The Indianapolis journal., 1896-02-11
QUICK WORK BY SENATOR'S.
UhFs Nomination Confirmed Without
DeIny-ROCkhfIl Promoted.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.-The President
to-day nominated Edwin f. Uhl, of Michi-
gan, Assistant Secretary Of State, to be
ambassador extraordinary and plentipoten-
tiary of the United States TO Germany,
and the nomination was confirmed by the
Senate in little more than an hour after
il had been received. The nomination was
not formally referred to the committee
foreign relations, to which, under or
dinary circumstances ii would have been
sent, but the committee was canyassed on
the floor of the Senate and no opposition
being developed it was decided to confirm
it mnlediately. This action was taken in
conformity with the wish OF the State De-
partment, where it is considered important
that Mr.. Uhl shall reach his destination
at as an early a day as practicable.
Mr.. William Rockhill, the Third Assistant
Secretary of State, will be nominated to I'll
the office of First Assistant Secretary,
vacated by Mr.. Uhl. 1t is probable that
Mr.. Rockhill's place will in turn be filled
by promotion of some person in the
State Department. This may be either Mr..
Dridler. chief of the Diplomatic Bureau,
or Edward Renick, chief Clerk Of the de-
we'll fitted for the post, in view of the
functions that will hereafter devolve upon
the First Assistant Secretary, for It is
understood to be the intention of Secretart
Olney to restore the office TO what 1t was
before Mr.. Quincy assumed control, and
undertook the selection of United States
consular officers. thereby making the Office
Itself more or less of a political position.
Hereafter, Mr.. Rockhill will have nothing
to do with the filling of any political places,
but his functions will be confined 10 the
discharge of duties pertaining entirely 10
the consular service, retaining also his d.
rection of diplomatic matters relating TO
ASia nfrin 9th f-.lnr 10
matters will be divided between the re-
naming assistant secretaries, subject to
the supervision of Secretary OIney himself.
Mr.. Rockhil is well trained in both the
diplomatic and consular branches of the
service. He was appointed second secre-
tary CT legation al Peking in 1884 and
within a year BECAME first secretary there
In 1886 he was transferred to Corea and for
a year was charge daffairs ad interim
at Seoul, the capital. The knowledge he
gained of the peculiarities of the Asiatic
race and It's methods during his service
in these countries was of great value to the
State Department during the troublous
times of the war between China and Japan
involving as ii did all three countries, for
the struggle really began in Coera. While
in China, Mr.. Rockhill made a personal
exploration OF the distant interior of Thi-
bet. and the results of his journey through
this strange country as set out In his re-
tracted much attention in the scientific
world. When Mr.. Rockhill returned to
the United States he was made chief clerk
of the, Department of State and while in
that place also acted as the representative
or the department on the government board
OF control at the worlds fair. In 1894 he
was appointed Third Assistant Secretary of
state TO succeed Mr.. Strobel, who had been
| appointed United States Minister TO Ecua-
DOR and has occupied the office until this