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Show CONTUMELIOUS TOWARD KNOX. Probably the most serious mistako mado by President Taft when he assumed as-sumed his high office, was in not retaining re-taining former Secrotary of State Elihu Root in tho same position as head of the Cabinet. New York could spare Mr. Root bettor from the Senate than tho county can spare him from the office of-fice of Secretary of State. Mr. Knox, tho present Secretary of State, was barred by the Constitution, and a special enactment of Congress was supposed to tide over tho objection and qualify him for the office. A great man3' hold, howover, that tho Congressional Congres-sional act was not. sufficient, and that Mr. Knox had not been constitutional qualified for tho appointment. It is evidont that he is disqualified also by nature and attainments for doing property prop-erty the work of that high station. One of the most distinguished services serv-ices rendered to the United States, and to the Republics of South and Central America, by ex-Sccrctar3' of Stato Root, was his visit of friendship to all those countries. He made it evident to all of them that the United States had no big. stick to belabor them with, had no intention of interfering with their local affairs, and was interested in them simply in a community of Hcntimcnt by wnj' of tho preservation of America from European intrusion. All that was wiped away in a moment by Secrotary Knox in his rudo and undiplomatic, .bul-lyi .bul-lyi of Me Government of Nicaragua. In tho far Oriental situation, tin acuto point of international diplomacy.. Sccret,ar3' Root interfered effectually for the' preservation, substantially intact, in-tact, of the Chincso Empire. He novcrv for one moment, conceded that Manchuria Man-churia had been detached from China, or that tho so-called "sphorcB of influence" influ-ence" of Russia or Japnn, interfered with the right of China to govern that great province. Now, .however, by the incpnsiderate interference of Secretar3 Knox, the Manchurian question has been made raw, and China's right of governance is directly challenged. Russia Rus-sia is indignant and Japan is enraged. Tt is blundering diplomacy all along the line, Tt is a good deal more. It is diplomacy that invites checks and snubs, and which puts the United States in a contemptible attitude before tho world, The idea of Secrotary Knox putting forth an imprnctical note, which calls for the neutralization of the Manchurian Manchur-ian railroads, held respectively by Japan Jap-an and Russia, mainly for war purposes, this without consultation with any of the great powers of the world, was so singular a spectacle that tho great nations na-tions stood aghast. Russia and Jnpan wero bound to answor, and wore at first ver- cautious in what they Baid. No doubt, they supposed that Secrotary Knox had mndo preliminary inquiries of the great powers, as to how tho3 j would receive Buch a note, what their attitude would be with respect to it; and that he must have received encouragement encour-agement from tho great powers of Europe or ho would not have put it forth. On ascertaining, however, that the note had no backing whatovcr, but was simply a lone suggestion from the United States, without consultation, ad-vico ad-vico or agreement from or with any of the great powers, then tho rejection of the noto was accompanied with warm words of indignation, and tho official organs oCtho powers chicflv interested, heaped ealumn3' on it and hardl' refrained re-frained from bittor insult. It is unfortunate unfor-tunate that tho United States, having hnd such a brilliant and triumphant Socrctary of Stain as Mr. Root, should all at once slop down so far to the much lower level of Socrotar3' Knox, |