sharpness of his noncommittal replies,
and his preoccupied air as he emerged from the cabinet room, scented the
trouble and published the following story hours before other
correspondents had their eyes opened to the history-making events
occurring about them:

| =BRYAN BALKS AT GERMAN NOTE= |
| |
|Washington, D. C., June 8.--President Wilson at 1:15|
|this afternoon announced, through Secretary Tumulty,|
|that at the cabinet meeting to-day the note to |
|Germany "was gone over and discussed and put in |
|final shape, and it is hoped that it will go |
|to-morrow," but Secretary of State Bryan is |
|determined to fight for a modification right up to |
|the minute that the note is cabled to Berlin. |
| |
|Bryan believes the United States is on record for |
|arbitration and that it would be a mockery to send |
|Germany a document which, he considers, savors of an|
|ultimatum. Although the majority of the cabinet was |
|against him to-day, he carried his persuasive powers|
|from the cabinet meeting to the University Club, |
|where he and his fellow members had lunch. |
| |
|Bryan's attitude came as a complete surprise to the |
|President. In previous notes Mr. Bryan took the |
|position that the United States should invite |
|arbitration. He called attention to the fact that |
|this country is on record as unalterably opposed to |
|war and pledged to every honorable means to prevent |
|it. |
| |
|But in every instance he has stopped short of any |
|further fight when the note has been approved by the|
|majority of the cabinet. And the President expected |
|that he would do this to-day. In fact, before the |
|cabinet meeting it was stated that the note would |
|have the approval of all members of the cabinet. |
| |
|The first intimation that anything was wrong came |
|when the Secretary did not show up at the executive |
|offices with the other cabinet members. His absence |
|was not