New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-02-28

oP state E7Ii1,, Root made a trip around South
America visiting the capitals OF each state
and exp aiming the good wishes and unseHlsh
purposes of this country. Remarkable SUCCESS
attended the trip. and the results nave Oeen
farreachlne in their promotion Of a clearer
understanding and a greater faith In the dis
interested friendship of the United States.
Only two quasi belligerent acts TO be re-
corded Of the Roosevelt administration An
American citizen. one Ion Perdlcar1s having
been taken captive by the bandit RaSlun IN
Morocco in 1904. the President cabled the Amer
lean representative to secure "Perdicaris alive
or Rasiuu dead" Perdicaris was promptly de-
uvered TO the American authorities, and re-
spect for this country was greatly increased IN
Northern Africa In the same year. the evasive
tactics of Turkey having exhausted the patience
Of the Department Of State. fleet was sent
TO Smyrna The presence Of the feet accom-
plished every purpose. as has usually been the
case with that nation. and no further hostile
demonstra alton was required TO bring about
settlement of the pending difficulties.
REFORM OF FOREIGN SERVICE
No review OF the Roosevelt administration
would be complete without reference to the
giant strides which have been taken TO reform
the Diplomatic and consular service Of the
United States Beginning with an executive
orGer OF November 10. 1905 which applied the
merit system to promotions in both branches
Of the foreign service, one step after another
has been taken TO eliminate political preferment
and promote the efficiency of the service. Leg
islative enactrnents wrung from Congress by
the inslstent recommendations Of the President
and the earnest efforts of few legislators
loyal TO he administration and 10 the cause
or reform, together with successive executive
orders have worked wonders. and With a weed
ing out Of the dead wood Of former administra-
tons the foreign service OF the United States
promises 10 be on a par with that of any other
nation.
CUBA AND THE PHILIPPINES.
When Mr. Roosevelt assumed the Office OF
President he pledged himself TO carry out the
Mckinley policies. and in respect did he
accomplish more striking results than in the
case OF Cuba. He found Cuba still under the
military dictatorship rendered necessary by the
war with Spain. BY the end of May, 1907
eight months after Mr.. Roosevelt took the
oath of office. national election had been held
and Estrada Palma inaugurated as the first
President OF Cuba. The history of President
Palrna's administration is without the limits
OF this article. bur by September, 1906, revolu-
ton and anarchy threatened to enguf the new
republic William H. Taft then Secretary OF
War was sent to the island and President
Palma resigned. A provisional govern
ment. with Charles E. Magoon as its head, was
set up and once more Cuba started on the
road to independence. Last autumn another
national election was held, and on January %.
1908, Jose Miguel Gomez was inaugurated as
second President of the republic. 1t is almost
unnecessary to remark that the course OF the
United States IN its dealings with Cuba has
gone far TO inculcate confidence in its aims
and purposes among all the South American
republics.
Another feature of the Mckinley policies to
which Mr.. Roosevelt stood pledged the ne
gotiation OF reciprocity Treaty with Cuba All
the powers of protected interests were exerted
to defeat him. but he never swerved from his
purpose, and in 1903 he accomplished the seem
ingly impossible. AS a result of that treaty,
Cuban exports to the United States have grow
from 100000 in 1903 to $974Oo.oOo in 1907.
and imports from Cuba have increased from
So 100000 in the former year to approximately
$50 600 900 in the latter.
In the administration Of the Philippine Islands
there has been not only notable increase of