Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-01-03
PRESENT ADMINISTRATION PLAY
ING FAST AND LOOSE With
GENERAL PUBLIC.
CRISES MADE TO APPEAR
FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES
No Question Has Yet Arisen Which
Threatened Relations Of United
States With Foreign Nations, Close
Observers in Washington Declare
Diplomatic Deception at Home.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, Jan. S.-One who lies
abroad for his country is the old ana
reliable definition Of the diplomat.
Were this definition to be brought
down to date and adjusted to the needs
of the Wilson administration, it would
probably be changed to read, "A dipio-
mat is one who lies at home for his
country" Such, at least, is the view
of many observers in Washington VINO
have no particular partisan bias TO-
wards the administration but VINO are
not at all satisfied with the way IN
which the administration is handling
the very delicate and often dangerous
matters which are daily arising In It's
relations with other governments. FER
haps the word lie" altho used IN the
double sense, is too strong term. But
If the administrations diplomats are
not actually deceiving the puoiic ABOUT
the situation, they have been. IN more
than one concrete instance, giving our
impressions which do not jibe with the
facts.
Ever since the tense days OF the
Lusitania incident and the subsequent
victory" for the administration in Sc
curing a promise from Germany TO 90
nothing except what she had already
been doing. those who have been FOL
lowing the work of the state depart
meut have detected tendency OF inr
part of the administration TO make out
TO the public that a crisis is at hand
which can only be averted by the
wisest kind Of craftsmanship. A little
study OF each situation. as it comes
~ chr
administration Is, to use Mr.. Bryans
famous and indiscreet expression,
talking for home consumption" while
in the secret negotiations with the rep
resentatives OF the European nations
It Is quite calm and collected and
shows no fear Of terrible consequences
of any kind. In other words. accord
ing TO this analysis of the situation,
the administration Is 'bluffing and
leading the American people to believe
things which are not SO.
The Arabic Furry.
When the Arabic went down, there
was another Lushania furry in Wash
ington and in the country. This was
very natural because the sinking OF
the Arabic followed closely the final
statements of the Lusitania snegotia-
tons and for the moment 1t looked as
II Germany was dramatically and
brutality retorting TO the American
protests. The administration looked
grave. The German ambassador con-
ferred with the secretary of state ana
with his government. The secretary OF
state called on the president. and the
administration looked still graver- II
was intinated by Secretary Tumulty
that for the first time in many months
the president was losing sleep, and this
item added fuel to the flame and made
the crisis seem more critical than ever.
Patched Up Out Of Court.
Meanwhile, during days and nights
of heat SO Sitting that every one in
Washington was losing sleep, the Ger.
man ambassador and the American
secretary OF state came to practical
/ understanding about the Arabic case
settled the thing out OF court, so To
speak, concluded informally the nego-
| tiations, cleared up the difficulties. But
| in spite of this fact officials of the adj
ministration continued TO give the i'm
preston to the country and to the
| world that were on the verge Of a
split with Germany. They gave this
| impression by what they said, by what
! they refrained from saying, and by
| their grave, wise. diplomatic looks.
Probably everywhere in the United
| States where the news of this crisis.
thus inspired, was being published, the
| citizens actually thought that there
/ was IL crisis, but in Washington there
was unusual calm and quiet-no ex-
/ citement, no feeling of tension, no feel
| ing that the relations between this
| country and Germany were about to be
| broken off. Yet at this time no one
rose up in his seat to correct the wrong
| impression. The public continued to
| be fooled until the administration was
ready to announce, what had hap
/ pened long before, that Germany had
| yielded. BY the simple device of with
/ holding the news, it had been able t.
! magnify negotiations of practically .
| routine character into a diplomatic
! triumph of the first order.
diplomacy" in Ancona Case.
Another very clear Illustration of the
! administrations diplomatic character
/ Is to be found in the Ancona note. Here
/ again the administration allowed the
| impression to go forth that a terrible
| crisis was on, all the while the adj
ministratien was quietly saying that
! there was no crisis.
/ On the It'll of December the Ancona
note, so called, was despatched to
i Austria It had been written and
4 ready to go several days before. It was