then saw Mr. Root, whom I knew very
well as Secretary of War, and he was more than pleased with the
suggestion, asserting that it was just what he wanted to do. It
so happened that during his administration of the State Department
he found it necessary to negotiate more treaties, and treaties of
greater importance, than any of his more recent predecessors in
that high office, and he became so constant and punctual in his
attendance at the meetings of the committee that we grew almost to
regard him as a regular member, even before he entered the Senate.

He has served on the committee but two sessions, but even in that
short time he has proved his fitness to fill the gap left by the
retirement of Senators Spooner and Foraker. As a lawyer he is as
brilliant as either of those men, and probably, owing to his
executive experience, a more efficient statesman. I regard him as
the best qualified man in this country for any position in the
public service which he would accept. He would make a strong
President, and as a Senator he is equipped with extraordinary
qualifications. If he remains in the Senate, by sheer force of
ability alone he is bound to become its acknowledged leader. We
have never had a stronger Secretary of State. Mr. Hay was a very
great man in many respects, and could handle an international
question, especially pertaining to the Far East, with more skill
than any of his predecessors; but Mr. Root, while probably not as
well versed in diplomacy as Mr. Hay, is one of the foremost lawyers
in America, and has the faculty of going into the minutest details
of every question, large or small, even to the extent of reorganizing
all the multitude of details of the State Department. He was the
real head of the department, and supervised every matter coming
before it.

As Secretary of State he made it one of his policies to bring the
republics of this hemisphere into closer relationship with one
another. He visited South and Central America, and did much to
bring about a friendly feeling with the republics of those regions.

He is one of those who insisted upon the absolute equality of
nations, both great and small; and in this he was particularly
pointed in his instructions to the delegates representing the United
States at the Second Peace Conference at The Hague.

He did not retire from the State Department until he had adjusted
almost, if not all, outstanding questions between the United States
and ot