The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-02-23

Tho great orflco ~ secretary
NJ state, to which Trcsi-
dent elect Harding has appointed
charles ". Hughes ~ New YORK,
has peculiar distinctions in our ma
tionM history. II ia an office which
in reality Be- Older than tho govern
mcnt itsclf. fpr John Jay was elect
I'd secretary Of foreign affairs five
years before tho adoption ~ tho
federal constitution. II In an office
which haa hcon held by a line ~
men whose names are more impress
sivr, from purely intellectual
standpoint, than tho list OF our
presidents.
Several ~ the men who headed
tho state department became prcsi
dents ana all were distinguished. ,s-
pcclally go at the bar or ON the
bench rho first secretary of state.
John Jay, was one 81 the great legal
and diplc matte minds that formed
the republic william Seward ranks
among great secretaries Of state.
not only because OF his generally
high qualities ag statesman, but
because OF his accomplishments ~
Ilncoln's official during the Civil
war.
Seward wna big man whom ho
entered the cabinet ana bigger
man when he lclt IT, Not since the
Revolution had our foreign affaira
called for such a combination OF
wisdom ana firmnoss The north
expected Seward not only To repcl
European Intervention, but to pro
vent European recognition OF tho
confcdcrncy, and the secretary OF
state was able TO do all that was
A..
tho French intcrbention In Mexico
were among the grave diplomatic
problems which Seward handled
with tact and success His greatest
diplomatic triumph In peace was
tho purchase OF Alaska from Russia.
seward was twice governor OF New
York and twicc senator In CON
gress from that state, and In both
offices distinguished himself. The
state department for years after
Stewards inCumbenCy felt the re-
suits Of his work there. for he re-
organized u department which had
suffered from tho spoilsmen.
Like Webster. James q. Blaine
was twice secretary of state. His
first period In the office was brief
being terminated by the death Of
President Garfield Three years
later. In 1854, he was the republican
nominee for the presidency and was
narrowly beaten by Cleveland.
when benjamin Harrison entered
the white house In 1889 he SUM
moued Blaine, the most brilliant
ana perhaps tho most popular pan
OF his party, to be his premier.
Blaine's three years in the state de
partmcnt produced record that
| measures up to his general public
| ts,fNN mil Ia Inn mt la
| treaty with Germany respecting the
| Samoan islands. lie negotiated the
! lllainc pauuCcfte treaty of 1892 rel
ativo TO the Bering sea fisheries. lie
! forced chile Go admit the inNiolahll
ity OF our legation at Santiago and
to pay indemnity for the killing OF
American sailors by a Valparaiso
mob. His note 10 Italy on the sub.
iCct OF the Italians who were
lynChcd for nssassinating the New
Orleans chief Of police is Il model oi
yigor. Like two OF his predecessors
Webster ana clay, blaine was a pop
ulnr idol whose failure to reach the
presidency was q matter OF regret I,
millions Of followers.
Tho successor to Hay, who SERVED
/ under Mckinley and Roosevelt
Ehhu Root waH a vastly bigge
figure i'm the public Cyo than lia'
himself His services 1s sccrctnrl
Of war had been highly beneficial
for hc rcorgani2cd the department
lplauucd the war college, created th'
general STAFF and applied tho inert
| system AK far as practicable to sh,
| nromuuou uf officers. Five year
! NJ Root did muchFfor the war de
p partmcut aud President Roosevelt
ON the death OF John Hay in 1906
. was glad 10 have Americas great
Q est lawyer take over the state de
- part mcut In Roots term OF Otfic