Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-13

NeppeQ enormous dOCIfO0al laOOr on the
state Department. and Yet 1t only has
60 per cent of the space originally pro-
videG thirty years ago Secretaries OF
State have reported that their depart
ment is reaching q point where ii will
be swamped for lack of proper organiza-
ton. Records cannot be handled in a
proper manner because of inadequate
space. The Secretary of State cannot
have private interview with a senator
a member of Congress. a cabinet officer
a foreign ambassador. minister or con-
sui, because he Las no private room.
Secretary Roots Complaint.
Before the Senate committee / referred
to few minutes ago Secretary of State
Root testified as follows:
There are a great many sena TORS and
representatives who come to the State
Department with constituents and what
they come for Is to introduce the constitu-
ents. They do not want to waste any
time about it. They do not want more
than minute. l have no place to see
them because | have JUST this one room
/ may be having an important converse
ton with some one that will take twenty
minutes or half an hour. In the War
Department, aS soon as | found there
were a number of people in the anteroom
/ would stop the conversation. go on,
and dispose OF the one minute people. let
the senators and representatives intro
duce their constituents and go their way.
l would find a dozen people who would
not want a minute. There might be two
or three who wanted more time. and /
would let them wait and take their turn.
instead of keeping the whole crowd wait
ing. II is exceedingly inconvenient. Ii i.
injurious to the public business and Ii is
very undignifed; but | know of no way
to cure 1t. because | cannot find any
room without turning lot OF clerks out
of doors whose services are absolutely
necessary. My private secretary is now
In a room away off in a corner. long
distance from me.
Secretary Root further complai ned that
recently he had the gentlemen here who
We're to go TO the Rio conference. and
that he had to give them the diplomatic
anteroom and make special arrangements
to have foreign diplomats remain in their
embassies and not visit him until after
these gentlemen were through with their
work. At another time the sanitary con-
gress under a resolution passed by the
second pan-American conference at Mex
leo. came here. and the only thing that
he could do was to secure rooms at the
Willard Hotel. and the same procedure
was followed in the case Of commission
ers from China. At another time the ar
bitrators of the Salvador Commercial
Company's claim against the government
of Salvador met here; the arbitrators
needed space for only a few weeks. What
should be done with them? There was
no space in the State Department, none
OF the desirab BILE rooms in the nicer office
buildings could be taken for less than
six months so the State Department was
compelled to be contented with securing
rooms In second-rate building. and even
these were hard to find. AS final exam
pie, the Alaskan boundary commission
was forced to meet in the ordinary of
the Arlington Hotel
These are only a few of the many
difficulties with which the State De-
partment has to contend. 1t is the one
official depository of the original acts
of Congress. of the original proclama-
tionS of the Presidents and Of the orig
inal executive orders-all of the great
est Importance not only to ourselves,
but to our posterity. And these are all
filed in vaults and cases which are not
even fireproof. What recklessness!
Pleading in Vain.
Have not Secretaries of State pre-
sented this situation to Congress? Is
this body still ignorant of thes. condi-
tions? Again I say. a business man and
a man of affairs would think the latter
the people might think the same But
for years the secretaries of State have
been pleading for relief from these al
most intolerable conditions. They have
appeared before committees: they have
within their rights. officially acquainted
Congress with this state of affairs. With
what result? An effort to fairly meet
the difficulties and remedy them in a
plain. businesslike way? No. And as
in the case with the Department Of
Justice. they are met with the stern
admonition:
We are carefully guarding the re-
serves What difference does it make
if you have all the files since the founda-
ton of the government, since 1883,
slowed away in non-fireproof cases?
difference
have many valuable and confidential
papers relating to prosecutions and
matters of all kinds? What difference
does it make if you have diplomatic
placed? What difference does it make
if the vaults and cases are not fire.
proof? Papers massed in a bunch will
not burn, only the edges will be .harred;
fire dies out for lack of oxygen. you
know And it will not make much diff
ference anyway; get new files, set new
diplomatic documents. crowd mp your
clerks. close up your windows and
utilize halls. We must economize.
Another Hampered Department.
Shall 1 illustrate again? Then take
merce and Labor 1t is scattered over a
large portion o: the business center of the
city. Part of ii is in the Willard building
on lftn street, another part OF III III the
Emory building at LIST and 3 streets
northwest. another part of it i'm the Ma
tiOnsl Safe Deposit building, New York
avenue and 18th street; another part of il in
the Builders Exchange building on 18th
street; another part in the Adams build
ing on r street between 18th and 14th
streets. another part in the Munsey build
ing north side OF F. between 18th and
18th streets: still another part on E
street between 9th and 10th. and the de-
partment is asking for additional quar-
tiers Think of it, This department is
distributed over distance of mile and
half long east and west and about one
third of mile north and south. This
depart is a new one and its needs are
more patent than some of the others.
Have not Secretaries of Commerce and
Labor presented this situation to Con-
gressc And is this body still ignorant OF
these conditions? \ business man. man
of affairs would think the latter: the peo-
pie might think the same But since the
establishment OF this department each
Secretary has been pleading for relief
from these almost unbearable conditions.
They have appeared before committees;
they have. within their rights. officially
acquainted Congress with this state OF
affairs With what result? An effort 10
fairly meet the difficulties and remedy
them in plain business-'ike way? No.
But with the stern admonition:
I'VE carefully guarding the reve-
nues. In that section Of the city. mile
and a half long east and west and one
third of a mile north and south, you must
have many windows and Railways. Close
up some of your windows and utilize your
Railways. c.owd your clerks up a little
closer Mr.. Secretary Of Commerce and
Labor. We must economiZe?
Seeking a Remedy.