Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-24

crt Lansing, unit! yesterday ad interim
and now made permanent Secretary Of
state, AllcynY ireland in the New York
World gives IA sketch OF an all-around
likable man. He says:
AT 400 ] submitted myself to the
polite but careful scrutiny of the two
attendants who stand guard outside
Mr.. Iansing's room in the southwest
corner Of tn" state Department Build
ing. owe" the door OF the antcroom is
painted the word Counselor for the
acting secretary has not moved into
the vacant suite halfway down the
corridor.
The outer barrier safely passed. il
was only a question OF two or three
minutes before doc! was opened by
n secretary, who announced my name
aud With II wave Of the hand showed
me Mr.. Lansing seated at his desk
signing documents
Acts Like Il Diplomat.
he was on his feet before ] got.
across the room and put me COM
plctcly at my case by offering me a
cigarette and asking me 70 ait down.
The first difference I noticed between
Mr.. Lansing and most OF the gentlemen
upon whom call WIN pad and pencil
in hand was that instead OF asking
what h. could do for me. he smiled
gently and examined tho end OF his
cigarette and waited for me to begin
tho diplomatic method the world over
| asked h!m 10 tell me something OF
his days routine.
".Br all means was the quick re-
ply. I'm always here At . o'Cio"i; in
'thc morning. IS are most OF the pcopl"
Of the department | run thrnuch my
personal mail and dictate a fcw letters.
ana by the time that is done important
matters which have come TO tho de
partmcnt by mail begin To- reach me.
NJ
carried out by six divisions. which
dca! respectively with the Far East,
the Near East, Western Europc, East
crn T.urorc. Latin America, tho Euro
poan way ana the business ~ the So
licitor's Office.
"'Nll important kilograms come 10
me directly. but important letters arc
first read hv Assistant Secretary Adee.
who attaches To them sometimes
remark or suggestion for my guidance.
Desk Z. Never Cleared.
"'Of course, my desk Is never
cleared so we have 10 employ de-
vice for getting as near as possible 20
that noverto-bc- attained ideal Here,
for instance. IS letter TO which Is
attached II red tag with the word
rush i" and the word "important"
means that must actually read it.
".lIy lunch Is a movable feast, but
do gcucrully manage 10 get about
an hour. and | use that time to read
tho Eew York papers while ain hay
ing q bite.
.."rhc afternoon Is filed M in much
tho same way as the morning with
q great signing Of letters about 4.S0.
ono OF the most serious demands on
The time of the Secretary of state is
the enormous number OF letters ana
documents he must sign. I suppose I
spend an average of two hours day
simply signing my name 10 things
which must bear my signature.
ITO all this routine work YOU must
add attendance at Cabinet meetings,
interviews with foreign diplomatic
representatives. visits from people who
have 10 soc me on official business.
consultations with the heads of di-
visions and The drafting OF dispatches
and Incmnrandums TO our embassies
abroad.
"it is not unusual for forty or fifty
diffcren, subjects to come up before
the Secretary of state in day, and 1t
will give you some idea Of the differ
cncc which The war has made 10 the
department when I tell YOU that our
mail ana telegraph clerks are handling
six times as much material as they
did n year ago.
81 generally leave the department
between and In the evening, and
after dinner. in the quiet of my own
home have my best chance TO COM
plcte tho final draft of important pa
pcrs T;cforc 7 20 to bed-botwcen 10
ami I'm the morning. always read
short story in one OF the maga-
zines
Likes Poor Stories.
This prompted inc to ask, moved
by n real interest:
GLOW in the world do You manage
TO find enough good magazine stories
to keep you going
"'Oh, I don't want good ores re-
Piled Mr.. Lansing, showing perhaps n
faint trace of cmbarrassmcnt: 4 want
roor ones--thc poorer tho better: IL
would never do for me to read any
thing M that time OF night which
provoked the slightest thought So
my supply OF stories is with n smile
of satisfaction barely tingcd with good
nutured scorn. practically incxhausti-
BILE
with daily routine such as YOU
have described, Mr.. Secretary said.
what do you do for exercise and rccrea-
ton"
"Beforchc coulG reply clerk en-
tered with a tray OF letters and docu-
mcnts TO he Signed With n word Of
apology the secretary swung his chair
round and set TO work
II do feel the need of exercise said
the secretary. when he had signed the
last paper, but | simply can't get any,
| used TO play golf every day-eXcept
Sunday, OF course-but since the war