New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-11
FEW LEFT TO MANAGE
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
BRYAN and His Assistants Ab-
sent, Business Tagging and
Affairs in Turmoil.
BRUNT OF WORK ON MOORE
Solicitors Office Vacant, and
the Counsellor About the
Only Executive on Hand to
Pear Heavy Burden.
From The Tribune Bureau

From The Tribune Bureau
Washington. July 1O.-The Secretary OF
State left Washington this afternoon for
New York where he will say farewell 10
Or. Lauro Muller envoy extraordinary on
a special mission from Brazil. Mr.. Bryan
will again leave Washington on Saturday
afternoon for Asheville, y. G., where ne
will take part in the opening OF hotel
by one OF his friends. A week from to-
morrow he will leave Washington for SIX
weeks. four Of which will be devoted to
the Chautauqua circuit.
The situation in the State Department
is the talk of Washington. There is TO
be found there an unprecedented stagna-
ton Of public business and internal tur-
moil and disintcgration. This afternoon
the status of affairs in the department Is
this: The Secretary OF State has gone or
10 New York. the Assistant Secretary OF
State is somewhere in the West Indies
on the way TO America, from what Is
commonly called a 'gumshoe mission.
The Second Assistant Secretary of state,
Alvey A. Adee, is in Europe. on his an
nual leave. The Third Assistant Secre-
tary Of State is with Dr. Muller, the Bra
lillian envoy.
There is no solicitor of the department,
and there are only two assistants, al
though three are provided for by law. The
solicitors Office has been vacant since
March 3. despite the fact that the solicitor
is the legal officer OF the department and
one of the most important officers In IT, In
the past he has always relieved the Sec
rotary and other beads of the department
OF great amount OF work. OF the sub
ordinate chiefs of division and bureaus
there are several absentces.
All Work Behind.
The result OF this unfortunate condi-
ton is that not even the routine work Of
tho department is receiving proper at
tention, let alone the more important
questions OF the day. In the Department
OF State there IS little difference between
summer aud winter. At all seasons there
is something going on somewhere Nhlch
| is Of vital interest TO America and Amer
leans and which the State Department
must look after In other dcpar tments
~ tie government there Is sometimes a
slackenug OF public business In the sum
mrr. but this does not hold in the de
psrtmcnt which looks after foreign al
fairs
Persons now having business with the
department find II almost Impossible 10
ohtain prompt replies to letters or inn
mediate action on their requests.
Mir Bryan ~ greatly handicapped By
his previous political experiences and
finds % necessary 10 see no end OF poll
tlciaus and not few oficeseekers. Con
yoaucntIv. he - prevented from giving his
entire attention 10 affairs OF state, even
when he Is i'm Washington. Furthermore,
| 60 Is Impossible. under these circum-
| stances and with such divided interests.
! for him 20 study the various important
questions constantly arising IN the de-
| pertinent
Professor Moore DOING Most.
At present the bulk OF the actual work
| I'M the Department Of state falls on John
! Bassctt Moore. counsellor Of the depart
ment He is the navigator stoker and
steward OF the ship of state just now, be
| ing about the only man N an executive
position in the department who has had
| the slightest experience In the diplomatic
affairs Of the nation. II is generally I'M
derstood that Mr.. Moore is much over
worked. az 10 him falls consideration Of
most Of the important questions which
daily arise in the state Department
4 reorganization Of the department has
| been impending for some time. For the
| last week IL has been said from day 10 day
that an announcement OF the changes
would be made the next day. Nothing
| however. has been done. and the pros
| poets for decision in the near future do
not seem bright. The fact that such re-
organization has long been considered in
| eyitable has contributed 10 the dlsorgani-
Zation which exists.
There have been. however. few
changes. The significance OF these Is that
they indicate that the department is 10 be
made n political institution. with men Of
long and technical training who now do
the bulk Of the work replaced by political
appointees There is great danger that
the highly complicated machine built up
by previous administrations will be sup
planted by one. the integral parts OF
which are selected because OF purely po-
litIcal qualifications.