The age-herald., 1899-07-25
ELIHU ROOT, NEW
 SECRETARY OF WAR He is an Unknown Quality il the
 Nations Capital. AlGER WAS UNFORTUNATE Was in Command and Made Trouble for
 the Administration. PRESIDENT MEDDLED TOO MUCH Most Interesting Official in the Cabinet is Attorney General Griggs, Who
 Is Admired and Respected
 by All Who Know Him
 
ALGER WAS UNFORTUNATE
PRESIDENT MEDDLED TOO MUCH

Washington, July 4.-(Special) )-The new secretary of war is an unknown quantity here in Washington, except to few who knew him purely in personal way. There is a great deal of interest in his appoint ment at the war department, and the heads of bureaus and chiefs generally there are wondering what sort of man he is and what kind of secretary he will prove.
 As a rule civilian secretaries, or rather those who have seen no military service, are popular in the army, for they are forced to rely largely upon the heads of the army for the management of the army. Unfor- tunatey for Secretary Alger he had been in command himself and thought he knew all there was to know about army matters, and in consequence he precipitated trouble for his administration in it's incpiency by ignoring General Miles and to a large ex- tent supplanting him as the general com manding. A secretary who knows too much, or in fact anything about the army, its maintenance and its discipline is apt to pay too much attention to the details in these branches and ignore the greater questions which are constantly coming up for his supervision.
 President Meddled Too Much
 The president recognized this trouble or fault in Secretary Alger, indeed the presi- dent himself has meddled too much, possi- by, with the organization of the army be- cause he had had experience in the war of the confederacy and thought he knew all there was to be known in the mobilization of an army. Over in the war department the picture of Dan Lamont is often pointed to by army officers with the accompanying remark, There was a secretary of war for you" Yet no one knew less about army affairs than Dan Lamont. He busied himself about matters that appertained to the good of the general organization, leav- ing the trivial details, such as assignments and make up of regiments, to subordinates under him.
 Elihu Root knows about as little of army life and army affairs as did Secretary La mont. Yet he brings to the department keen, unbiased intellect, one used to grap- bling with great law problems and with breadth of mind capable of experiencing the greater questions involved in military ism and questions relating to general war fare and treatment of colonies under mili- tary rule and discipline.
 It is the exception when great army officer makes great ruler or governor or military law-giver. They know nothing of compromises, or laW-makfng; of questions which must be answered without the use of the gun and sword As lieutenants they are accustomed to obey orders from cap- tains, and likewise to brook no response from an inferior. So that when they are raised to positions of power they know no law save their own arbitrary orders. The president himself sees wherein his adminis- tration has failed in this respect and as soon as it became known that Secretary Alger was going to resign the president announced his determination to appoint a lawyer and not a soldier to succeed hin. For this reason he passed by the claims of General Wilson and General Greene and chose the New York lawyer.
 Can Manage Their Own Branches
 Under the administration of Secretary Root the army officers at the head of the line and the staff will be permitted to man. age their own branches. Adjutant General Corbtn. Who is possibly one of the greatest executive staff officers this eountry has ever had, will be allowed hndisputed con-