Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-09-05
VICTORIA TOOK FIRST STEP FOR
GENERAL DISARMAMENT.
APPEALED TO CAR NICHOLAS
LETTER CONVEYED TO THE EN-
PEROR WHEN AT BRUSSELS.
Proposition Was Received by the
Gar With Enthusiasm, and the
Proclamation to the Pow
ers Immediately
Followed.

Special Dispatch TO the Chicago Inter Ocean
NEW YORK, Sept. 1.-THE London corre-
spondent of the Evening Post sends to-day
the following inner history of the czar' s
peace encyciical for the substantial ac-
curacy Of which he says he can vouch:
Il can assert most positively that it
would never have been issued but for the
queen of England. The readers of these
cabiegrams know that EHgland's repeated
tumiliations in diplomatic encounters with
Count Muravieff. the Russian minister of
foreign affairs in the far East, were largely
Que to the queens earnest desire, which
the Marquis OF Salisbury interpreted as a
command that diplomatic pressure upon
Russia was not to be carried to the point
OF risk from war between herself and
her beloved grandchildren.
Count Muravieff. knowing this, played
as he pleased with British policy. first that
Of an integral China, then of an open trade
door. Goaded beyond endurance by public
criticisms, party pressure, and adverse by
elections, Lord Salisbury at last was driven
to tell the queen that he could not be re-
sponsibe for the conduct Of foreign affairs
unless he was given an absolutely free
hand, even should the issue be war.
My information, coming from one who
had direct personal knowledge of the in
terview. Is that Queen Victoria at once told
Lord Salisbury that she could make but
one reply to his appeal. She said that she
trusted implicitly in him, and thanked him
warmly for all loyal service. Then follow
ed a touching appeal to Lord Salisbury.
The queen reminded him again of her dear
est wish that her few remaining years
should not be sullied by terrible war.
what she asked, can do?'
Lord Salisbury replied:
"'One thing your majesty could GER
tainly do; bring her immense personal in
fluence to bear in the cause of peace
Queens Personal Appeal.
"The end of the interview was that the
empress dowager, mother Of the czar, wife
of the most peace-loving of all the Roman
offs. namely Alexander ILL.,. was chosen
as the medium of the queens personal ap-
peal, and the sister of the empress dow
ager, the Princess of Wales. who always
has been On terms OF the closest affection,
Osborne on August 2, and was intrusted
with the personal conduct of the autograph
letter from the queen to the empress dow
ager, and through her to the car
August for the family home at Copen-
hagen. The official intimation was, put
out here that her hurried departure. leay-
was due to the critical Illness of her moth
er. the queen of Denmark: yet the next
day newspaper telegrams from Copenfa-
gen announced that the queens illness was
in the words of her physician. mere in
while on August 6 the queen
of Denmark and the Princess of Wales
were out driving together for two hours
In word, the queens illness was an ofii-
cial pretext. The real object of the prin-
cess visit was to convey Queen Victoria's
letter.
Gar Was Enthusiastic.
~ he fr toll
czar received the queens letter with en-
thusiasm. following the traditional Roman
eff craving for peace and especially fol-
lowing the footsteps of his father the
peace cZar. He had made two previous at
tempts to induce Count Murayieff to assent
to a general appeal to the powers in the
cause of peace, but so long as Count Mura-
vieff knew that England would not go to
war he put the czar off. Directly, however,
that he learned the character of Queen
Eictorias letter he knew that the anti
British game was UP. The British minis
trys hands at last freed. they would in
upon their demands in China, while Rus
STA was quite unprepared to fight.
N. de Witte, the cars finance MINISTER.
to Count Muraveff, Russia's imperative
reed Of five years of peace to surmount
the famine trouble and to secure gold
for Count Muravieff to escape from an i'm
possible position and for NJ. de Witte to
carry out his financial plans at home and
enable Russia generally to fill in the out
lines of her recent expansion in the far
East?
Then. to encourage the young czar in
his manifesto would prove to the world
Russias disinterested desire for worldwide
aHlity. So came the manifesto. What now
will result from 1t? That depends abso-
luteiy on France. England's answer to the
czar will be most cordially appreciative.
She will gladly stay the increase of her
navy II the other powers will do likewise.
She will do so all the more readily now
that Count Muravieff is evidently ready to
give guarantees for the permanence of Brit
ish paramountcY In the Yang-tse YalleYn