Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-25

negative light. He mentions the sug.
gested "trade' through which Wilson
was to have free hand in dealing
with Mexico, only to reject that ex-
plnnation. Commenting on the CORE.
Spondence, with possible reference to
some yet to be published, Burton j.
Hcndrick. the author Of the aitlcle,
writes:
Congress accepted the Presidents
statement trustfully and blindly and
passed the asked for legislation. Up to
the present moment this passage in the
presidential message has been unex-
plained. Pages papers. however, dis
close what seems 20 be eatiefac tory
solution to the mystery, and they sug.
est that this question of greater deli
acy' was not unrelated to the colossal
tragedy which was at that moment
overhanging Europe and the world"
As the letters pass from serious dis
cussion of the tolls question, which will
again assume front page attention in
q tober, much zestful material is found
y the free and easy manner in which
Ambassador Page wrote Of his immedi-
ute official superior, William Jennings
Bryan, then Secretary of State.
As an example of the lack Of disci-
wine in the Diplomatic Service, Mr..
Pages caustic comment on Mr.. Bryan
might serve as q charge against him
self, where it not for the remarkable
example Of diplomatic disorder set by
Mr.. Bryan himself.
Writing to my Dear House" in
1914, Mr.. Page dlscoursed on Mr..
Bryan as follows: ,.
"Now, another matter with which !
shall not bother the President--he has
/ opnnUb IN haor ~, that ocnra MN Z
| announced in one Of the London papers
the other day that Mr.. Bryan would de.
/ liver lecture here, and probably In
each of the principal European capitals,
on peace. Now, God restrain me from
saying, much more from doing, any
thing rash. But IL I've got to 60 home
at all, I'd rather go before he comes
: It'll take years for the American Am
bassadors to recover what they'll lose
IL he carries out this plan. They now
laugh at him here. Only the Presi
dents great personality saves the situa
tion in foreign relations"
Utterly Unorganized"
The Page letter proceeded to tell how
utterly unorganized' the State De-
partment was under the Bryan control
Letters and cablegrams on most impor
tant subjects remained unanswered. In.
stead would come a letter of introduc
tion from Mr.. Bryan in behalf of some
nobody" Among the Bryan "bat
breaks" of this nature, Mr.. Page tolc
Of letter from Mr.. Bryan borne by ,
Mr.. Stewart of the 100 Years Peac,
Committee, to the Prime Minister o.
England. Mr.. Page. as Ambassador t.
Great Britain, was entirely overlooked
in the matter.
Gas for the personal indignity to me
l overlook that" Mr.. Page wrote t,
Colonel House. "But If he doesn'
mean it, what does he mean? That
what the Prime Minister asks of him
self. Fortunately, Mr.. Asquith and
get along nightly well. He met Bryan
once, and he told me with a smile tha
he regarded him as a peculiar produc
of your country But the Secretary |
always doing things like this. II
dashes off letters of introduction to Mr.
Asquith, Mr.. Lloyd George, etc.
''In the United States we know Mr.
Bryan. We know his good points, hi
good services, his good intentions. w
not only tolerate him; we like him
But when he comes here as the Ameri
can Prime Minister by, John
All that we've tried to do to gain re
spect for our Government (as they re
spect our great Nation) will disappea
in one day.