The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-01-25
THE WAR sECRETARYsHIp.

Of Elihu Root, the retiring Secre-
tary of war. President Roosevelt has
said: HE is the ablest man 1 have
known in our government service.
This eulogium, though strong, was
deserved. Ir. Roots administration
of his high office, when the relative
conditions are considered, was not sur
passed by the great War Secretary
Stanton A New York lawyer, OF
marked ability and learning, with
heavy practice. when he was appointed
Secretary of War, he was hardy
known beyond the limits of his profes-
sion In moderate circumstances, MS
acceptance of the position involved
serious pecuniary sacrifice. Now his
reputation has been permanently fixed
in every part of the globe, and, in the
United States, his position is COM
manding. In the close study and
mastery of details, he has fairly rival
ed Presidents Cleveland, Harrison and
Roosevelt The march of General
Cbaffee to Picking for the relief of the
legations, was the result of his initia-
tive, in which he showed the quallties
of a statesman and a soldier combined
His work in Cuba, which has been
completed, is known and appreciated
among intelligent citizens of all par
ties It is not perhaps common in
formation that he wrote the Platt !
amendment to the treaty with Cuba, |
substantially as it was adopted. In |
The administration of the Philippines, |
his great qualities have been gener-
ally recognized. Perhaps his foremost |
achievement was the organization of /
the General staff for the benefit of the |
army. which was a radical change and
was stoutly resisted, but has already
proved of such remarkable efficiency
that the system may be extended to
the navy.
These are leading points, but vol
ume would not contain the facts which,
taken together, have covered Secre-
tary Roots share in the Administra-
ton with glory. For such a man,
retiring, it was difficult to
find substitute, and President Roose-
welt has displayed a high order of in
telligent discrimination in the selec-
ton of william H. Taft.
Like Mr.. Root, William H. Taft is a
lawyer, who won distinction in his pro-
fession, who was raised to high judi
cfal position, and who surrendered the
change of an appointment to the SUI
preme Court of the United States. in
order to serve his country in the most
difficult administrative situation in
which it has been placed. Mr.. Taft
looks great and he is great. Without
or pretense, American
to the core, his breadth and depth
Of intellect, his rapid compre-
nension of facts, his quick percep-
ion of human nature, his pronptness :
md accuracy of judgment, and his
senialfty of manner, are a combination
seldom paralleled. As a judge he
would have gained renown and passed
INTO history as one of its worthless. /
But it is as an administrator that his
most lasting and most useful success
las been gained. His Philippine ex- ,
,erience was the exact preparation he s
needed for the post to which he has /
low been raised. AS Secretary of
War, he has before him field, not '
altogether new to him, but which will f
ry him to the uttermost. It is a
'afe prediction that he will fill the f
'laee5of Mr.. Root and fully vindicate 8
he perspicacity of the President. +