Evening journal., 1915-08-16
New News Of Yesterday
Two Remarkable Political
Condolences
BY Holland.

In preparing the digest which con-
tains the full record of the diplom-
acy of the state Department at Wash
ington. so far as that relates 70 arbi-
trations, DR.. John Bassett Moore, who
was twice Assistant Secretary of
State and in the first year of Presi-
dent Wilson's administration counsel
or for the State Department. discov-
cred in the archives many incidents
not reported at any time and yet fur
nishing sidelights upon the intellect
ual and temperamental characteris-
tics of some of the Presidents and
almost all of the Secretaries Of State.
The work itself is monumental, both
in respect TO size and in the infor-
nation is contains. although it is
probable that nobody except DR..
Moore ever read It.
Shortly after DR., Moore retired
from the post he held for a year in
Wilson's. administration as counselor
for the State Department, / had an
interesting conversation with him, in
which allusion was made to some of
the strange, even humorous, incidents
which had long been buried in tie
archives of the state Department.
Among these was the story of the
extraordinary coincidence in point of
time with respect to our acquisition
of the territory west of the Missis-
sippi, Whereby at last we gained SOW
ereignty. from the Atlantic to the
Pacific south of Canada and north OF
Mexico.
Dr.. Moore said that in 1908. by a
strange coincidence IN point Of time
we acquired Louisiana territory un-
eXpectedly, for not even President
Jefferson had the slightest idea that
Napoleon Bonaparte would be will
ing to sell Louisiana territory to the
United States At the same time,
through Jefferson's leadership, we
took the steps which clinched our
title to the Oregon territory and gave
US command of a strip of the Pacific
coast.
That coincidence in point Of time,
DR.. Moore said, was afterward match
ed in 1916 There has been serious
and at one time somewhat danger
Gus. dispute with Great Britain re-
specting the northern boundary of
the Oregon territory Just at the
time a commissioner who represented
Great Britain arrived in Washington
in the spring of 1S46. with a draft of
a treaty which, if ratifed-as it was
shortly-would fix the boundary of
lOregon territory President Poll. and
his Secretary Of State. James Buch-
anan, afterward President. were
greatly concerned over the impending
shadow of war with Mexico. The Ore
gon boundary was trifle in compar-
ison with the Mexican situation for
our dispute with Oregon could be
procrastinated, whereas the issue of
war with Mexico was immediate.
Polk was so little concerned about
the Oregon boundary, DR.. Moore says
that he actually sent the draft Of the
treaty to the Senate unsigned. This
was without any precedent. The Sen
late ignored the informality and advis.
ed the acceptance. of the treaty. and
Buchanan did not delay thereupon il
signing IT. A greater responsibility
was upon Congress at that time, fol
President Polk had recommended that
Congress declare that a state of wal
existed in Mexico
Congress accepted the responsible
ity and there was war AS a result oi
that war Mexico sold to us what was
called the California territory and
what are now the States of California
Utah, Nevada, New Mexico and Ari
zona So that in the spring of 184C
We secured the boundary line of Ore
gon and we took the first step which
led US ultimately TO the domination
of California. Therefore. as in 1903
and within a few weeks We gaineC
the Louisiana territory and establish
ed our claim TO the Oregon territory
so forty-three years later and With
in two or three weeks. we settle,
the Oregon boundary and we tool
, the measures which after a Will,
gave US undisputed sovereignty owe
California.
Copyright. 1915, by E. J. Edwards
7 All rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Dr. Edwards will tell O
4 Two Critical Periods in Our His
tory"