knowledge Of German his
tory and, still more, his acquaintance
with the country's men Of light and
leading, put him almost at once in a
position rightly to interpret America to
Germans and Germans to America.
Then began that close association OF
Mr. White with Baron Won Buelow, the
elder, that aided greatly in handling
the diplomatic problems between the
two countries.
President Harrison as Minister TO Rus
STA. in 1892. and his retention there by
President Cleveland as long as he
would consent to remain, emphasize
strongly the confidence frequently re-
posed i'm him by those whom he had
earnestly opposed. Mr.. White, a Re
publican. had criticised severely the
course Of President Harrison's Repuh-
Ncqn administration in failing, as he
urged. 10 sustain civil service reform.
Mr.. White had opposed Mr.. Cleveland
as the Democratic candidate for the
Presidency. But President Harrison
rendered him the Russian mission with
out a sign that the criticisms had
ranked, and President Cleveland made
il clear that the retention Of the ONCE
Of Minister TO Russia by Mr. White
would put an obligation upon the ad-
ministration rather than upon the
minister
"Nr. Whites ability TO strike at the
root of problems and to persuade
others TO follow him was brilliantly
displaycd when ne was a member, in
1896. Of the Venezuelan Commission,
appointed by President Cleveland. The
eminent lawyers on the commission had
nrotracted discussions of the legal
Questions involved in settling Venez-
uela's boundary line. Dr.. White
finally stopped them by the declaration
that il was an historical rather than a
LEGAL question, and in the end brought
about the selection, as the best his
toricaI expert who could be found TO
aid them, our own well-loved and dis
tinguished Professor Burr, who
quickly. as DR.. White afterward said,
uprayclled historically the whole mys
tery Of the Venezuelan boundary.
I'VE must, however, regard as the
browning work of Dr. Whites public
career his service for his country and
for humanity as Ambassador TO Ger
many from 1897 10 1908, and as chair
man Of the American delegation to
the first Peace Conference at The
Hague, in 1899.
"With what consummate skill did he
steer US through the shoals OF the
Spanish War problems, the tariff prob
lens and other easy causes for guar
rels. ! think / find the best evidence
Of successful diplomacy when ! read
of his genial, hearty intercourse
with Baron Won Buelow, the younger,
the Imperial Minister Of Foreign At
fairs: and that sundry German news
paoers attacked Baron Won Buelow for
Welding too much TO Ambassador
White. and that sundry American
newspapers attacked Ambassador
White for yielding too much TO Baron
Won Buelow
III Ambassador White had accom-
plished nothing else except TO secure
Germanys acquieseence in the open