The Washington herald., 1914-08-03
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The Secret Of Cabinet Minister.
Leisure.
Do pR. .. .. RDWARDs.


Although In the earlier years OF the
professional life Of William II. Evarts
he was thought to.be one Of the most In
dustrsous Of the lawyers OF the New
York bar.Syet In the later years OF his
life he gained the reputation OF having
learned the high art Of taking things
easily and not oyerburdening himself
with work.
some Of his professional associates at
tributed this disposition to relax some
what 10 the fact that Mr.. Evarts had
Accumulated a vast store OF legal learn
ing and. incidentally. q really marvellous
knowledge Of the political history Of tho
United States. not meaning by that the
history Of partisan politics-although OF
that Mr. Evarts had a mastery under
standing which reached back as far as
the presidential campaign Of 1910.
/ had heard when in Washington In
the early eighties that Mr.. Evarts. when
Secretary OF State in the administration
of President Rutherford 3. Hayes. had
resigned himself to a condition OF de-
IightfuI leisure and contemplation and
that he had committed the chief work Of
the department 10 his subordinates, and
especially TO his chief clerk Of the State
Department.
John Bassett Moore, who Is beyond
compare the highest authority upon
State Department matters, having served
in three different administrations in re-
'sronsibIe posts in that department and
having examined almost all OF the
archives. explained to me year or two
ago why IL happened that William NJ
Evarts, when Secretary OF State, was
thought TO take things with remarkably
easy composure, never permitting him
self 10 be overworked.
"Mr Evarts." said Mr. Moore, was
admirably fitted for the management Of
the state Department. He possessed a
wonderful power Of concentration OF mind
and a profound knowledge OF the history
the United States,
'It so happened however. that AIR.
Evarts entered the State Department to
fiHG little or nothing excepting the routine
business to do. His predecessor, Hamil-
ton Fish, was man OF extraordinary
Industry. submitting with patience to aEy
kind OF drudgery; but In his administra-
tion Of the State Department there arose
Questions OF the highest nsitonal In.-
portdnce. II was his duty TO handle thsse
questions. Among them was the treaty
for the establishment OF an arbitration
tribunal before which was TO be su6-
mittco the claim Of the United States
for damages against Great Britain on ac-
count of the Confederate cruiser Ala
bsnIa. This was a very difficulty and
Iaborious undertaking. Mr.. Fish carried
II through successfully.
Then there was the fisheries qu-s-
ton. a very important subject; and there
were certain boundary claims that were
also Of great consequences. All this work
WAS finished when Mr.. Fish welcomed
Mr.. Evarts as his successor. The result
waE that the desks were cleared. There
Ss.s little but routine work to carry on.
II am frank to say, however. that Mr..
Evarts, when Secretary OF State, instI-
tuted something which has been Of the
utmost value TO the American people. 1t
vas under his administration and by nis
authority that the system which is rep
resented by what are commonly known -
the consular reports was instituted. Nc
one can tell how great the value Of these
reports has been to American commsTciuI
interests"
ICorsright, 1914. by Dr. z. J. Edwards. All rights
ressucd.l
Tomorrow Dr. Edwards will tell OF THE
Statesman with the Wonderful Eyes"