ROOT, root or rut, Elihu, American law yer and statesman: b. Clinton, N. Y., 15 Feb. 1845. He was graduated at Hamilton College in 1864, and at the New York University Law School in 1867. In the latter year he was admitted to the bar and entered upon the prac tice of his profession in New York. In 1883 he was appointed United States District Attor ney for the southern district of New York; in 1894 was a delegate-at-large to the New York State Constitutional Convention, and was chair man of the judiciary committee. He was ap pointed Secretary of War by President Mc Kinley in 1899 and reappointed in 1901. He found the work of his department in disorder, with constant rivalry among its various bureaus, but by strict discipline, adherence to civil service rules, and establishing a system of promotion for merit, he soon brought order into the admin istrative departments, and turned his attention to the organization of the army. In this field he brought about a number of improvements, chief among which are the assimilation of the militia with the regular army and the creation of the General Staff. He also had charge of the military administration of Cuba and the Philippines; and while he was severely criticised for not trying to prevent cruelties in the con quest of the Philippines, he must be given credit for the policy of the army in enforcing sanitary measures and preparing for independ ent government in Cuba; and for the restora tion of order and preparation for civil govern ment and the work of the Philippine Commis sion in the Philippines. In January 1914 he re
tired from the secretaryship to resume the prac tice of law. On 19 July 1905 he was appointed Secretary of State. In 1909 he was elected United States senator from New York, but in 1913 declined to serve further. In 1912 he was permanent chairman of the Republican National Convention at Chicago. He was honored with the 1912 Nobel Peace Prize. In 1915 he pre sided at the sessions of the New York State Constitutional Convention and in 1916 received 103 votes for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. In 1917 he headed a commission sent by the United States to advise with the Russian government. He has served as president of the Union League Club of New York, the American Bar Associa tion, the American Society of International Law, the board of trustees of the Carnegie Institution at Washington and numerous other distinguished bodies. He has received many eminent degrees from American and foreign universities and societies.