The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-05
BIRTHDAY COMES,
GOES UNN0T|CEO
STATE DEPARTMENT ONE Hun
DRIED AND TwENry-Tvu
YEARS OLD July ~.
FEW ARE AWARE OF DATE
THOMAS JEFFERSON FIRST sECRE-
TkRy Under THE LAW, WHICH
WAS DRAFTED ny
WASHINGTON.
FEW ARE AWARE OF DATE
BY VICTOR ELLIOTT.

s. WASHINGTON. August 4.-The
pne hundred and twenty-second birth
day Of one OF the most important
branches ~ the United States govern.
ment slipped by the other day almost
unnoticed The Department of State
j was born July 81, 1889. President
= George Washington was the author III
the law creating II, There are few
i tn the diplomatic department who are
acquainted with Its whole history.
sand il rs doubtful IL even Secretary of
State Knox thought Of the fac, tina,
July II. 1911. marked it's birthday
anniversary.
The bill creating Department of
2 Foreign Affairs. or Department Of
!; Stats, IA Ii later became. aa& oKe VI
/. the first laws enacted by the first
session Of Congress. The Depart
ment of State. Furthermore. was the
first of the executive branches OF
& the government 10 be established and
: for tfsi.s reason. parity. Mt least. hgs
always taken precedence over other
executive branches, Also, this ex-
plains why the Secretary OF State and
his wife are next to the President
and hrst lady In the land In recetv-
Ing line al White House receptions.
and OF other state occasions
The State Department was in prac-
tical existence for about ten years
prior TO the passage OF the law off,
ciaily creating it. an unnamed d.
vision OF the government having per-
formed the offices OF a Foreign Reia-
tions or State Department back in
the days Of the Continental Congress.
jefferson First Secretary.
The first Secretary OF Foreign AZ
fairs. under the law Of July 81, 1889,
was Thomas Jefferson. who was APP
pointed by President Washington in
September Of the same year. Not
until April Of the following year did
the first Secretary assume his off,
cial duties. About fifteen years be-
fore the creation of tho Foreign Az
fairs Department. October 90. 1874.
BENJAMIN franklin and certain coll.
leagues OF his We're offfcfaliy dele
gated to appear before foreign courts
as Representatives of the United Colo
MES of America. That was the In
reption of the present Department of
State. On November 20, l776, the
Continental Congress took the first for
NAL step toward thee creation OF a
department to deal with foreign af-
fairs when there came into existence
secret Committee OF Correspond
ence
Some eighteen months later, In
April. TIL. the title OF the Eomnit~,
tee Of Correspondence was changed
to Committee on Foreign Affairs. Tn
III the establishment OF a permanent
Department OF Foreign Affairs, In
1883, diplomatic correspondence and
negotiations were directed by a COM
mttee.
II has been principally through the
/. department of State that the United
States has reached Its present exait-
ed station In the congress OF ma
tons. And the department OF state.
with all Its power and Its perfect
ed system with its well-oiled diplo-
mans. vice-president: w. r. Hop
matte grooves which quickly permit
direct negotiations with foreign Of
fees Of all countries. Is relatively
to-day. as in the past. the power for
advancement Of this country's In
ierests.
Our First Treaty.
The records show that the first
treaty ever signed recognising the
independence OF the United States,
WAS The Treaty of Amity and Conn
merce. and of Alliance Eventual and
Defensive Between the United States
and France" This was signed in
Parts. February s. 177s. by -6enja-
min Franklin. Silas DeAne aid Ar
thuf Lee. reprsaenting the United