Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-20

sity. now George Washington University.
but did not complete the course. leaving to
AXE UP the study of law. He was engaged
in his law studies when the Spanish war
left Cuba and the Philippines under the
care of the United States. Mr.. Shuster was
appointed to a position In the Cuban Gus
toms service under Gen. Tasker H. Bliss.
and so we'll did he perform the difficult
duties allotted to him that he was rapidly
promoted until he was chief clerk of the
Cuban customs and second in command to
the collector himself. Gen. Bliss regarded
Mr.. Shuster as his most valuable assistant.
and when 1t became necessary to send some
one to the Philippines to administer the
duties of collector of customs under the
civil government Shuster was recommend
ed for the place. Mr.. Shuster came to the
philippines better equipped for the work
than any other civil official, except, per-
maps, Mr.. Ferguson. He knew the Spanish
language perfectly. through his long resi-
oence In Cuba. and he was able to deal al
rectiy with the people with whom his office
dld business at the very beginning Of his
service. 1t Is not too much to say that
this one thing did more to make Mr. Shus-
ter popular with the Spanish and Filipino
DONE
He Is regarded by all the native and Span
isn element as their friend, and they give
MN their confidence, a thing very few iOr
the government officials have. II the mat
Ter or the selection of a commissioner we're
Shuster would poll almost the sold vote of
the business men of Manila, irrespe ctfve Of
race or nationality. Yet in the administra-
tion or the difficult duties OF his office he
ma mas mad many disagreeable experiences. not
the least of which has been the abuse that
mas been heaped upon him and his office by
persons and publications who had little
knowledge of the customs service or its OBJ
1ects. He has triumphed over this. even
and now some of the people who abused
MIN the most at the beginning of his work
here are his best friends. He Is regarded
as certain to be member of the Philip
pines commission eventually. and is be-
lieved to be the strongest candidate for
Judge Ide's place as commissioner.
Rise Of Arthur W. Ferguson.
To those who know Arthur Walsh Fergus
son no explanation need be given Of the Sc
cret Of his success here. Mr.. FERGUSON is
always looked upon as Washington man,
a Georgetown man. 1t might be added. The
fact that he Is a native of California comes
as startling surprise even to people who
believe they have known him all his life.
But 1t Is fact, nevertheless. He was born
at Benicia less than fifty years ago. and
for eight years lived in Mexico. Spanish
is, therefore, the language of his childhood
and probably the one he knew better than
any or the seven or eight other tongues he
speaks so f1uently before he came to Wash
tngton to study law at the Georgetown Uni
versity. He owned and published a weekly
newspaper In Benicia for three years after
leaving college, and then came to Washing
ton as the official interpreter for, the first
pan-American congress. He has claimed
the District as his home ever since, and has
been the interpreter of many special
commissions, conferences, congresses, etc..
that a list Of them would simply synopsize
the foreign relations Of the United States
Tor the past twenty years. He gained his
greatest prominence, perhaps, as the secre-
tary of the peace commission, which met in
Paris in 1898 and concluded the treaty of
peace between the United States and Spain.
He came to the Philippines with the first
commission as an interpreter and was made
Spanish secretary of the commission In 1900.
Two months after this appointment he be-
came chief secretary. ana when civil gov
eminent was placed upon firm foundation
he was made executive secretary of the
commission.
While commissioners have come and gone
and the condition of the islands has changed
manned faithful to his post and its duties.
He and Commissioner Worcester are the
only members Of the first civil government
party that now remain in the islands. Like
the hearts Of the people by the fuency
with which he spoke Spanish.
That he spoke better Spanish than most
of the Filipino and Spanish residents was
came here. He was the mouthpiece Of the
commission and as such was closer to the
people. All their wants he interpreted to
the powers that govern and all the orders
and laws he interpreted to Hire pe0r3e. He
has been the connection between tie. goS-
eminent and the people ever sinca there
has been such thing IS civil adminStrl- =
ton and his work has been fauittcss:- fir1ti
.he should be-favorably spoken of IN con-
'hection with the next vacancy on the COM
mission is only natural. He has a host Of
supporters among both tina native and
American element and would run Mr..
a In Suv
Lawshe the Treasury Watchdog.
Mr.. Lawshe has been the watchdog of The
Philippine treasury. AS auditor of the in
sular government he has been the man who
kept an eye on the expenditures. 1t Is a
common thing to hear one commissioner tell
another that II a certain thing is to he done
Lawshe must be consulted. first. On several
occasions he has been enabled to render
valuable service in the detection of attempts
to mulct the insular treasury by apparently
innocent schemes: He is thu fountainhead
Of all sorts Of Information regarding The
islands, and whether 1t relates to the capac-
ity of school house or the success of the
Y. NJ. c. A, he Is always ready to give
cheerful and absolutely correct answer to
all inquiries. Born and educated In IN
diana near the place where Abraham Lin
coin lived during his residence in that state,
Mr.. Lawshe Is young enough to have been
born after the great enmancpator became
in many things before he took to the Job
Of auditing other peoples accounts, having
been among other things the printcr's devil
in a newspaper Office in his local state and
having learned to stick type with the best
of his confreres before no quit the trade
He came to Washington IN the government
service and Immediately attra Nei the at
tention of his chiefs by his thorough meth
DDS. He was deputy auditor of the post
office while yet a very young man and iG
that position rendered the government val
liable service. While others have received
much of the credit for the exposition of the
Cuban post office scandal, practically all ue
the evidence upon which convictions of the
officials concerned was based was obtained
by Mr.. Lawshe in a special investigation he
made, at the instance of the Wa Depart
ment officials. of the Cuban ACCOUNTS. The
things he found in the books while he was
auditing them were made the basis of a
confidential report that reached the govern
ment before the report of Inves,ig Ator Iris
tow and was used in preference to the lat
er detailed statement Of the Official head
hunter when the cases were taken into the
courts. AS a result of his Cuban experience