The Congressional Directory gives the personal history of Secretary Knox as follows:
Philander Chase Knox, Secretary of State (1527 K Street), was born in Brownsville, Pa., May 6, 1853, son of David S. and Rebekah Knox; his father was a banker in Brownsville; graduated at Mount Union College, Alliance, Ohio, in 1872; entered the law office of H. B. Swope, Pittsburg, Pa., and was admitted to the bar in 1875; was assistant United States District Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in 1876; was elected president of the Pennsylvania Law Association in 1897; was made Attorney-General in the Cabinet of President McKinley in 1901 as successor to Hon. John William Griggs, of New Jersey, resigned, and was sworn into office April 9, 1901; was the choice of President Roosevelt for Attorney-General in his Cabinet, and was confirmed by the Senate December 16, 1901; resigned that office June 30, 1904, to accept appointment as United States Senator, tendered by Governor Pennypacker June 10, to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Hon. M. S. Quay, and took his seat December 6; was elected by the Legislature in January, 1905, for the term ending March 3, 1911; resigned as Senator March 4, 1909, to accept the position of Secretary of State, and was nominated, confirmed and commissioned March 5.
Congress had to repeal the act raising the salary of the Secretary of State before Mr. Knox could take the position, because he was in the Senate when the salary was raised.
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 |