The Washington times., 1908-11-11
AMERICAS BIG MIND"
IS ROOTS REPUTATION
Position of Secretary of State Is Unique in American
Public Affairs-Is Right Man for Any Place
He's Needed.
By ]. c. WELLIVER.

! The position which Elihu Root occu-
| pies in American public affairs is unique
Just at present NJ Root is variOusly
J discussed as exactly the right man "a
/ succeed himself as Secretary of State
as the only man who, as a candidate
/ for Senator. could reconcile all the In
| teTests in New York RepubICanism, as
the one person peculiarly equipped 20
/ become State leader of the dominant
party In the Empire State, and as quite
/ the right man TO be chief justice OF
the Federal Supreme Court
1t isn't that one faction OF people are
sure that Mr. Root as a Secretary OF
State would assure International peace
and increased American prestige, while
a second looks upon him as the ideal
Senator, third as great managing
politician. and fourth as the true jur-
list. Everybody seems to feel that he IS
eminently qualified for all the positions
for which his name has been suggested.
1t is mainly a question OF which posi-
ton needs him mos. He would be just
the right man in etler OF them.
And then they go back to recall that
he is also the especial man TO run the
War Department. Everybody recalls
that as Secretary Of War he reOrgaulzed
>
general stan scheme and did wonders
for the army. He would probably suit
more people as Attorney General than
any other man in the United States. be-
cause he has become recognized as the
great lawyer of big affairs. Mr.. Root
has reached the position Of conceded in
teuectuaI dominance from which he
could put forward claim 10. almost any
thing, and escape with the goods. As a
matter Of fact. however, he never puts
forward any claims at all He IS mod
est man, who attends to his own busi-
ness. and lets volunteers do his press
agency work.
Nearly Indispensable
Il is not given 10 many men 10 become
so nearly Indispensable as Nj Root has
become. He has been the rjgh, hand Of
two Presidents, and apparently is des-
tined to be the closest personal adviser
of a third Mr.. Mckinley picked him
first for Cabinet post, and he was at
the head of the war office when Mr..
Roosevelt became President. He re-
NAMED there until he was promoted 10
premiership.
The story OF what Elihu Root has
done for this country In his capacity
as Secretary Of State viii not be known
for a long time. The inner secrets Of
the foreign office do not get 10 the world
for a long time. But il is known that
Mr.. Root repeated here the performance
he had given in the war office. He put
the establishment on a business basis.
Mr.. Root has small respect for tradI-
lions, and none at all for red tape. He
found the foreign office. turned over 10
him by John Hay. in most uusausfac-
tor" condition. It is unnecessary to 60
into details, nobody but an iusider
could 60 that. Suffice il 10 mention
that Mr. Hay, though q great diplomat
and a strOug man, was not a man OF
order and method He did not so thor
cughly dominate his department, m
many of its minor relations, as Mr..
Root has done. Its business needed re-
organization, and Mr.. Root provided the
direction of that reorganization. The
reform OF the consular service is one
feature Of Mr.. Roots work which has
appealed to the business public in this
country. because IL has made the consul
lar service the strong and practical ally
of business.
No great crisis I'm foreign affairs
arose TO give Mr.. Root the opportunity
for @ spectacular display such as mark
ed the administration Of Mr. OIney in
that department Yet there are some