Evening star., 1913-03-05
|KNOX PRESENTS BRYAN
TO BUREAU OFFICIALS
New Secretary of State to
Take Oath of Office This
Afternoon.

III the expectation that the cabinet
nominations would be confirmed this
afternoon Mr.. Bryan informed Secretary
hhoA that he would call at the State
department about o'clock this after
noon prepared to take the oath of Office
ana enter on the discharge of the new
duties that would devolve on him.
hrier addresses were exchanged in the
department Offices between Mr.. Knox
and Mr.. Bryan in the presence Of the
state Department staff
Addressing Mr. Rryan SECRETARY
Knox said:
IN presenting you to the personnel
OF the department. and saying good
oSe 10 them myself, | wish to commend
these gentlemen to you and to speak
OF the loyalty and the intelligence and
tne dll1Sence that they have displayed
ih the pubic service. | may say, after
WE'VE years experience in public life
anu aiiu rather an active life before l en-
.eieu ,he pubic service, that it has not
peen my good fortune to have met a
corps or men who were more devoted
TO their work than these gentlemen
mere now in our presence and as long
as tne eAlgencies Of the service will
permit them to be with you and to as
sfst you l am sure that your experience
with them viii be the same. Personal
~ gentlemen, / now say you good
nye, and thank you for the assistance
that you have rendered me I'm the dis
charge of the duties of this peculiarly
difficult place
MI. Bryan's Response.
Mr.. Bryan replied to Mr. Knox in the
following words:
Mr.. Secretary: A word if it will
not be out Of place at this time The
names of the Presidents appointees have
believe. gone to the Senate, but Lave
not been confirmed. There is a possi-
b1ilty of my having to retract what I
have to say to you, but | have taken
so many chances in politics that l will
t3ke this chance. l am very glad to meet
YOU. and shall have occasion to become
personally acquainted with you. / am
very glad to hear this very cordial in
from the retiring Secretary.
My acquaintance with those who are
selected from the great body of the peo-
pie to exercise authority and to assist me
in the carrying on of the government
prejudices me in advance in favor Of you,
because l know that in our country we
not only have a large number of men of
capacity from which to draw such repre-
sentatlves. but that there is a spirit of
patriotism that at once gives the intelli-
sence that has brought into the service
its highest usefulness
Loyalty, I assume, is not entirely per-
SonaL L can understand. however,
that in the case of the retiring Sec
retary an added efficiency could be ex-
pected. and efficiency drawn out by
your confidence in him and esteem for
him / cannot hope to increase this
element in your service; 1 shall be sat
ished if. when l retire / can feel that
the personal element has been as valu-
able to the public service as it has in
his case. ! am disposed in advance to
expect that the duties that devolve
upon me will be performed in such
way as to merit approval.
No Time to Discuss Tenure.
Il am not prepared to discuss tenure
in office My own tenure is, as l was
about to say, brief, but my tenure has
not even begun; l am sure your tenure
is, therefore, not more uncertain than
mine. 1 have not had time to learn from
the President the general policy that
will be impressed on the various depart
ments, but it is not necessary for us to
discuss length of service: it is sufficient
at this time to make each others ac-
quaintance, and l hope that when the
time comes for ME to reassemble you to
introduce you to my successor can look
back upon delightful an association
as the retiring Secretary does l shall
look forward with pleasure to becoming
better acquainted with you as occa sion
brings us together.