moment of their advent is always a fit one in which to consider just what the inauguration ceremony signifies in its larger aspect. Ch. XXVIII.

New Star in the Flag.-Washington, D. C., November 16, 1907.—“A new star was added to the American flag to-day by the formal admission into the Union of the State of Oklahoma. President Roosevelt at 10:16 o'clock this morning signed the proclamation admitting the Territories of Oklahoma and Indian Territory jointly as the forty-sixth State of the Union." The new star was not actually added to the flag until July 4, 1908.

In appending his signature to the proclamation, the President used a pen formed from a quill plucked from the wing of an American eagle. The pen has been deposited with the Historical Society of the new State.

The proclamation contains a preamble, reciting, in a number of "whereases" that Congress prescribed certain conditions for the joint statehood of Oklahoma and Indian Territory; that such conditions have been fulfilled, and that it appears that the government of the proposed State is republican in form, and in accordance with the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence. The proclamation then says:

"Therefore, I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, do, in accordance with the provisions of the said Act of Congress of June 16, 1906, declare and announce that the result of said election, wherein the constitution formed as aforesaid was submitted to the people of the proposed State of Oklahoma for ratification or rejection, was that the said constitution was ratified, together with a provision for State-wide prohibition, separately submitted at the said election, and that the State of Oklahoma is to be deemed admitted by Congress into the Union, under and by virtue of said Act, on an equal footing with the original States."

The State of Oklahoma has an area of 70,057 square miles, and 1,500,000 inhabitants. The area is greater than that of New England. The population is six times as great and the wealth

fifty times that claimed by any other new State at the time of admission into the Union. The State has 6,000 miles of railroad within its borders. Oklahoma city, the largest town, had 45,000 inhabitants, when it was only fifteen years old.

Chs. XXVIII and XXXI.

Salaries of Federal Officers.-The salaries of the principal officers of the Federal Government are:

Should Cabinet Officers Have Seats in Congress?-A single clause in the Constitution of the United States implies, but does not actually designate, the Cabinet. The President (M 1) is empowered to “require the opinion in writing of the principal officer of each of the executive departments upon any of the subjects relating to the duties of their respective offices." In many respects the Cabinet is simply a board of heads of departments. The powers of Cabinet officers in the United States are extremely

restricted. The Cabinet owes its existence to the fact that it is physically impossible for the President to attend to all the details of the Executive Department. The Cabinet officers act for him, and are responsible to him alone. They may give him advice, and therefore the President should see that his advisers are men whose opinions are worth having. He, however, is not bound to follow their advice, nor need he ask it on all occasions.

It has been said by many that the Cabinet officers should be much more than mere registers of the Executive, and that the efficiency of the Government would be much increased were the members of the Cabinet given seats in Congress. In the opinion of such commentators, the power of Cabinet officers is too restricted. The unity of government can best be secured by allowing members of the Cabinet to introduce bills, take part in debates-if not to vote, and they should be allowed, as in England, to make an appeal to the people in questions of great importance. In the constitution adopted by the Confederate States during the Civil War, Congress was authorized to grant seats upon its floor and the right to debate upon all public measures to the heads of the several executive departments, in order that the Legislative body and the Executive might act in closer harmony and easier coöperation than had been possible in the Federal Union.

But there was to be no time of peace in which a test of this new provision could be made. The Confederate Executive stood supreme at the front of action while a war for the very existence of the Confederacy lasted. Any nice balance of constitutional adjustment was out of the question. Constitutional safeguards gave way to the mere problem of making the existence of the government good upon the battlefield. The day may come when it may be recognized that these men, who had perceived this inconvenience of the Federal system, were correct in their criticism, and the attempt will again be made to make the Government more efficient by giving seats in Congress to the members of the Cabinet. Ch. XXIX.

Merit System in the Consular Service. The question of the

improvement of the diplomatic service abroad deserves careful and systematic consideration. It cannot be said that the consular service has been neglected during late years, for many material reforms have been instituted. Consular appointments are no longer regarded as political rewards to be handed over to persons unfitted by education, training, and habits of life for the duties intrusted to them. The merit system has been instituted, and provides a fairly effective test for persons desiring to enter the service. At the same time much still remains to be done in order to raise the character of the service, and to render it attractive to competent men. Proper legislation should place the service on a par with the army and navy as regards the permanence of positions and the conditions under which they are to be obtained. Mere transients assuming consular positions make poor officials. The service must be made worth while, and must afford opportunities such as are offered by the professions. Then there will be no difficulty in securing the right kind of men to represent this country, and care for our commercial and other interests the world over. Ch. XXIX.

Prestige and Consulates. In the Orient, the relative importance of a foreign nation popularly rests and depends upon the dignity surrounding the offices and residences of its official representatives. In places like Shanghai, China, it is essential that suitable buildings for the consular, judicial, postal, and other services be maintained. Where we must have courts, jails, post offices, and other things incident to a regular government establishment, it is essential that they be adequately maintained, or the prestige of the Nation will suffer. Its importance and strength will be estimated by the visible evidences of its power. Shanghai was the center of the boycott of American goods a short time ago. It is probable that the fact that the consulate building is in the least desirable part of the city, surrounded by large warehouses which make it practically impossible to see "Old Glory" from any great distance from the consulate, helped to make the boycotters think that the United States was not much of a nation,

and could be flouted with impunity. Bills have been introduced in Congress, and it is probable that some of the difficulties arising from such misconception of the relative importance of our Nation will be overcome through proper appropriations for buildings at Shanghai and other Oriental posts. Ch. XXIX.

The Life-saving Service.-Congress, stimulated thereto by the urgent recommendations of President Roosevelt, has recently increased the compensation of the persons employed in the United States Life-saving Service. There are 280 life-saving stations scattered along the thousands of miles of coast line on the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and the great lakes. During 1908, 386 vessels were involved in disaster within the field of the life-saving service's operations, of which 55 were totally lost. There were on board of these vessels 3,749 persons, of whom only 16 were lost. The value of the vessels and their cargoes was $12,212,000, of which $11,057,000 was saved.

In addition to this, 620 vessels with their cargoes, valued at $5,800,000, were saved under circumstances that would have involved serious or total loss but for the assistance given by the lifesaving crews, and assistance of more or less importance was given to 708 other vessels. The hardships and heroism of these men form a story too long to tell here, as do the injuries and disease incident to the service. They certainly deserved the generous action of Congress, resulting from the energetic suggestion of our youngest President. This man, who was performing the duties of his high office before he was forty-three, knows that the country can have no better method of marine insurance for life and property than that furnished by an energetic, young service which, since its institution in 1871, has had to deal with 18,411 disasters in which 127,395 persons were involved and only 1,194 lost, the total value of the property at stake being $265,046,000, of which no less than $211,124,000 was saved. Ch. XXIX.

Pensions.-The Federal Government has no charitable functions. The homes for its worn-out sailors and soldiers are maintained as just payment of a debt to those who have served in its