Elihu Root Quotes
In the democratic countries generally, the great body of citizens are refusing to wait until negotiations are over or policies are acted upon or even determined. They demand to know what is going on and to have an opportunity to express their opinions at all stages of diplomatic proceedings…. public opinion will be increasingly not merely the ultimate judge but an immediate and active force in negotiation.
The public desire to know about and influence the details about diplomatic affairs is not just a problem of the 21st century. Here the Secretary of State describes it in 1922.
Elihu Root, 1845-1937, U. S. Secretary of War & U. S. Secretary of State, U. S. Senator (Republican, NY), Nobel Laureate in Peace, “A Requisite for the Success of Popular Diplomacy”, Foreign Affairs, September 1922
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The Green Party and The Socialist Party had combined in an alliance. This was their publication. In addition to showing that the right to know and freedom of information was a major issue in other industrial democracies as well as the United States, the quotation is particularly interesting because the title of the article was used over 200 years before by none other than the American patriot, Patrick Henry. See {60328}. The phrase has been used many times in many lands since.
Prior to this policy change, the Port Authority made and started to implement decisions and THEN held public hearings. The Port Authority is a bi-state organization that is the largest building authority in the country. It has built and operated all the bridges and tunnels connecting New York City Boroughs and the City with New Jersey and Long Island. They also have built and operated many of the major highways and recreation centers in New York City and Long Island. Additionally, it erects large buildings and other facilities like the World Trade Center. It’s funding comes directly from tolls, rents and other income from its facilities and the bonds that it floats, and so does not need any funding from either state. It actually makes a huge profit. It was started by Robert Moses, who wanted Independence of operation from the States of New Jersey and New York and the New York City Government. Moses was known for his authoritarian, non-consultative style, and subsequent Chairman tried to maintain that. Moses and the Port Authority had stayed clear of political influence and corruption. However, gradually the appointees were more and more beholden to the Governors of the two states and in 2014 a major scandal erupted where the New Jersey Governor’s staff was using the Port Authority to punish communities what did not support the Republican Governor Christie. This triggered calls for reform of which this new policy was one of the first.
Kennan was talking about the Russians, but the same principle seems to hold with any autocratic government and in some cases even democracies. However, the tradition of secret diplomacy with no transparency is established even in many democracies. Great Britain and France, for example conduct most of their diplomacy in secret as do less democratic governments and tyrannies. They expect us to keep negotiations confidential, which causes American diplomats to be torn between the American view of transparency and the tradition of confidentiality.
The next article itemizes a few exceptions such as national security, but by and large government documents are accessible.
The Bush presidency was the most secret presidency in history up to its time with less information available to the public than other administrations in modern times.
Coolidge had no involvement in politics after his Presidency. He was never consulted by his successor and never resented that fact.
Elihu Root was an American lawyer and statesman who served as Secretary of State under President Theodore Roosevelt and as Secretary of War under Roosevelt and President William McKinley. He moved frequently between high-level appointed government positions in Washington, D.C. and private-sector legal practice in New York City. For that reason, he is sometimes considered to be the prototype of the 20th century political "wise man", advising presidents on a range of foreign and domestic issues. He was elected by the state legislature as a U.S. Senator from New York and served one term, 1909–1915. Root was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1912.
