New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-29
crAI, CONFERENCE HITCH
r,,r, INVITATION TO RUSSIA AND JAPAN
NOT AN AFTERTHOCGIiT.
u.uv LORD SALISBURY oEJEcTED-THE CON
,...,,.,,cr LIKELY TO ZEE HELD on THE
ORIGINAL. LlNEs-IT WILL BE FOR
CONSULTATION ONLY.


fry CABLE TO THE TEIBUNE.l
,o,d,,, Sent. 2S-The English press. In dls-
,,csirr The hitch which has arisen III inc
ocotiatious for the seal conference assn ues
,ho, the idea Of inviting Russia ard japan was
az sftertEough; on the part OF the "asA'hE-
,on Government The state Department Is
o,,rged With attempting To enlarge the h4ur!
nv drawing RYssia and japan INTO H. "h9H
w., co,sbrry had specifically agreed 20 con-
,ereuce restricted to an exchange o. views
a,,orr the American, British and Canadian ex-
perts. ,....,.,.,. r,,,r-
,..,,n Who, Mr. Foster returned from ST.
po,orshurg last summer Russia had agreed to
= conference. Before Lord Salisbury wrote ms
a,snatcb on July 2S. there had been several
e,,cor,,cas AZ the Foreign Office. and the de-
i ~ tho state Department that both Russia
-, toron should be included was plainly IN
,,,ot.1 The Russian Ambassador in LONDON
nod on interview with Lord Salisbury on the
.,,,,oct ., the Foreign Ofllce. Mr.. Foster had
oorforance with NJ. Chamberlain and Sir VIII
,-t1 Tour!er in which the scope of the pro-
I'D meeting was fully discussed. The Jap
.nasa Minister also interested himself IN the
question For month preceding July - Il"
secret wa; made OF the fact that the United
states Government had invited Russia ana
. Japan to take part in the conference ana was
onxIols TO have Great Britain and Canada CO.
onerate in the movement. The assumption Oh
certain English journals that the proposal 10
include Russia and Japan was an af'erlhouEhl
,or the sake OF entrapprs Great Britain ana
Canada into a conference in which they Wouid
no outvoted is as baseess as the fantastic lde2
that American diplomacy has devised a. fresh
expedient for giving the lions tail another
twist
The truth Is that the master OF the Forelsh
Office understood perfectly the broaN scope Vi
the coofare,ce to which England has been in
ylted along with Russia and Japan but ac-
cepted the proposal in guarded way so that
re could object 10 the presence OF representa-
t,ves of those two Powers if he chose to do So
Ambassador Hay was. however, equal 10 the
emergency for in a perfectly courteous letter OF
acknowledgment. dated July 20, he reminded
Lord Salisbury that. as had been intimated all
along the Russian and Japanese representa-
t,ves would attend the conference. When LORD
Salisbury decided In September to object 10
the presence of those representatives II was
because pressure had been brought to bear
upon him from Canada, and not because there
had been any afterthought or Yankee trick at
Washington. as ill-informed critics here hasthy
assume. Lord Salisbury LEFT the bridge open
for his retreat but 1t is not n foregone conclu-
sion that he will cross II and break up the con-
ference On the contrary it Is probable that an
international meeting will be arranged
IT is understood in diplomatic circles that the
latest communications from Secretary Sherman
on the subject have been felicltously phrased
and have produced an excellent effect az the
Foreign Office What needed was tact.
and Il has not been lacking. England and
Canada will probably be LEFT at liberty to send
delegates to the conference. with the under
standing that they cannot he outvoted or com
mitted to any definite policy and thai they can
retire from ii whenever they choose to do So
The conference will be purely consultative 1t
will supply scientific information which will be
useful in determining the general question or
the best measures requisite foc the protection or
the last fur seal herd OF the face Of the waters.
1t will have no binding force upon any nation
represented in the Deliberations.
The attitude OF the American Government Is
so reasonable that it is probable that the con-
ference will be held on the original lines after
the Foreign Office has provided adequate evil
dence for future publication in Blue Books that
1t has not been cocrced or bued or entrapped
by the sly, wicked Jingoes in America.