Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-05-26
NO. II


elgn StatecfaTt, there are TOUR men III
the department Oh whom he leans
heavily for counsel. These are the
undersecretnry and the assistant Sec
retaries Of state. ANY one Of them
may at any time be called upon to act
as secretary and gain fame as LOOMS,
acting" or Davis, acting" when the
"prrmier" Is away. These men are
the immediate council or cabinet Of
the State department. They must know
the details of American foreign affairs
as thoroughly as the secretary himself.
In recent years they have been men
drought up" in the diplomatic serv-
ice, and they are not considered as pc
Iilicah appohl"rs.
The Undersecretary.
Secretary Hughes has already select
ed his four associates. Three of them
are new to the particular offices, but
tie faces are not unknown in the de-
partment. The underSecretary Of
state, Henry =. Fletcher, succeeds Nor
man II. Davis as right bower" to the
secretary Of state. The new assistant
secretary of state, Fred Morris Dear
ing of Missouri, fills the chair until
recently occupied by William Philips
of Massachusetts, while the new third
assistant secretary of state, Robert
Woods Bliss of New York, has taken
over the duties of Van SantvOOrd Merle
Smith, also Of New York. All three
are college graduates and have won
their spurs in the American diplO-
matte service.
The State department would be like
Hamlet without Hamlet" without its
veteran and distinguished second as
sistant secretary, Alvey Augustus
Adee. He has rounded out more than
half century In the American dip
Iomatic service. He was appointed
secretary of legation at Madrid Oh
September 8, 1870, was transferred to
the State department In 1877, and has
been there ever since. He Is now
rounding out his thirty-fif,h year as
second assistant secretary. He Is the
departments greatest living authority
in diplomatic precedents, controls all
of the outgoing correspondence Of
the department. is the diplomatic form
expert of the government, has the last
peep at every important note and tele-
gram dispatched. and through his gen.
ius and knowledge alone the Ameri-
can government has missed many
dangerous foreign pitfall.
Work Through Divisions.
Under the supervision Of the secre-
tary, assisted by his undersecretary
and three assistant secretaries, the
department handles its affairs through
separate divisions In the offices OF
solicitor, chief clerk, foreign trade ad-
wiser, the bureaus OF accounts, appoint
ments, indexes and archives and rolls
and library, the diplomatic and con-
sular bureau, the divisions Of foreign
intelligence, Far Eastern affairs, Near
Eastern affairs, Latin-American affairs.
Western European affairs, Russian af-
fairs, Mexican affairs, passport con-
troll and division Of foreign intelli
gence. Since the armistice II has been
handling the work Of the war trade
board.
The assistant secretaries of state,
besides their particular functions Of
supervision over certain divisions and
bureaus allotted to them have general
executive duties and act as advisers
to the secretary Of state.
The consular representatives are
really the eyes and ears Of the business
life of America, forming a great gov
ornamental organization which covers
the whole earth. 1t embraces upward
Of fifty consuls general and 600 con-
suls. vice cOnsuls and consular agents,
exclusive Of interpreters, students and
other attaches of consulates. They are
assigned both to cities and districts,
and one of their chief duties Is to OBJ
tain and report economic information,
with a view to extending American
trade.
The director of the consular serv-
ice, Wilbur J. Carr, has been In the
state department since 1892, and no
secretary has been able to dispense
with his services. His right-hand man
is Herbert c. Hengstler, who Is chief
of the consular bureau.
Daily Press Conferences.
The secretary Of state maintains his
contact with the press by daily con-
ferences In the morning at IL o'clock,
and at 3;30 O'Clock every afternoon.
Mr.. Hughes has man sized Job
on his hands. He finds that, In ad-
dtion to showing up at tie depart
ment promptly at 8 o'clock In the
morning, it is usually in the evening
or later when he is able to leave. and
that 1t is necessary for him to take
state papers to his hotel at night for
closer study Of the problems at hand.
There will be many occasions dur
Ing his term Of service when he will
also find it necessary to 60 to the
department on Sundays and holidays.