The United States supports abroad thirty-eight embassies and legations, consisting of ministers, secretaries, and attachés, besides about one thousand consuls.
The Congressional Directory gives the personal history of Secretary Hay as follows:
John Hay, of the District of Columbia, Secretary of State (800 Sixteenth Street, Northwest), was born in Salem, Ind., October 8, 1838; graduated at Brown University in 1858, and studied law in Springfield, Ill.; was admitted to practise before the Supreme Court of Illinois in 1861, but immediately came to Washington as Assistant Secretary to President Lincoln, remaining with him until his death; acted also as his Adjutant and Aide-de-Camp, and served under Generals Hunter and Gillmore, and was brevetted Colonel; was appointed Secretary of Legation to France, March 22, 1865; retired March 18, 1867; appointed Secretary of Legation to Austria-Hungary, May 20, 1867, where he acted as chargé d’affaires until August 12, 1868; appointed Secretary of Legation to Spain June 28, 1869; retired October 1, 1870; then became an editorial writer on the New York Tribune, remaining five years, during seven months of which he was editor-in-chief; removed to Cleveland in 1875, and took an active part in the Presidential canvasses of 1876, 1880, and 1884; was appointed Assistant Secretary of State November 1, 1879; retired May 3, 1881; in that year he represented the United States at the International Sanitary Congress in Washington, of which he was president; was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Great Britain March 19, 1897; retired September 19, 1898; appointed Secretary of State September 20, 1898.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT
In time of war or just following a war the most interesting department is that which is now occupied by the Hon. Elihu Root, of New York City. He 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 when he was severely brought to task several times he found his limitations.
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 exists throughout the country against Mr. Root is largely the result of his treatment of General Miles. He does not like the old General, but the country does. Mr. Root may do many splendid things before the farmer, who only reads his weekly paper and to whose brain new things come slowly, forgives him for rudeness to a man of the people, whose merit has 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 paltry sum of $8,000. As an organizer and great executive officer he has no superior now 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.]