Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-23
FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS ALL IN
CHARGE OF THE ASSISTANT
SECRETARIES.
YOUNG MEN FILLING
RESPONSIBLE POSITIONS
Alvey A. Adee, Second Assistant Geo.
rotary of State Steering the Course
of His Department While Chief is Alb.
sent = Members Of the Cabinet on
Their Vacations.
Especial correspondence.1

Especial correspondence
Washington, Aug. 31.-These are the
days in Washington when the subordi-
nate shines. In the absence of his
chief, who is busily Stunning himself at
y summer resort, the subaltern sits on
the lid. wrestles with great problems of
state, and tries to show that he could
run the government if he had to. About
the departments and independent
bureaus there is an interesting lot of
these subordinates. Usually, they are
assistant secretaries and while they
may not cut any large quantities of ice
thru the most of the year. in the good
old summer time they are the func-
tionaries whom everybody must con-
suit If he expects anything at the hands
of Uncle Sam
Foremost of the lot of these subordi-
mates, as any of them would cheerfully
admit, stands Alvey A. Adee, SECOND
assistant secretary of state Mr.. Adee
is che of the indispensable men in the
government service. OF course, the
wheels of the government machine
might jog along if he should step down
and out but they would creak and
groan perceptibly
Always, about this time Of year Mr.
Adee Is the real head of the state de-
nartment. When the head of the de-
partment and the first assistant secre-
try betake themselves away for a
rest, Mr.. Adee takes charge of things
He makes it practice earlier in the
summer to take a trip awheel in
Europe and then return here about the
middle of the summer and buckle down
to hard work. And, tho 1t has many
times happened that large and vexing
questions have arisen while he has
been in charge. Mr.. Adee has made no
serious mistakes. at least none which
have come to the surface. He is
saturated with a knowledge of the
workings Of the state department and
he knows the whole field of diplomacy
as well as a pianist knows the keys of
his instrument. 1t is no flattery to say
that Mr.. Adee is the intellectual peer
of any man who has been in the gov
eriment service in his time. His ca
pacity and versatility are the wonder
with him.
Just now. Jimmie" Reynolds, assist
ant secretary of the treasury in charge
of customs, is much in the public eye.
He will continue to be while the new
tariff measure is on trial. In addition
to having charge of the administration
of the customs law, Mr.. Reynolds is
acting head of the treasury just now,
in the absence of Secretary MacVeagh.
Mr.. Reynolds, thru several years ex-
perience in the treasury, has acquired
thorough familiarity with the opera
tons Of the intricate laws and regula-
tons pertaining to customs and is one
of the most popular personages that
ever held the position he occupies.
Associated with him are two other
able young men. Assistant Secretary
Norton and Assistant Secretary Hilles.
Mr. Norton has been in charge of the
treasury much of the time the past
week, when Mr.. Reynolds was absent
Mr. Hilles is away just now but will
have chance to show his mettle w,ea
he returns and takes charge of the adj
ministration of the corporation tax.
In the navy department. with Mr.
Meyer away. Beekman Winthrop is
saddled with the burdens or running
this end OF the government. That 1t IS
no easy task may be judged from the
fact that in one day Mr.. Winthrop had
to pass on the Sutton case and on the
awarding of contracts for two great
battleships. Mr.. Winthrop is one OF the
youngest men who has ever held an as
sistant secretaryship.
In the war department. General Oh
| liver takes charge of the department as
| a rule in the absence of Secretary Dick
inson. In the department of justice
Wade Ellis is just now sitting on the
| lid and seeing to it that the trusts dc
not lift the government up on jack
| screws some dark night and take II
down and dump it in the Potomac In
! the department of commerce and labor
when Mr.. Nagel gets out of town
which is not often, the indefatigable
| Ormsby McHarg runs things and has
no trouble about doing it. In the post
office department, when Mr.. Hitchcock
betakes himself to Beverly or some
other place. First Assistant Postmaster
General Granfield takes charge. With
Secretary Wilson away, Assistant Sec
rotary Hays runs the farm machinery
of the nation. And while Secretar nv
Ballinger is in the west. gentleman
by the name of Franklin Pierce runs
the interior department Mr.. Pierce's
name barely escapes being historic.