The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-19
The Working Secretaries

that he recognizes fully the fact that
President Wilson is his superior officer
The Working Secretaries
In his daily encounter with the business
of the state department Secretary Bryan
is not unlike some of the distinguished
men who We're his predecessors in the
chair of Secretary of State. William Fl.
Seward was never greatly occupied. with
the details and drudge like work of the
state department. These matters were
committed to his son. Frederick w Sew
ard, the assistant secretary. Mr.. Seward
was, therefore, left with abundant time
to consider the vital questions of diplo-
macy which were raised in the time of the
civil war.
Hamilton Fish, who was Mr.. Seward s
successor, was a man of fndefatigable
industry. He did not try to master some
of the details of the state department.
Seward approached the men of import
ance in diplomacy or in politics largely
by means of that diplomacy which is pos
sible at the dinner table Mr.. Fish was
little more formal. William M. Evarts
and James C. Blaine, and later Thomas
F. Bayard, left much of the detail and
routine work of the department to their
subordinates.
E,lihu Root, with his extraordinary IA
cility both for detailed industry and for
the consideration of very great questions
along very great lines, has left a traui-
ton in the state department of great
achievement. consequent upon great abil-
ity and also very great industry, which is
unlike the traditions that cluster around
the names of his predecessors since Lin
coin became President
The impression Of those who have close
ly observed Colonel Bryan is that he re-
CARDS his pre-eminent gift for personal
counsel and for influential association
with men of great ability as quality
which will enable him to give the best
service possible while he sits in the chair
of Secretary of State. The manifold and
difficult business of the state depart
ment. under the eye of Professor Moore,
will be directed by Colonel 3ryans subor-
dinates Colonel Bryan himself Is under
stood to believe that any one of good in
telligence, quick intellect and of industry
is competent to fill subordinate places
in the state department. If that be
Colonel Bryan's view 1t is not wholly in
accord with the one held by Professor
Moore, for he is convinced that the high
est efficiency in the state department is
to be gained by the employment of trained
men This is especially true of the state
less so in other departments.
At a Great Salary
A distinguished democrat, a warm ad-
mirer and loyal supporter of President
Wilson, recently said that the United
States government could afford to pay
Elihu Root any salary he demanled If
thereby his services could be secured by
the state department. For questions of
extraordinary difficulty. it may be having
something of menace in them, are to come
up before the consideration OF this de-
partment.
Among the other reports brought to
this city from Washington is one which
tells of the almost unmeasurable capac-
ity for industry President Wilson has
revealed. Some of those who have had
experience with other administrations re-
port that the President is working harder
and is spending longer hours at his work
than did any of his predecessors of whom
the present generation has knowledge.
That is the reason why the rule that he
laid down at the beginning of his admin
istration, by which conferences with him
are limited to those who have made ap-
pcintment. has not yet been changed nor