Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-05-24
TO MEET M'KINLEY
BOER WISH ORS AND PRESIDENT
TO EXCH ANGE COURTESIES.
AT WHITE: HOUS TO-DAY
But State Department Refuses to Re
ceive Them as Official Representa-
tives and President VIII Take No
Further Actton-Hague Provisions
Quoted.

washington, May 22.-The state de
partment has met the issue raised b,
the coming to Washington of the Doe
delegation by declining to interfere il
behalf of the south African republic
IN the present struggle. In view O
this announced decision all question!
as to the character of recognition tt
De extended to the delegates, and the
sufflclency of their credential:
| dropped at once into the BACKGROUND
yesterday note came to the state
| department from the delegates askins
! that they be permitted to present
I themselves at the department. Al
| the time fixed for the meeting the
three delegates appeared and were
shown at once into the diplomatic
room Secretary Hay, accompanied
by Mr.. Babcock, his private secretary
and stenographer, entered the diplo-
matte room and cordially greeted his
visitors. When the meeting was over
after lasting half an hour, the beers
stated to a number of newspaper men
that they had nothing to say as to
what happened. The secretary OF
state after consultation with the pres
ldent gave out a statement in which
he said the boer ENJOYS presented at
much length and with great energy
and eiCQuence the merits of the con-
tToversy in south Africa and the de-
sire OF the boer republics that the
United States should intervene in the
interest of peace and use its influence
to that end with the British govern
ment. Secretary Hay in reply re-
viewed the facts of the presidents
communication with the British gov
eminent in response to the request of
the United States last March and the
reply Of Lord Salisbury that her maj
esty's government could net accept
the intervention of any power. Sec
rotary Hay also quoted to the ENJOYS
article 5 Of the Hague conference
which says: The functions of the
mediator are at an end when it is
once declared, either by one Of the
parties to the dispute or by the medi-
0tor himself that the means of recon
citation proposed by him are not
accepted
The secretary of state continued:
This would seem to render
any further action of
the United States unadvisa-
ble under existing circumstances. The
steps taken by the president in his
earnest desire to see an end to the
strife which has caused so much suf-
fering may already be said to have
gone to the extreme limit permitted
to him. Indeed, if in his discretion he
had chosen not to present to England
his request for his good Jfices, he
might have justified mis- action by re-
ferring to the following declaration OF
the Hague convention: Nothing con-
tanned in this convention shall be so
construed as to require the United
States of America to depart from it's
traditional policy of not intruding up
on, interfering with, or entangling it
self with the persons, policy or inter-
nal administration Of any foreign
state, nor shall anything contained in
said convention be construed to imply
REIMBURSEMENT by the United States of
America of its traditional attitude to
ward purely American questions
The president sympathizes heartily
in the sincere desire Of all the people
Of the United States that the war which,
is now affecting south Africa may, for
the sake of both parties engaged, come
to speedy close, but, having done his
full duty in preserving a strictly neu-
trail position between them in seizing
the first opportunity that presented it
self for rendering his good offices in the
interests of peace, he feels that in the
present circumstances no course is oper
to him except to persist in a policy o.
impartial neutrality. To deviate from
this would be contrary to all our tradi
tons, all our national interests AM
would lead to consequences which
neither the president nor the peopl,
should regard with favor"
The boer representatives will be re
ceived by the president at the whit
house at 10 o'clock today. The call.
is understood, will be entirely unofi
cial in character, as the ENJOYS hav
not yet presented to the officials her
the credentials with which they are &C
credited.