THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
Hi THE IllEILffiiT
3
SHERRILL'S PAN-AMERICANISM
lj jjjj
OMETHING more than a scoro
of years ago Jnracs 0. Dlalno
resigned his position as socro
tary of stato In tho cabtnot of
President Harrison. Ho was
succeeded by Q'on. John W. Fos-
ter. A fow months ano William
J. Bryan resigned his position
tea Bocrotary of stato In tho cabin ot of President
"Wilson. Ho was succeeded by Robert Lansing.
Theso two Btatemonts of fact aro put together
bocauso It may bo Justified by tho human Inter
est which sooma to oxlst In the fact that John
W. Ppster la tho father-in-law of Robert Lansing.
It Ib probablo that no two men more entirely
different In tomporamont and In manifestations
thereof ovor existed than William J. Bryan and
his successor In oltlce, Robort Lansing. Mr.
Bryan waa more or loss Inclined to bo hall fol
low woll met with men. Mr. Lansing has llttlo
of tho hall follow woll mot In him, but never
theless he Is approachable gonial and almost
.without question tho best listener that the stato
dopartmont has had for a great many years.
Now it Is said frequently that tho man who Is
a good llBtener Is more avt to get results than
tho man who is, wo shall not say a good,
but a great talker. Those who know the pres
ent secretary of state say that thoro Ib no chan
nel connecting ono of his oars with the other.
This simply Ib their way of expressing tho fact
that nothing that goos into ono of Mr. Lansing's
oarB finds exit from tho other. Ho holds fast
what ho hears and later ho actB on his knowl
odgo or refusoa to act on it as seems bettor to
his understanding oi tho caso. ,
Ordinarily speaking, persons like to hear
Morios about mon in high positions. It Is prob-'
ably no exaggeration to say that thoro aro a
thousand stories about Mr. Bryan, about Mr.
Knox, about Mr. Root, and about one or an
other of tho prcdecosBoro in office of tho present
Incumbent to ono about tho prosont incumbent
himsolf. When ono aays storlos, of course, he
moans human interest and hurqorouB stories. Mr.
Lansing does not lend hlmBolf readily to the ex
ploitation of fun making. Ho la a gravo man, a
rocoptlve man and therefore not at all an ox
lborant man. His senao of humor, however, la
Jieen and ho enjoys a good story well told and
pnjoya it with an evident, if quiet, showing of
appreciation.
The kind of story they toll about Mr. Lansing
.when a atory Is demanded Ib in charactor some
thing llko that of the man himself, gravo and
dignified, and not possessing the qualities which
mako up tho moro or loss substantial story with
a substratum of humor.
Tor instance, not long ago two ambaaaadora
representing foreign countries, and one high
pfllolal of tho United Statea government, ex
preaaed a doslro for an audience with Mr. Lan-
fing on a certain ThurBday ovening. Mr. Lan
lng aald that ho would bo happy to ice the
gentlemon at almost any othor tlmo, "but on
Thursday ovoning I muat go to church."
Now, Robert Lanaing is a Preabytorlan, and a
good ono. It took real sincerity of purpoae for
p Bocrotary ot state, who la supposed to bo roady
at any houra of the day or night to listen to
he plonlpotontlarloe of forolgn powerB, to say
n effect, "No, atato matters muat wait until
after prayer mooting."
When Mr. Bryan waB Becretary of state he
aw the nowapapor men frequently, and hie inter
jcourao with them was rather of tho free and
QQBy sort bocauso tho Nebraska gentleman was
pnd ia a nowapapor man himself. The corre
spondents, however, did not got any extraor
dinary amount of newa out ot Mr. Bryan desplto
his affability. Mr. Lansing has regular business
paootlngs with tho correspondents, Thero are
tew stories to fly back and forth, few quips of
humor, and thoro la tho usual roticonoe on many
subjects whtoh marks diplomacy, but Mr, Lan
sing, nevertheless, always glvos up a atory, a
nowB Itom ot minor or groater Importance, when
svor it Ib proper for htm ao to do, and, moreover,
ae la a pretty keen judgo ot nowa valuoa despite
tho fact that he la a lawyor and probably does
not know a 4-em dash from a linotype machine.
Borne people say that Mr. Lansing had several
months' training as secretary of state botore he
Look office actually. These are the people who
think that ho did moat ot Mr. Bryan's work.
This probably ia unjust to Mr. Lansing's prode
cessor, but It Is known definitely that tho pros
ont secretary was consultod constantly and con
sistently upon most ot tho matters relating to our
foreign Intercourse, which recently, as everybody
knows, has boon In a stato not only dollcato, but
porllous.
It la pretty definitely known now that when
Mr. Lansing was counselor tor tho Btato depart
ment ho aided tho president materially In writing
tho note to Germany which waa pennod June 9.
It was tho tone ot this uoto which Mr. Bryan
thought was too militant, and it was this note in
a way which caused the Nebraakan to resign his
position as chief of the president's cabinet.
When it io aald that a man Is grave, a good
llisteuor and not overglven to talking, the lui
passion received is perhaps that ho is laoklng
in Interest In what aro called tho human thlng3
of llfo. Robert Lansing la a baseball fan; ho Ib
also a palntor ot no mean ability; ho knows how
to handlo tho rod and roel and can land with
neatness and dispatch a brook trout or a small
mouth bass. Moreover, Mr. LanBlng likes tho
social llfo, and not infrequently ho Is to bo Boon
at dftortvoon affalrB when Btato dopartmont duties
aro not pressing, and still moro frequently at ovo
ning affairs whord, as ono might say, ho looBens
up a bit and talks In a way to draw his auditors
and to hold them.
Oswald Garrison Vlllard has wrltton In tho
Now York Evening Post this llttlo description ot
Mr. Lansing's personal appearance:
"Tho contrast betwoon Mr. Bryan nnd his suc
cessor Is nowhere moro markod than In tholr
porsonalltlos. Mr. Lansing Is a handBome man,
with notably lino oyes and a winning countenanco
that lights up most attractively when ho Is
amused. 'Ho smllos with his oyos as woll as
otherwise,' writes a Washington roportor about
him, and thoro is a keonncBS In tholr exprcEalon
which Indicatoa an ablo and a nlmblo mind. Ho
Ib altogether of gravo and dlgnlflod presenco,
,whlch Ib ouhancod by his promaturoly gray hair
ho Ib only , flfty-ono. Ho Ib woll groomed,
stands up straight nnd looks dlroctly Into tho
oyos of his quostlonors. Usually ho Is wearing
tho black cutaway of statesmanship. You feel
lnstlnctlvoly that ho la man to tlo to, tho kind
which shrewd, Intuitive women would naturally
aook aa a counselor. Indeed, thla titlo which ho
has hitherto, borno In tho stato dopartmont fits
htm like a glbvo,"
In tho paragraph which Ib quoted something Is
said about tho secretary ot stato being p. hand
somo man. Somo Washington rosldonta declaro
that ho Is tho handsomest man In tho cabinet.
Othors do not agreo to this, but all admit that tho
Bocrotary'a way of carrying himsolf Ib all that It
ahould bo. It la porlmps probablo that Mr. Lan
sing knows that ho carrlos himsolf woll. -At any
rata ho alone la responsible for his cnrrlngo,
whllo hla tailor la rosponBlblo in considerable
moasuro for making tho socrptary admittedly
tho bost-drosBOd man In public llfo In Washing
ton. It may bo asked who la, or, rather, who was,
Robort Lansing? Whllo tho unswor Is not to bo
given In a fow words, It Ib probablo that tho
socrotary of atato was comparatively unknown
until ho camo Into prominence lit connection
with our dollcato doallnga with Moxlco and with
tho othor povvors, llttlo and great, which ro
contly havo boon at troublo among thcmsolvoa or
within thomselres, and havo boon directly and In
directly causing troublo to tho United States.
Robort LanBing was born In a small city, Wa-
tortown, In northern Now York, only n fow miles
from tho St. Lawrence river, from tho waters of
which It la probablo that aa a boy ho drew many
a pickerel and baas nnd laid tho foundation of
hla lovo for tho uport which Isaac Walton mado
famous. Ho entered tho stato department as
counselor one year ago last March, succeeding
John Bassott Mooro. For thirty years, that la
anco ho was twenty-one years of age. Mr. Lan
aing has been studying and practicing Interna
tional law. Ho was connected In bohalf of tho
United States with u great many arbitration
cases. He wua this government's assoclato coun
sel In tho fur seal arbitration twenty-two years
ago. and later ho represented tho government
boforo the Boring sea claims coramlS8lon. He
was counsel for tho government In tho Alaska
boundary dispute and ho has served Uncle Sam
In China, Moxlco, Venezuela and at The Hague
In various arbitration matters.
It is said that Robert Lansing slipped easily
and gracefully into tho big chair In the cabinet
room, which atamls at tho right hand of tho
blggor chair which la occupied by Woodrow Wil
son. A good many mon of note havo occupied
tho chair. When a man ceases to bo secretary
of state hlatory Invariably makes an eatlmate ot
him and: of his services. What will tho -verdict
bo concorning Robert Lansing?
Ono thing Is certain, Mr. Lanaing entered upon
hla great olllco duties at a tlmo when it Is pos
slblo for a man to win his spurs or to loao them,
and that quickly. Thoro aro heavy burdens on
tho shouldora of thla present Incumbent of high
cabinet ofllco. When tho corner stone of the
lan-Amorlcnn building waa laid Theodore Roose
volt. then prealdcnt of tho United States, deliv
ered an address In which ho' said that there had
been many great secretaries of state, but that
thoro had boon none greater than EUhu Root.
At tho laying of somo corner atono or at tne
ceremonies attending some other memorablo oc
caslon will It bo Woodrow Wllaon'a part to rlae
to his foot artd say. "Thoro havo been many great
secretaries of stato, but none groater than Rob
ert Lansing?" , ..
In writing this sketch one very important mat
ter came pretty near being overlooked. Robert
Lansing, secrotary of stato. is a poet. Somo peo
ple say that ho is "a wrltor ot oxqulslto verso.
Poetry Is poetry; vorBO Ib either near poetry or
no kin to poetry. Mr. Lansing does not claim
to bo a great poet. It Is probablo that he writes
poetry as a diversion. At any rato, it Is goner
ally conceded that ho is a pretty fair poet, and
that ho also la much moro than a pretty fair
palntor. .
So when tho American people havo a secretary
of stato who can mako other nations Bit up and
pay attention, who can fish, who can play baso
ball, who can dress woll. who can paint, who
can write poetry, and. what is bettor, exceedingly
forcoful prose, ought not tho said American poo
plo to bo satisfied with tho man who has taken
upon himsolf a largo part of tho burdens of
Btato at a tlmo whon thoso burdens aro heavy.
WAS CONSERVATIVE.
His Host By tho way. what do you think ot
tho Moxlcan imbroglio?
Mr. Malaprop To toll tho truth, I llko old
fashioned American fruits tho best. Judgo.
WISE HOBO.
"How la it you alwayB pick out a bachelor to
listen to your hard-luck story?"
"A marrlod man has troubles ot his own usu
ally "Louisville Courlor-Journal.
SELF-CONGRATULATION.
She I suppose you know I camo near marry-,
inr, Tim hnfnra T tnnrrlnil VOU?
Ho Now I- know why ho shakOB hands bo
warmly when wo meot. Juago.
CAME TRUE.
"A fortune teller told mo yostorday that I would
moot with a financial rovorse.
"And did you?"
"Yob; she charged me $2." (
STRICT PARTY MAN.
"Do you promise to lovo, honor and chorl
this woman?"
"Yes," said tho politician, "whatovor tho plat
form is I subscrlbo to It." 1
ONE ON THE COCO.
Golfer (proudly) I play with my head, my
His Rival Yes, I notlco that you aro partial to
wooden clubs.
Charles II. Shorrill, former Amer
ican minister to Argentina, in an ad
dress at Buffalo, mado tho rather
startling assertion that tho time is
ripe for the United States to ask Eu
ropean countries to relinquish posacs
slon of their colonies In tho western
hemisphere. '
"It Is very doubtful if ovor again
tho United States will be In n better
condition to nak favors of Europe
than It is at present," said Mr. Shor
rill, In referring to tho fact that Euro
pean nntions wore seeking financial
assistance In this country as nover
boforo; and ho declared tho United
States owed It to hor sister republics
to ask Europo "to release to tho sov
ereignty of tho peoples themselves
nil colonial territory In tho wostern
hemisphere."
Mr. Sherrlll went so far as to sug
gest that if financial considerations
wore involved tho United States might
meet the cost. Tho speaker did not
mako it entirely clear whether ho would Include Canada In tho bargaining
for Independence, saying only: "Canada can havo her independence when
ever sho likes it, but continues her connection with tho British omplro by her
own volition." Mr. Sherrlll spoko moro particularly of freedom for tho
Gulanas, British Honduras nnd such European colonies.
GERMANY'S "SPHINX"
They call him "The Sphinx" In
Germany that quiet, unassuming man
with tho square" Jaw and the clear
blue, penetrating eyes, who next to
Field Marshal von Hlndonburg is the
most popular military leader In Ger
many today. Like Von Hfndcnburg,
Lieut. Gen. August von Mackcnsen waa
practically unknown oven In Germany
until he penetrated the iron ring of
tho Russian forces around Lodz early
in January and achieved victories over
superior Russian forccB at Lowfcz and
Wloclawek. His recent victories In Ga
llcia havo won for him tho Iron Cross
of the first and second class and the
elevation to tho highest distinction in
tho German army tho titlo of field
marshal.
Von Mackcnsen was born on De
cember G, 1819, being tho second son
of a "country gentleman" in Merseburg,
Saxony. His father intended to make
lawyer out of him. Ho graduated
.from the gymnasium in Hallo and then
attended tho University of Berlin. In the fall of 18G9 ho entered the Second
regiment of tho Berliner "Lolbhusaron," the favorite cavalry regiment of the
kaiser, to serve his one year of compulsory military service.
When war between Germany and Franco broke out in 1870 young Mack
cnsen was sent to the front as a private. A few weeks afterward ho dis
tinguished himself in battle and was promoted to a lieutenancy. During tho
famous charge of the Prussian and Saxon cavalry nt Mars-la-Tour, Lieuten
ant von Mackensen's bravery was brought to tho notice of Emperor William
I. who rowarddd him with tho Order of tho Red Eagle and promoted him to
a captaincy. Boforo tho war was ovor ho had been made colonel of tho regi
ment in which ho had been a prlvnte.
Von Mackcnsen ia a deep thinker. Ho invariably maps out a phaso of tho
campaign, and plans every detail and overy move in tho quiet of his tent.'
WEEKS FOR CHEAP POSTAGE
Planning to aid legitimate busi
ness to throw oft tho depressing ef
fects of tho European war, Senator
John W. Weeks of Massachusetts, an
aspiring candidato for tho Republican
presidential nomination, has proposed
the reduction of postage on letters in
tended for local delivery from two
cents to ono cent Tho reduction,
tho senator believes, would be espe
cially advantageous to all lines of
local business.
For many years tho Benator was
chairmen of tho houso committee on
post offices and post roads. Ho Is at
present a leading member of tho cor
responding committoo of tho senate.
"Aside from business created by
tho demands of tho European war and
business concerning tho manufacture
of some specialties like automobiles,"
said Senator WeekB, "tho United
States is not In a prosperous condi
tion. Without the war business this
country would undoubtedly bo In a
condition of great cpmmorclal depression. Wo should adopt a legislative
courso encouraging business without detriment to tho Individual.
"Cheaper postage on local delivery letters would aid small and largo busl
nessos allko. Thla alone would amply Juatlfy tho government In taking tho
atop. And In all other ways tho government should bo helpful in business
affairs, not coercive and repressive."
CZARINA CURED BY THE WAR
It is no secret that tho mind of
tho czarina of Ruaala has been seri
ously affected for many yoar8 past.
Sho was subject to a marked form of
melancholia, with other mental peculi
arities. Physicians who had examined
her feared that sho was drifting into
hopoless insanity.
And now, mlraclo of miracles!
Hor mental sickness has been com
pletely cured by tho war. That which
haa brought Buch unspeakable woe
and mUery to millions of peoplo has
brought relief to tho onco unhappy
czarina.
It is tho sorlous hard work she
has been doing as a war nurso that
has benollted tho czarina's mind.
Coming into close contact with pain
and grim reality, with human patience
and human weakness has lifted hor out
of hor llfo of morbid Bolf-concentra-tloh
and exaggerated terrors, and
made her a normal human being.
Tho czarina has gonp Into war
nursing In a most sorlous and efficient manner. Sho has established a
pltal of her own, known aa "tho Court hospital," at Tsarskoe Selo,
village whoro tho famous summer paiaco ot tho czar ia Bltuatod
Loathe
