John Hay, Secretary of State of the United States, is one of the most notable figures in the diplomatic service of America. The death of Vice-President Hobart makes Mr. Hay the successor apparent to the presidency in case of the "removal, death, resignation, or inability" of President McKinley before March 4, 1901.

A man of great and varied abilities, graduating at Brown University at twenty, he began by studying law with Abraham Lincoln in Springfield. He gained admission to the bar of the Supreme Court of Illinois in 1861, then came immediately to Washington as assistant secretary to President Lincoln, acted also as his adjutant and aid-de-camp and served for several months under Generals Hunter and Gillmore with the rank of major and the brevet of colonel.

Upon the death of President Lincoln Colonel Hay went to Paris as secretary of legation, next to Vienna as secretary of legation and chargede-affaires and then as secretary of legation to Spain. He returned to America to become editorial writer on the New York Tribune, for five years. He served as Assistant Secretary of State from November 1, 1879, until May 3, 1881, and on March 19, 1897, took the chief place in our diplomatic service as ambassador to Great Britain. He became Secretary of State September 20, 1898. Although he has never served long in any one office, except the four years as assistant secretary to President Lincoln, he has made his mark and added to his reputation by his thorough and skillful work in every post.

Colonel Hay has won even more repute by his literary work than by his activity in politics and diplomacy. His most important book is the "Life of Lincoln," written in collaboration with John G. Nicolay, which was published in several volumes.

Colonel Hay's poems had previously gained for him a wide reputation as a keen humorist and sympathetic observer of human nature. His "Pike County Ballads," published in 1871; "Jim Bludso" and "Little Breeches" have become exceedingly popular. His "Castilian Days," studies of Spanish life and character, the fruit of his sojourn in Spain as a diplomatic officer of the United States, appeared in 1871.

His marriage to the daughter of Amasa Stone, the Cleveland multimillionaire, brought Colonel Hay great wealth and their home in Washington is one of the famous houses of the capital city.

Elihu Root, of New York, Secretary of War, in accepting the post vacated by Mr. Alger, has come into greater responsibilities in the administration of our military affairs than has any other man since Edwin M. Stanton directed the affairs of war during the Rebellion. When President McKinley announced in Cabinet meeting on July 21, 1899, that it was his intention to ask Mr. Root to take the office, he said, in effect, that he regarded it under the present and prospective conditions as second to no other in the Cabinet and that he had selected Mr. Root because he felt that the place demanded a man of unusual ability, strength and discretion. The members of the Cabinet, in warmly approving the President's choice, generally added that they regarded the Secretaryship of War as now the most important Cabinet office. President McKinley had been keeping Mr. Root in mind for some great duty like this ever since offering him the mission to Spain, which General Woodford took after Mr. Root had felt obliged to decline the honor, and now the duty was so great as to warrant his belief that Mr. Root would feel obliged to respond to its demand as an imperative call to patriotic service of the highest character and importance. The President's expectation was promptly justified by Mr. Root, who accepted the invitation like a good soldier obeying a command, and has thus far filled the difficult position with intelligence, skill and tact seldom equalled.

Mr. Root was born in Clinton, Oneida County, New York, February 15, 1845. His father was Oren Root, for many years professor of mathematics in Hamilton College, where Mr. Root himself graduated, paying for his own education with the money he earned teaching school. Then he studied law, completing his course at the University Law School, in New York City.

He took from the beginning a public-spirited interest in politics and engaged actively on the Republican side. The only office he ever held before becoming Secretary of War was that of United States District Attorney at New York City, to which he was appointed by his friend, President Arthur, and in which he served with success for two years. For many years Mr. Root has been recognized as one of the leaders of the New York bar.