total of 40 British and 12 German battleships, 14 British and 2 German armored cruisers, 209 British and 17 German cruisers with an armored deck. In England 12 battleships, 20 armored cruisers and 8 cruisers with an armored deck were being constructed, while Germany was building six battleships, three armored cruisers and six cruisers with an armored deck. III In Russia the most pressing question of expenditure was to provide for the defense of the country, and only those sums which remained after the cost of the army and navy had been met could be devoted to the satisfaction of educational requirements. The current state expenditure had been doubled in the last ten years, and enormous loans had been raised to cover the expenditure on the Siberian Railway which could not be paid out of taxation. In the Netherlands, the Minister of War advocated the expenditure of 7,000,000 florins to provide for the acquisition of 204 guns. In Switzerland also the Federal Council laid before the Federal Chambers a resolution for the acquisition of 72 batteries of artillery, to be supplied by the Krupp works, at a total estimated cost of $4,400,000, and the required credit was voted. Spain decided to raise the strength of her army 200,000 men, and for that purpose the war estimate reached 103,000,000 pesetas. Sweden expended 6,000,000 kr. upon the military and naval serv tas. CHAPTER VII ACHIEVEMENTS OF LEGISLATION Little legislation of first importance was enacted by the fifty-seventh Congress of the United States, which expired March 4, 1903, except the creation of a Department of Commerce and Labor, and the passage of acts to increase the efficiency of the militia and to expedite the hearing of suits in equity brought against corporations charged with violating the anti-trust laws or forming monopolistic combinations in restraint of trade. In addition it established a general staff for the army, made generous provision for relieving distress in and improving the administration in the Philippines and passed bills regulating Hawaiian coinage, providing rebate of duties on coal, increasing the salaries of judges of the United States Courts, restricting the immigration of aliens, and authorizing the erection of a new building for the Department of Agriculture. Altogether sixteen measures were enacted. A New Department Created The bill providing for the new department received the President's signature on February 14. The Department of Commerce and Labor thus created consisted of the Bureau of Corporations, the Bureau of Labor, the Lighthouse Establishment, the Steamboat Inspection Service, the Bureau of Standards, the Coast and Geodetic Survey, the Commission and the Bureau of Immigration, the Bureau of Navigation, the Bureau of Statistics, the Shipping Commission, the Bureau of Foreign Commerce, the Census Bureau, and the Fish Commission. Mr. George B. Cortelyou was appointed secretary of the department with a seat in the Cabinet. His first report, published in December, seemed a sufficient justification for the creation of the new department. Its work was shown to be broad in scope and essential in value. The administration of the different bureaus, which had been transferred at the close of the fiscal year, June 30, reflected credit on their respective heads Carroll D. Wright, of the Labor Bureau, S. N. D. North, director of the census, James R. Garfield, of the Bureau of Corporations, Commissioner Sargent, of the Immigration Bureau, and Mr. Austin, of the Bureau of Statistics. Mr. Cortelyou made a strong argument for bringing all these bureaus together into a new and appropriate building. II When the new department was created, it was feared by certain factions and hoped by others that its chief work was going to be that of investigating and exposing the trusts. It was clear from this report that trust exposure was but a small part of the great business on hand. As to its policy the Secretary said: "The department was not established to control the energies of the people. By furnishing them with needed information it can help intelligence and self-reliance to put forth efforts in trade with the best results. Conditions exactly as they are will be shown in a true and impartial light." In addition to Secretary Cortelyou's clear statement of the work and methods of the new department, several paragraphs of President Roosevelt's message were devoted to the aims and principles that guided the development of this great branch of the national government, summing up as follows: "The Department of Commerce and Labor will be not only the clearing house for information regarding the business transactions of the nation, but the executive arm of the government, to aid in strengthening our domestic and foreign markets, in perfecting our transportation facilities, in building up our merchant marine, in preventing the entrance of undesirable immigrants, in improving commercial and industrial conditions, and in bringing together on common ground those necessary partners in industrial progress - capital and labor." III Mr. Cortelyou's career presents the unparalled achievement of rising from stenographer to cabinet officer in seven years. Without any seeking on his own part, without any political backing, without even being asked what his politics were, Mr. Cortelyou at thirty-three years of age went to the White House as President Cleveland's Sec ANTI-TRUST AGITATION 201 retary. As the story is told, President Cleveland said at a Cabinet meeting: "I wish you gentlemen to bear in mind that I want a firstclass shorthand man. Some of you must have the right kind of man in your department, and I wish you would look around and let me have one." Postmaster General Bissell immediately replied: "I believe I have in my department the very man you want. He's a handsome young fellow, as smart as lightning, and as methodical as a machine, and above everything, a gentleman.' "That's the kind of a fellow I want," said the President, "who is he, where is he, and when can I have him?" "He's a New Yorker named Cortelyou," said the Postmaster-General, "and he is now private secretary to Maxwell, the fourth assistant Postmaster-General." Three months after coming into office President Cleveland promoted Mr. Cortelyou to be executive clerk, which position he held until he became assistant secretary, and then secretary to President McKinley, and, after the tragedy at Buffalo, secretary to President Roosevelt, adapting himself to the point of view, the manner of transacting business, the method of preparing public papers, or writing letters, of each of three presidents entirely different in temperament and methods, and yet, so perfectly suiting the needs of each that each in time came to look upon him as a valued friend and counsellor. And when, upon learning that Congress would pass the bill creating the new Department of Commerce and Labor, and so add a new member to the Cabinet, President Roosevelt said that when the bill became a law he would appoint Mr. Cortelyou as the first head of the new department, there was not only substantial unaminity in the expressions of approval, but no candidates appeared for the new office, notwithstanding its attractions for many men. No similar incident had occurred in our history. Anti-Trust Measures Anti-trust agitation brought forth some tangible and satisfactory results. The confused mass of legislative opinion emerged into something like definite form under the hands of Representatives Littlefield, Overstreet, and Powers, revised by Attorney-General Knox. This bill, which it was claimed, had the sanction of the administration, won an easy victory in the House though it was shelved in the Senate. Its three most important features, however, were practically incorporated in three separate measures enacted by the fifty-seventh Congress. The Nelson Amendment of the Department of Commerce bill, as adopted, provided for publicity. The Interstate Commerce Commission, in its discretion, was authorized to call upon corporations engaged in interstate commerce for specific information regarding certain features of business, which the public ought reasonably be allowed to know. The Elkins rebate bill provided against rebates and discriminations. The shipper as well as the transportation company was made subject to punishment for violating this provision, making it an offense to receive as well as to grant rebates. These measures followed an earlier one which provided for more expeditious handling by the courts of pending and prospective litigation against illegal trusts and combinations. It strengthened the provision against lowering prices to freeze out competition, and made any corporation engaged in interstate commerce which should lower prices with the intent to raise them again after securing control of the market, subject to prosecution. Army Reorganization Much needed modernization of our National Guard was promised in the new militia law signed by the President in February. In general it aimed to make the militia more efficient, so to organize it that in event of war there would be no likelihood of confusion. It provided that the different states receive military appropriations from the Federal Government if they live up to the terms of the law. Modern equipments are to be furnished. Officers of the regular army are to serve as militia instructors, while militia officers are encouraged to attend army colleges and schools by promise of the pay, quarters, and subsistence of regular officers of the same rank. State militia organizations must be inspected once a year by Federal officers, must annually drill in camp for at least five days, and must also meet for drill twenty-four times in the year. If these and other requirements are not observed, the Federal Government will refuse to furnish arms, ammunition, and supplies. When war occurs the President may call out the militia for nine months of service, and the troops may expect to take up arms under their own officers. The General Staff law, centralizing the executive and strategic branches |