sentences:  On the death of Secretary John Hay, he served as acting Secretary of State briefly in 1905.During his State Department tenure, he became associated with the reorganization of the American Red Cross, serving as a charter member.His commissions included final negotiations which resulted in the acquisition of the Panama Canal Zone, service as special ambassador to France to receive the body of John Paul Jones and Special Envoy Extraordinary to Japan, arranging the visit of the U.S. fleet to that country in 1908.