The evening times., 1900-10-08
ENJOYS TO GO TO CHINA
The Men Who May Represent the
United States.
Seth Low. President of Columbia
College; Gen. j. IL. Wilson. and
Minister CoKger Mentioned as
Probable Peace commissioners.
other Men who Are Available.

appoint q commission 10 represent TINS
| Government in negotiations with the Chi
nese Government, Cabinet officers believe
| that he will do SO shortly, and that Min
| lister Conger, President Seth Low. and
| Gen. ]. H Wilson will be his choice for
| this work If he thinks there should be
| five men in the commission Judge Day and
| Prof John Bassett Moore are mentioned
as likely to be asked to go, although it is
admitted that Judge Day may be excused
/ from such service.
| Minister Conger and General Wilson,
! who are both in Pel1in, would undeubt-
! edly serve. 1t is not SO certain that P'esl
dent Seth Low would be able to go, and
if he should be asked and had to decline
Prof. John Bassett Moore would probably
be appointed in his stead. so that Column
bia University is almost certain TO furnish
one OF the commissioners in the person
either Of her president or of her professor
Of International law.
1t has been suggested that Mr. Oscar
S. Straus, of New York city, who is our
Minister to Turkey but is kept in this
| country to mark our disapproyal of the
Sultan's proc4 estimation in keeping his
promise to pay car claim, might be sent
TO China on this commission because OF
his acknowledged skill in dealing with
hill, Director Of the Bureau of American
| Republics, now On an errand for the Pres
| 1dent in China, is also mentioned as either
q member Or SeETetafT of the commission.
Minister Conger, it is said, has developed
remarkable aptitude for dealing with the
Chinese and his fellow members Of the
Diplomatic Corps in Pekin.
President Seth Low is one OF the men
whom President Mckinley has had in
mind, ever since he was elected. for pub
lie service. Although President Lew has
/ been shifted at always by most of the po-
! lltlcaI leaders as "a scholar in politics. -
/ who gained his national distinction as a
refoFmer and he would never have been
recommended for office by the party or
ganizauon, Mr.. Mckinley. it is said. ap-
preeiated Mr.. Lows value, liked
, him personally, and determined to
make him Minister to Spain at
I The opening of his Administration.
because he thought that was then the most
important diplomatic pest and that Seth
Low would fill it admirably. He hoped
that as Minister TO Spain Mr.. Low might
be able to get what We wanted by diplo-
macy and so avert the war. But Mr Low
did not see his way clear TO accepting this
! mission and President Mckinley had 10
look elsewhere, finally securing Gen. Stew
ART /. Woodford President Mckinley had
other appointments in mind for Mr. Low
making Columbia College. a university
even for time, except to go as one Of
cur representatives in the Peace Confer
ence at The Hague. II the President aD-
points him it will be with the hope that
the opportunity 10 Go memorable work
which viii affect our interests and these
Of all the rest of the world in Asia for
many years TO come, will appeal TO him
like the opportunity to do something to-
ward substituting arbitration for war.
Gen. James H. Wilson, second in COM
mand at Pekin, where he has been deSig-
mated TO remain with the legation guard ''
is in the estimation of his friends. a man
of genius, who, with all his reputation is
not appreciated by his countrymen gen
orally They say he is one of the great
est soldiers and one of the greatest en-
sineers our country has produced Al
though he has lacked opportunity to show
that this is so, they point proudly TO his
brilliant record in the civil war and in the
Spanish war and to the work ne has done
in China and to his achievements as civil
engineer, railroad manager. and author
during the thirty years of peace.
General Wilson has had a most interest
ing life. and is still in the full vigor of all
his powers and keen in the pursuit of his
ends. His grandfather, a splendid pioneer.
left Old Virginia. crossed the Alleghenies
end became one of the founders of Illinois,
and his father was an ensign in the war of
1872 and Captain in the Black Hawk war.
1t was most natural that his son was sent
to West Point, where he was graduated in
1860, just in time to take an important
part in the civil war, distinguishing him
self and winning rapid promotion. He did
not care to remain in the army in the
piping times Of peace. and so resigned in
| 1870 to practice as a civil engineer He
became a railroad manager and for time
a fnancier, going to Europe to negotiate
a loan for Japan. Then for years he was
employed by the War Department on the
engineering work Of the Delaware Break
water. making his residence in Delaware
and coming to be known as a Delawarean.
He was sixty when the Spanish war broke
out, but he promptly volunteered, and was
as promptly accepted for service in the
army.
Prof John Bassett Moore is said to be a
remarkable young man. He came to
Washington from his home in Delaware
when Mr.. Bayard was Secretary of State
under President Cleveland's first Admins
tration. very youthful lawyer, and, OBJ
tanning a small position in the State De-
partment, rose steadily by ability and hard
work to be one OF the Assistant Secreta-
ries of State. Stalwart in body and mind
he had a tremendous appetite for work
and, in addition to performing all his off,
CHI uuLleS, ne Teau enormously the MS
tory Of our diplomacy in the archives and
manuscripts and in the library of the State
Department He also began to write on
the subject. and under 1he auspices and
guidance of Prof. Francis Wharton. of
Philadelphia, whom Secretary Bayard had
brought to the State Department. began to
be known as an authority on international
law and diplomacy. His writings soon
made him reputation in this country and
abroad This led TO his selection as Ham
iltop Fish professor of international law
and diplomacy in Columbia University.
Prof Moore has spent his vacations in re-
search and in writing on his special sub
jects, except when he came, at the urgent
request Of President Mckinley and Sec
Tetary Day, TO be First Assistant Secre-
tary of State, and then to go to Paris as
Secretary Of our Peace Commission
Professor Moore has been reluctant to
take Office, but he could not resist the
invitation of President Mckinley and
Secretary Day. Professor Moore has
spent the most of the past summer in
Washington preparing a new work His
monumental production thus far is the
History and Digest of the Internation-
al ATbitrationS to which the United
States has been a Party, together with
+ Appendices containing Treaties relating
to such Arbitrations, and Historical ard
Legal Notes on other International Ar
bitrations, Ancient and Modern, and on
the Domestic Commissions of the
United States fer the Adjustment OF In
terHational Claims, published in six
large volumes by Congress in 1898.
Judge Day is not robust in health and
would not it is said hy his friends "a re