Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-07-13
Washington Letter.
(FRoM OUR REG ULAR CORRESPONDENT.
Washington, July 8, 1905.

(FROM OUR REG ULAR CORRESPoNDhNfJ
Washington, July 8, 1905.
The appointment Of Elihu Root as
Secretary of State and his acceptance Of
that responsible Office will prove graf
ification 70 all loyal Americans. Or
all the men suggested for the high Of
fee made vacant by the death of John
Hay, no one is more capable of perform
ing with honor and success the delicate
duties which must devolve upon the
minister of foreign affairs, more now
than ever before, since the United
States has become world power. That
the President, having lost his close
friend and advisor. John Hay, should
naturally have turned to his even closer
friend and constant counsellor, Elihu
Root, is entirely natural although there
are many who believed that Mr.. Root
could not be induced to accept another
place at the cabinet table.
Mr. Roots selection has served to re.
call yividly the magnificent work which
az Secretary of War he performed. To
him more than any other man is due
the credit of having reorganized the
army, established the general staff and
of having conceived and put into oper-
alton system of mental training for
all army officers which promises to
make the United States army officers
the best educated class of military men
in the world. Second only to the great
work which Mr.. Root accomplished for
the army was his wise supervision over
Cuban affairs which so materially as
sisted that young republic to get fair
start, and to the former Secretary OF
War was largely due. no doubt, the
final removal of every American soldier
from Cuban soil. Outside of the i'm
mediate concerns of the department
over which he presided, Secretary Root
rendered Invaluable assistance as an ar
bltratcr of the Alaskan Boundary die
pute with Great Britain and finally, in
manner unknown to the. public, he
rendered exceptionally valuable service
as the personal adyisor of the President,
exercising a potent influence in the
Presidents cabinet.
The calm judicial temperament of
Elihu Root is such as to constitute him
pal ticularly valuable ADVISOR for the
President whose chief fault is to act too
quickly after arriving at conclusion.
Mr.. Roosevelt's conyictons are 80 often
accurate that it is difficult for him to
realize that occasionally he may err,
but Elihu Root has calm, dispassion.
ate manner of expressing himself which
has proved peculiarly sedatiye to the
President in the past and will doubtless
continue to do so in the future.
The small taste of diplomatic work
enjoyed by Secretary Root when, as
Secretary OF War, he acted in assocla.
ton with Secretary Hay to relieve the
diplomats imprisoned by the Boxers at
Pekin. and later when he acted as mem.
beers of the Alaskan Boundary tribunal,
gave him desire to do further work of
a. like character and he naturally ex-
poets that his work as Secretary OF
State will prove even more congenial
than did his experience as Secretary Of
War. 1t is amusing to note the coll
sternation which the announcement of
Mr.. Roots selection has created among
the men destined to be his subordinates.
The State Department has been the
acme of fossilization and dilatory per-
Torrance of duty. But Mr. Roots in
Tolerance of fossils and of anything
short of earnest and capable work is
well known to the men in the State
Department and they make no attempt
to conceal the fact that they apprehend
a fearful shaking up Of dry bones
once the new Secretary takes hold.
There is no department of the govern
ment so greatly in need of overhauling
or carrying so much dead wood; and
everyone familiar with the facts other
than the employees who are likely to
suffer. regard the coming of the ener-
getic New York lawyer as precisely
what the State Department stands most
in need of.
Joseph L. Bristow former Fourth AS
ssfant Postmaster General, now special
Panama Railroad commissioner, has
submitted his report to the Secretary