The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-10-09
nv GEORGN r. HoLMEs.

roiicd states today has had go
i.s,inguI3hcd a public career, nor
Keen so much in the public eye dur
IN the last cpochal half century as
TiIbu Root who President Harding
tss selected ss the second member
- ,h, American big Four 10
recoti,tc an armament understand
,,g with the great powers Uf the
world.
and So rastigatcd. few men have
80 many warm friends and admiros
,,d few men have more bitter
srSriea. Yet. friend or foe, Il is
M man n America today more
.s,alified hy experience or train
gg 10 represent the United States
Al This conference than Elihu Root
Theodore Roosevelt once said Of
hin. 81 would walk on my hands
ana knees from Washington to
oyger Bay TO make him president %
And later this same positive T. r..
Fud. 'Ilc stands as the reprcscn-
,atlye Of the men and the policies
Of reaction. no Is the preventative
OF the bosses and OF special privi-
hge."
And. curiously enough, II is quite
rrohable that T. X. was sincere
IN both utturances. His first state
uent referred to Elihu Root $
amazing ability as a thinker, an
executive and "a lawyer. his sec
ond referred TO Elihu Root as fhe
Master legal mind for "BosS
Tweed, as counsel for the steel
Trust. for Sugar Trust. standard
=
IN scores ot other big Alterests
end corporations.
A man of curious paradoNcs is
Elhu Root. now nearing his
scyeuty-seyonth year and about 10
engage on another great public
duty with all the enthusiasm OF a
boy Of twouty-onc for his work.
iIe Is maker and breaker Of
constitutions. lie Is quoted as hay
ng once said that he could drive
d horse and wagon through every
article aud amendment of the
constitution" 1t Is perhaps doubt
ful Il he ur said 10 because Root
is a modest nah, but whether he
did or did not the question gives
an insight into the mans mar
yeIlOusly agile mind and his
magnificent legal attainments.
Throughout his long legal career
he has figuratively driven a horse
and wagon through many Of the
federal lava. on the other and
more constructive hand. he wrote a
constitution for the state of New
York which students OF government
point TO as a model.
He has been attacked as a mill
tarist by soap box orators from
Maine 10 California because he was
secretary Of war in McKinley's cnbi-
net during the trying days after the
Span sh American war, because he
directed the pacification III Cuba
and the Philippines, because he Is
the father Of the American general
staff and because he threw a war
Ike bluff IN the face OF the whole
world by sending tho American fleet
around the world when d war was
threatening with Japan, a stunt
ior which Roosevelt " generally
He has been attacked as war
maker and the representatives OF
International bankers. and yet there
Is no man In America today who
can show the public record so
replete with labor in behalf of inter
national peace. The world
recognized these labors In 1912 by
Prize.
B@:wecn 1904 and 1908, while
secretary uf state in RoOceVelts
cabinet he toured all Of South and
Central America, speaking in the
.apitals OF these countries and urg-
ing the cessation OF the little wars
which have for decade retarded the
progress and prosperity Of the
Sluntrics of the western hemisphere.
'e was the instigatOr and adviser
oi the Central American Peace
Federation held in Washington in
December 1907
lie Ia president OF the Carnegie
endowment for International Peace.
lis latest work has been the or
sanlSduon OF the Permanent Court
c' International Justice under the
.sasue OF nations, on which he
..siused a seat as justice only
ieR weeks ago.
b, Few men In the world today can
p,2W NOV peace record that surpasses
EAhu Roots.
hs support OF the league OF
.nsauohs brought down on his head
we lre OF many OF his fellow repub-
leans, particularly OF the "irrecon-
.'abIes.' :, Root was In faovr of
'ne league of nations. When he saw
,na the republicans never would
accept Il as brought back from
isFs BY President Wilson he
.aOored 10 doctor IL UP with
amendments 80 as TO make IL
t.atIalaolo TO his party. In this he
.t'ed' But while the league be-
s4ne tho principal issue in the last
s.4lA "a palgn and was being attacked
Iom every stump in the United
TT'ayeS' Elhu Root was busy in
europe organizing the court OF
'USnsiee' ne' formed under the league.
G.'hu Root was born in
SH,U.h'on, n. Y, February Is. ls45.
~ father was OrrCn Root, for
,.ahy years professor OF mathe-
t,it'e ,tgS.'ea at Hamilton College. and
L,'nu was reared in the best Of
'syeauonal surroundings.
ne graduated from Hamilton in
bt al the age OF nineteen, and
,,niee years later ne was graduated
,'oh me law school OF the Uniyer-
~'E OF New York.
ne started practice In New York
ny nv met with instant and astonish-
~ success. lie soon become
,IioNh as one OF the keenest legal
|, ''''na or the New York bar. but
!, "as not until he became counsel
~. william NJ, Tweed that his
u bss'Suon became national. After
me- ne received the cream OF the
stl ~ OF New York, being coun-
~ lSoH the Sugar Trust, the stand
oit ana other great interests.
TO- lhlriy-six he was district at
,nsrrs Tor New York, winning