The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-01-26
HUMAN !!
William A. Du Puy'

An interesting light is thrown on the genesis
Of cabinet portfolios by the story of the manner
in which Edwin T. Meredith became secretary OF
agriculture.
George Creel went to attend a convention or
advertising men. and Mr.. Meredith. who was the
editor Of a farm paper in Iowa. was there ana
made a speech. This speech made a great i'm
preston on the then head OF the Governments
Bureau of Information.
So Creel told President Wilson about this man
Meredith and the sort of gospel he preached. The
President asked that the publisher be brought
to see him. They had long talk about the De-
partment Of Agriculture. Meredith thought the
important thing was to "sell' the department to
the people, to create an enthusiasm among them
for the support of the department and for max
ing Of it's findings.
1t was upon this representation that the editor
to Washington when Mr.. Houston was
transferred to the Treasury Department. He has
been primarily a propagsndaist for better APP
probation of this branch of Government which
is not administrative at ALL but creative
In the days Of william Howard Taft it came
to pass that Charles r. Crane, a wealthy and
public spirited gentleman of Chicago was ap-
pointed minister to China and packed the fam
lily trunks and started on the journey to that
faraway post.
ever, some element in the situation had mys-
teriously changed and his journey came to an
end right there by the Golden Gate and he turn
ed around and went back to Chicago.
1t was generally considered that the brevity OF
his diplomatic service was a disappointment 10
Mr.. Crane 1t longer necessary that he
hould keep his hand on the machine that mint
ed the coin for the maintenance of the Crane
family. He wanted to interest himself in the
sweep of events that were worldwide.
- 1t would not have been unnatural that Mr..
Crane should have felt discouraged about the
idea Of making diplomacy a sort of supplement
tary career for himself and family. But one lost
battle is not lost campaign, as can be attested
by Messrs. Foch, Napoleon, Washington and
others.
Mr. Crane, 1t developed, was a classmate OF
certain college professor, who later came into
national prominence and had much to do with
the handling of the financial end of that gentle
mans campaign. Later he travelled about the
world and interested himself in things interna-
tional and bided his time Finally there came
to him a invitation to become ambassador to
Russia, which invitation he declined, thereby
proving that he was fairly "choosy."
But in the situation in which the Crane family
today finds itself with relation to diplomacy,
there may be satisfaction for those who have
met with political DISAPPOINTMENT. Today MT
Crane, the senior, is minister to China, thus
cupying the post for which he started in 1902
At the same time Richard Crane, his son, is min
lister from the United states to Czecho -Slovaka,
where he has bought himself an ancient castle
from which to spread the American influence
in the formative central European region. Thus
does the Crane family register Itself rather
prominently in diplomacy despite early tribu-
Copyright, 1921 by Public Ledger Coz