Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-28
WELCOME TO BRYCE
No Ambassador Received With
So Much Cordially.
SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE
How 1t Was Drawn Away From This
Country.
CAREER OF FRANK sTEINHARI
Nine Years Ago Was Private Soldier,
Now is Under Ten Years Con-
tract at $25, 1000 Year.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
No ambassador or plenipotentiary to this
country. to any other country. ever re-
ceived more cordial welcome than Mr..
James Bryce. The attention he has re-
ceved from all classes and in all parts of
the country is unprecedented. If his Off
cial duties had permitted him to accept all
the invitations that have been sent him,
every day and almost every hour since he
landed at New York would have been occu-
pied by official and personal courtesies.
This has been tribute to the man as well
as to the nation he represents. Other am
bassadors have been warmly welcomed, but
none cordially as Mr.. Bryce.
Mr.. Bryce is not stranger in the United
States. He has been here several times be-
fore, and had many acquaintance and per-
sonal friends among our scientific and lit
erary men, our statesmen and politicians.
lie has written standard work upon this
country. His American Commonwealth"
has probably been quoted as an impartial
authority upon American institutions
much as any other book ever published In
his comments and criticisms upon our ma
tional Institutions and customs he has
shown an understanding that has seldom
been attained by foreigner. Few English
men, although they are supposed to be our
cousins, have ever been able to perceive and
appreciate our HdllOlldl So
distinctly and SO thoroughly as he.
How the Trade Was Lost.
There is another reason why we should
be partial to the Bryces, although it per-
tains to the French and German embassies
equally well. Mrs. Bryce is half an
American, a sort of stepdaughter of Uncle
Sam. She was Miss Ashton, daughter of
Thomas Ashton of Fordbank. near Man
chester, England, and her mother was Miss
NheelWright daughter of William Wheel
wright, originally of Boston, whose statue
Will be found in both Chile and the Argen-
tine Republic, for he was the father of
their foreign commerce and their internal
improvements. He built the first railway
in Chile and the first in the Argentine Re-
public, and founded the Pacific Steam
Navigation Company, which has one of the
largest fleets of any company In the world,
and for many years had a monopoly of the
traffic between England and the west coast
OF South America. 1t continues to run
fortnighty steamer between Panama and
Liverpool by way of the Straits of Ma
gellan.
In 1896 Mr.. Wheelwrignt was wrecked on
the coast of the Argentine Republic and
found his way to a small town called
Outlines, barefooted, hatless and starving.
He remained in the country and engaged
in business, built railroad from Outlines
to BuenoS Aires, and in 1889, foreSeeing the
immense trade that might be developed be-
tween the two American continents, came
to New York and endeavored to interest
Aspinwall, Garrison, Aston, Vanderbilt and
other financial magnates of that day in the
organization of a steamship line. They re-
jected his proposition. He then went TO
England. where he secured the necessary
capital, built fleet of steamers and turned
the entire course of South American COM
merce from its natural channel. When
that company was organized there were
twice many ships from the United
States in the harbors of Rio de Janeiro
PuennS ValparaiSo Cal1an OIL
| South American ports, as from all the
other countries in the world combined. To-
day our flag is seldom seen at a masthead
in these waters Mr.. Root says that while
he cirCumnavigating the southern con-
tinent last year he saw but one American
ship in a voyage of more than nine thou
sand miles. and his experience is the same
as that of every traveller. The statistical
reports give us less than l per cent Of
the carrying trade OF South America.
Frank Steinhart's Career.
The President has appointed James Linn
Rogers. formerly a newspaper man at Co
lumbus. Ohio and more recently consul
general at Shanghai, to be consul general
at Havana, and he will take charge of that
office the LIST of July.
Mr.. Frank Steinhart, who has been con-
sui general at Havana since March %,
1903, retireS to take charge of the interests
! of Speyer Bros, the New York bankers in
Cuba. with ten-year contract at a salary
OF SO ODO year. The contract was signed
nearly year ago, and Speyer & Co. have
needed the services of Mr.. Steinhart ever
since. but at the request of Secretary Root
| he continued to perform his consular duties
| during the recent crisis and will remain
| several months longer because of his ex-
| traordinary influence over the Cuban lead
\ ers and his exceptional knowledge of men
| and affairs on that island.
| Mr. Stcinhart has had a remarkable ca
| reer He was born in Munich. When he
/ ,.9, nl ma IN ia n
| this country and settled at Allentown, Pa,
| where he attended the public schools until
| 1880 when, at the age of seventeen, he en-
! listed as a private in the 10th Infantry of
| the regular army. He served with his regi-
! ment at various military posts in the west,
! was promoted for good conduct and eff
! nciency until he became first sergeant of
! his company and. at the end of his first
| term. re-enlisted Shortly after his re
| enlistment in 1855 he was transferred to
military headquarters at Chicago as clerk
| by Gen. Schoield and served in the same
4 capacity under Gems. Terry, Kruger, Miles.
! Merritt and Brooke. When the Spanish war
| broke our in 1898 he went in charge of the
| clerical force of the headquarters of the
| 1st Army Corps, Gen. Brooke commanding,
! TO the camp at Chickamauga, then to Porto
! Rico and finally to Havana, where he was
made chief clerk of the military govern
| rnent under Gen. Brooke.
! When Gen. Brooke recalled he re-
! NAMED in the same relation under Gen.
! Wood and upon the withdrawal of the
| military government and the establishment
! of the republic, he was designated agent
| for the War Department in Cuba and Gus
todian of archives and government property
| belonging to the United States upon that
| island.
His know ledge of events. orders. prece-
| dents and other matters occurring under
the military government caused him to be
frequently consulted by the officials of the
republic. and in that way he made the &C
uuaintance ard gained the confidence of
President Palma and other prominent Gu
bans They became accustomed to go to
him for advice, as well as information, and
without any desire ambition on his own
part he became the power behind the
throne President Palma consulted him
about all matters of policy and business
official and personal, and while he had nc
relation with the Cuban government, and
no office or desk among its officials. he
! spent great deal of his time at the palace
bv invitation and ultimately came TO occupy