THE WAR DEPARTMENT
In time of war or just following a war the most interesting department is that which was lately occupied by Elihu Root and William H. Taft. Mr. Root is noted as a great corporation lawyer, and at first seemed to consider that the government of the United States could be run on the same principles as a great corporation—that is, "We shall do as we please in spite of public opinion." But he was severely brought to task for this. Later he became Secretary of State.
In spite of this, the report of this department, dated December, 1901, shows difficult, conscientious, magnificent work performed by the War Department since the close of the war with Spain. Possibly the quiet prejudice which existed throughout the country against Mr. Root was largely the result of his treatment of General Miles. He did not like the old General, but the country did. Mr. Root could do many splendid things before the farmer, who only reads his weekly paper and to whose brain new things come slowly, forgave him for rudeness to a man of the people, whose merit had placed him at the head of the army. Any one who thinks he wins favor by calling General Miles "old fuss and feathers," as some newspapers do, quite forgets that the American people like fuss and feathers.
In spite of the above, Mr. Root is a great patriotic man, who, with mental ability enough to earn $100,000 per year, gives his country the benefit of his talents for what must seem to him the modest sum of $12,000. As an organizer and great executive officer he had no superior in the government employ. His last report shows the army located as follows:
DISTRIBUTION OF THE ARMY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1901
| COUNTRY | Officers | Enlisted men | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1,922 | 31,952 | 33,874 |
| Philippine Islands | 1,111 | 42,128 | 43,239 |
| Cuba | 166 | 4,748 | 4,914 |
| Porto Rico | 51 | 1,490 | 1,541 |
| Hawaiian Islands | 6 | 250 | 256 |
| China | 5 | 157 | 162 |
| Alaska | 17 | 510 | 527 |
| Total | 3,278 | 81,235 | 84,513 |
[In this table are included the 4,336 men of the Hospital Corps and the 25 officers and 815 men of the Porto Rico Provisional Regiment, leaving the strength of the Regular Army 3,253 officers and 76,084 enlisted men.
In addition there are also in the Philippines 172 volunteer surgeons, appointed under section 18 of the act of February 2, 1901, and 98 officers and 4,973 native scouts.]
Of course, now that the war in the Philippines is practically over, many more men have returned to the United States.
In reading Mr. Root's report, nothing impresses one more than the splendid arrangement for the better education of army officers, not only as to military tactics, but for full intellectual equipment. Enlisted men who fit themselves by study, and retain good characters by passing complete civil-service examination, become eligible to official positions among the regulars. Also officers of volunteer regiments by the same process become eligible to official positions in the regular army.
Mr. Root recommended that officers of the National Guard, or officers of former volunteers, be permitted in their vacations to study with regular army officers at West Point, and at the army post schools, so that we may never again be caught without competent officers for volunteer regiments. His report contains full accounts of the forming of the new government in Cuba, the Cuban Constitution, a full account of all the troubles in the Philippines, the wonderful work accomplished by the signal corps, the territorial and military divisions of the Philippines, and recommendations as to the proper currency and system of banking necessary in our Oriental possessions.
He recommended the purchase of the lands of the friars, who could not continue to hold their possession peacefully on account of the hostility of the people, whom they have grossly wronged.
His account of the very valuable unexplored timber lands of the islands, and the industries needed, made his report of great practical importance.
Men of the United States army have always been noted for their high standard of honor. The country believes in the integrity of the officers of the regular army. When any of them fail themselves and betray the trust imposed in them, it causes a shock to public feeling such as malfeasance in no other official position ever produces. To an unusually large extent they have been worthy of the trust reposed in them by a great nation.
The French are no more jealous of the good name of their army than are Americans. The person who takes away the good name of our brave, patriotic, self-sacrificing men, "who are a-doing and a-dying" in the Philippines, because of the evil actions of less than one-twentieth of their number, deserves public execration. The least we can do for our army is to give them their hard-earned laurels unspoiled.
The following sketch of Mr. Root, now Senator from New York, is taken from "Who's Who in America":
Secretary of State from July 1, 1905, until March 4, 1909; born in Clinton, N. Y., February 15, 1845; son of Oren and Nancy Whitney (Buttrick) Root; graduated from Hamilton College in 1864, where his father was for many years professor of mathematics; taught at Rome Academy in 1865; graduated from the University Law School of New York in 1867; (LL.D., Hamilton, 1896; Yale, 1900; Columbia, 1904; New York University, 1904; Williams, 1905; Princeton, 1906; University of Buenos Ayres, 1906; University of San Marcos of Lima, 1906; Harvard, 1907); married January 8, 1878, Clara, daughter of Salem H. Wales, of New York; U. S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, 1883-85; delegate-at-large to the State Constitutional Convention in 1894, and chairman judiciary committee; appointed Secretary of War, August 1, 1899, by President McKinley; reappointed March 5, 1901; resigned February 1, 1904; became Secretary of State, U. S., July 1, 1905. Member Alaskan Boundary Tribunal in 1903; temporary chairman Republican National Convention in 1904. Trustee of Hamilton College, Carnegie Institution, Washington; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; President Union League Club (New York), 1898-99; president New York City Bar Association, 1904-05; president American Society of International Law, 1906.