The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-09

consequently we can take no other atti-
tude than that which has been ofiic-
tally announced from our foreign office
many times But we are wondering
what our great neighbor to the west,
the United States, will do in this emer-
gency OF course, can speak only for
Russia, but there seems a similarity of
interests to guard and to promote. Rus
sia is at the entrance ot her industrial
and commercial development, and she
viii endeavor to shield this develop
ment from all that might retard it. We
have vast countries just awakening
from the lethargy of centuries and be-
coming grain lands and pasture coun-
tries, and from the outlet on the
Chinese sea we hope TO enter the COM
mercial world in the four quarters of
the globe. With our Siberian railroad
we will carry to Europe the treasures
of India and of China. The tea pro-
duct alone will bring us an annual in
come of 100000 roubles about $780,
00O,00O). Other staple products yield n
propOrtlonate figure. Then it is hoped
to extend our merchant marine across
to your great western countries and to
bring your overabundance into Asia
and Africa. For this reason Russia
would welcome the United States as
factor in the councils of the nations
that must of necessity govern the East.
We have never officially nor unofflcially
protested against the American occu-
patton of the Philippines. On the con-
trary, we have welcomed the United
States in coming nearer to us, as one
friend welcomes another.
ut has been the source of much graft
flcation to me that Mr.. Hitchcock,
lately your ambassador to st. Peters
burg, has told the American people
about the attitude of Russia before and
since the Spanish war. 1t would be
expected that Russias ambassador at
Washington would say that nothing
hostile had been done against your
country by his own. His position would
be untenable otherwise. But Mr.. Hitch
cock is a disinterested witness, and
when he has so cordially and so elo-
quently reiterated what ! have said to
! am of course deeply grateful. Rus
sia maintains her old historic attitude
towards this great nation. She was
one of the first to aid the founders of
this republic and she has been through
out it's growth a sympathetic and sin
cere friend. During the Civil war she
did her part when the existence of the
Union was threatened, and if during
the war which has just been fought the
United States had needed the aid of
Russia it would have been given as
freely and as fully as in the past. There
have been many who have asserted
very different things of Russia's feeling
towards America, and there are still
some who say that Russia has ulterior
intentions in endeavorinE to draw the
United States into the Chinese ques-
ton. Time and the authority of your
own ambassador at ST. Petersburg have
proved the falsity of the first PROPOSE
ton, and of the second, it can be said
that Russia is not trying to draw the
United States into the Chinese ques-
tion, but If the United States, to pro-
tect her vast commercial interests sees
fit to seek a voice in deciding this i'm
portant issue, Russia will be the first
to welcome her and to cooperate in
finding just and satisfactory solution
Of it's difficulties
Ii may fairly be assumed that in good
time the United States will seek a
voice" in reference to China by causing
the world at large to know that it will
expect from all the occupants Of the
! Orient treatment in trade free from un-
fair discrimination. Should such treat
! ment anywhere find denial it is reason
! able to assume that the United States,
| with or without the aid of friendly ma
| tions, will take measures to protect its
! own. That is certainly as far as we
| should have any moral right to go and
| to go, whatever the consequences or
| the cost. The friendship of Russia, now
! asserted in words, can in the coming
! years be proved in actions, and by
those actions we should be content tc
! guide our future policy. The Russian
| ambassador speaks truly when he says
that down to this time Russia has given
to the United States no cause for COM
plant and many evidences of good will
y continuation of the same cordial re.
lations will be the earnest desire of the
American people and, we trust, of Rus.
| slams also.
Meanwhile, by the use which the
European nations make of their Orien
tai seizures will they be judged before
the worlds best public opinion.
Consul Williams appears to have