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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 13f NO. 17
Lincoln, Nebraska, May 2, 1913
Whole Number 641
Justice, a Business Asset of Importance
The New York Tribune baa a Washington
bureau and that "Washington bureau has sent
to its paper, under a Washington headline, a
dispatch attacking the policy of the president
as applied to the state department on the sub
ject of dollar diplomacy. Scare headlines aro
placed over the article as it appears on the
page of the Tribune. Hero they are:
BRYAN'S POLICIES MENACE TO TRADE
His Hostility to Foreign Business Projects in
Which Americans aro Interested
Causing Alarm.
FELT IN LATIN AMERICA
Fear Is expressed by thoso who havo Invested
monoy In tho Iatln-Amcrlcan countries that as
soon as Secretary Bryan's 'attltudo becomes gener
ally understood thcro will enBUo a series of ropu
dlatlons of contract's or similar injuries to Ameri
can property and Investments. They submit that
this Is manifestly unjust to them, bccau&o what
ever may bo tho attltudo of this administration
toward tho futuro investment' of Amorlcan capital
In foreign countries, that which has been Invested
in tho past, and when it was tho policy of tho
government to. protect and foster such Invest
ments. Is deserving of continued protection.
, "Repudiate dollar diplomacy as hard as you
wish. Throw It Into tho deop bluo sea, If you
wish. But don't permit your secretary of stato to
abandon thoso of us who invested our monoy In
.good faith and with tho knowledgo that wo had
tho approbation of tho government at Washington
to our fato at tho hands of theso moro or less
irresponsible and oft-changing governments in
Central and South America," President Wilson's
caller Is reported to havo said, and tho president
heeded his plea.
Tho president, It is contended, will havo to go
further If ho Is to protect Americans who havo
'invested their funds in tho countries to tho south.
Ho will havo to lnduco tho secretary of stato not
to withdraw his moral support of tho rights of
Americans, for it is that moral support which is
usually most effective.
Theso men ask nothing in tho way of conces
sions or guarantees, it Is pointed out, but merely
that It bo mado known that tho United States will
not tolorato injustice or injury to tho property of
Its citizens abroad any moro than it would Injury
'to their lives. It is argued that any other policy
will Jeopardize every dollar of American monoy
invested, and, In addition, wljl greatly detract from
tho rospect In which this country is held in Cen
tral and South America.
Now for the facts t
Tim mnn -who pnllflil m.t fh WhlfA TTnimtn wn
tVSSESra SffiS? coi?wS aSJJrthe vice-president of thrall and ho -called
ior ine express purpue ui luyinjs me ubo uuiuru
the president af tor tho matter had been pre
sented at the state department. He called upon
the president with the approval of tho secretary
of state, and tho secretary of state heard him
after he returned from tho White House. Al
most all the facts in the case were obtained from
this railroad official and they were laid before
the president. Tho president, after fully in
forming himself, rendered a decision, and Mr.
Janes was not recalled until after the decision
was rendered. Neither was the recall recalled.
Mr. Janes sent in his resignation, as asked, and
a new arbitrator will be appointed.
The telegram recalling Mr. Janes stated that
the president had not had occasion to consider
any questions personal to him but that ho was
Tecalled because he did not and under tho cir
cumstances could not meet tho requirements of
the contract between the government of Ecuador
and the American company. The contract pro
vides that In case of dispute the matter In con
troversy shall be settled by a board of arbitra
tion to bo composed of the presidents of tho two
republics or, in case they can not act, of two
persons, one appointed by each president. In
case the arbitrators thus appointed can not
agree, the two presidents are to appoint a third,
and the decision of this boaTd of arbitration will
be final as. to the matter in dispute. The presi
dent believes that America's representative on
tho board of arbitration should be impartial and
unbiased, a man In position to act as a judge
or a juror acts in a court of law in this coun
try. Mr. Janes did not meet the requirements
of such an appointment. For more than a year
he had assisted the railroad official In prepar
ing the case against Ecuador. He was then ap
pointed by the department at the request of the
railroad official, the railroad official being asked
by the department to suggest a person for ar
bitrator. His compensation was fixed by agree
ment between him and the railroad company
and fixed at an amount more than six times
as great as the salary which he was drawing in
the department. Mr. Janes had been trying for
more than three months to secure the co-operation
of the government of Ecuador in the arbi
tration, but tho government had given one ex
cuse after another for refusing to accept hfm
as arbitrator, the real objection being that he
could not be considered unbiased.
Capitalists Who Invested in Foreign Enterprises
in Good Faith Under a Protective Ad
ministration Object to Repudiation.
(From tho Tribune Bureau.)
Then follows this report:
t f
How gravely ,aro American interests1 abroad to
suffer as the result of Secretary Bryan's adminis
tration of tho department of stato? Has the
American cltlzon any rights whatever outside his
own country which tho government should protect?
These questions aro occasioning ,gravo anxiety
'to thoso Americans who, unablo to foresoo the
coming of tho "Little America" policy of thb stato
.department, have invested capital in foreign coun
tries. There is an unsettled fooling in tho com
mercial world, duo td apparent hostility of Secre
tary Brvan toward anv foreicm business project
in which American financlerq aro interested, and
as a
United
hronf fTiffl
junder tho Taft administration encouragement
was given to Americans to develop tho natural
resources of tho Latin-American dountries, for tho
mutual benefit of those countries and tho United
States. As a result there has betin unprecedented
prosperity, and at the same tlmo Airierlcan In
terests havo been protected; but Secretary Bryan's
disapproval of these enterprises threatens to result
in grave loss to Amorlcan investors and to reduce
tho countries concerned to a condition in whiclv
they will bo unable to secure necessary financial
aid to maintain their commercial progress.
Ono instance of. Secretary Bryan's policy toward
American interests in Latin America has como
forcibly to the attention of tho president and has
caused tho Nebraskan not a little embarrassment.
This was. his attempt to recall Henry Janes, who
was dolcgated by President Taft last November to
act as ono of tho arbitrators in a claim dispute
botween tho government of Ecuador and tho
Guayaquil & Quito Railway company, an American
corporation, In accordance with tho provisions of
a contract between the disputants.
Encouraged by tho apparent unfriendliness of
Mr. Bryan to American financial Interests abroad,
tho Ecuador government submitted to tho secre
tary statements regarding tho dispute over tho
claims, which were for transportation and damages
resulting from the revolutions in that country
since 1908, with tho result that Secretary Bryan
promptly decided that the railroad company should
not bo aided in any way by tho department in Its
efforts to collect tho claims. Accordingly, ho In
duced President Wilson to authorize the recall of
Mr. Janes, and the latter was ordered back to
Washington. ,
By a strango coincidence a capitalist who Is In
terested in the railroad called at the White House
soon after Mr. Janes was recalled to pay his re
spects to President Wilson. In their friendly
chat tho president inquired about his caller's busi
ness, not knowing that he was ono of the heaviest
stockholders in tho Guayaquil & Quito Railway
company.
Tho president' friend replied that his railroad
in Ecuador had been having serious trouble with
tho government in connection with tho collection
of certain emihently proper claims, but that a
Mr. Janes, appointed by President Taft, seemed
about to secure an equitable settlement.
It dawned on President Wilson that it was his
friend's interests he had abandoned at tho in
stance of Mr. Bryan, and he immediately directed
tho countermanding of tho order recalling Janes'.
A telegram was sent Instructing Mr. Janes to
remain. . .
Mr. Janes is still at Quito, but Secretary Bryan
is not satisfied with tho situation, it is learned
from an authoritative source. The Ecuadorian
charge d'affaires, knowing that he enjoys tho
sympathy of Mr. Bryan, is bringing every in
fluence to bear to effect tho recall of Mr. Janes,
and appears to bo receiving sortie encouragement
from Mr. Bryan, despite tho president's attitude.
Tho government of Ecuador has appointed Dr.
Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno, president of tho
Ecuadorian senate, to act with Mr. Janes in the
arbitration of tho dispute.
No disinterested citizen of the United States
.will dissent from tho president's decision when
.tho facts aro fully understood. The attempt to
secure arbitration beforo such an arbitrator as
Mr. Janos was and no reflection 1h intended
upon the character or purpose of tho man
haB already caused irritation that Is prejudic
ing Amorlcnn interests in Ecuador.
Tho decision reached by tho president in this
case Is hailed with joy, not only in Ecuador but
throughout Contral and South America because
it Is a promise that tho moral force qf this
government will not be used to compel acquies
cence in mothodB that are ropugnant to our own
principles of jurisprudence.
Now as to tho "monaco" which the Tribune
seems to fear. "Dollar Diplomacy" has not only
menaced American interests In foreign countries,
but it has closed tho door of opportunity to
American capital. It has excluded American
enterprise from a fertile fidld which is tho
natural outlet for American business men. Wo
heard a few years ago of tho importance of con
fidence as an aid to business can thoro bo con
fidence without justice and fair dealing as a
foundation?
Tho harvest is ripe and President Wilson Ig
seeking to extend and enlarge the area of
American activity. Ho has rightly decided that
honesty has a commercial value and that jus
tice is a business asset of importance. Ho ex
pects to maHe the American capitalist favored
'throughout thoso countries which are only par
tially developed and he expects to do it by com
pelling American investors to "bo as honest and
fair abroad as they aro at homo.
Let the New York Tribune state tho facts and
it will not daro to criticise the president's po
sition, for tho president haB taken his stand
upon a truth a truth so self-evident that oven
a partisan newspaper can not challenge Its suc
cessfully beforo its readers,
THE PEACE PROPOSAL
Following aro dispatches to the New York
World: London, April 25. "Secretary of
State Bryan's peaco proposal laid beforo the
diplomatic corps at Washington has all tho sim
plicity characteristic of tho great idea," says the
Evening Standard today, "but whether it is
practical only time can show.
"Tho gravest discredit will bo roflected on
tho European government which does not wel
come tho communication and give It the fullest
and most sympathetic consideration."
FAVORABLE' COMMENT IN ENGLAND
Chicago, April 25. Secretary of Stato Wil
liam J. Bryan, passing through Chicago today
on his way to California, expressed pleasure on
reading a dispatch from London commenting
favorably on his peace proposal laid before the
diplomatic corps. When Mr. Bryan saw the
dispatch ho dropped some parcels he was
carrying and standing in tho station read it
with apparent satisfaction.
"It is a great pleasure that the idea is beinff
well received abroad," ho said.
Tho secretary also read a dispatch from
Buenos Aires, Argentina, approving of this gov
ernment's expressed attitude toward Latin
American countries. "That evidently refers to
the president's attitude toward dollar diplomacy
and to an interview I gave out on the subject at
Washington a few days ago," said Mr. Bryan.
ARGENTINE PAPER COMMENDS
Buenos Aires, April 25. An expression of
tho fullest approval of the attitude of Secretary
of Stato Bryan in connection with tho relations
between the United States and tho Latin-American
nations is published today by La Naclon.
The newspaper considers that President Wil
son has spread confidence and sympathy by
eliminating the causes which were arousing
suspicions of Monroeism, in this way, it says.
he favors commercial expansion.
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