Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-05-24
HAYS ANSWER TO
THE BOER ENJOYS
informs Them That the United
States Cannot Intervene in
South African War.
STATEMENT MADE BY SECRETARY
The B"cr Commissioners Refuse to
Talk of the Interview, but
Hay Gives 1t to the
Public.

paftment has met the issue raised by
the coming to Washington of the Boer
delegation by declining to interfere in
behalf of the South African republics
in the present struggle. In view of
this announced decision all questions
as to the character of the recognition
to be extended to the delegates, and
the srthciency of their credentials,
dropped at once into the background.
Yesterday morning note came to
the state department from the dele
gates, asking that they be permitted
to present themselves at the DEPART
ineht. "A prompt acquiescencc was re-
turned by Secretary Hay, and the
hour of $3.50 was fixed for the meet
ing. At that time the three dele
once into the diplomatic room. Sec
rotary Hay cordially greeted his visit
ors.
just what passed between them
probably will never be exactly known,
for when the meeting was over, after
lasting an hour, the Beers stated to Il
number of newspaper men that they
had, and would have, nothing to say
as to what happened.
The secretary of state was more
communicative. After consulting with
the president he gave out statement,
in which he stated that the Boer dele
gates submitted at much length and
with great energy and eloquence the
merits OF the controversy in South
Africa and the desire of the Boer re-
Publics that the United States should
intervene in the interest of peace,
and use its influence to that end with
the British government,
Secretary Hay, in replying, reviewed
at length the presidents attempt at
intervention at the request of the two
South African republics, made
through United States Consul Hay at
Pretoria last March, to which Lord
Salisbury had replied that his gov
eminent could not accept the inter
Nention of any power. Continuing,
Secretary Hay said:
$50 far as we are informed, the
United States was the only govern
meht in the world, of all those APP
preached by the South African repub-
lies, which rendered its good offices TO
either of the combatants i'm the inter
est of the cessation of hostilities.
An allusion was made to the Hague
conference, and as action had been
suggested. based upon that instru-
ment, it may be as we'll to quote n
| phrase from article 3, which states:
Powers stranger to the dispute
may have the right to offer their good
Office and mediation even during the
course of hostiiities,' and article a,
which says: The functions of the
mediator are at an end when once it
is declared by either one of the par
ties to the dispute or by the mediator
| himself that the means of reconcile
alton proposed by him are not accept
ed This would seem to render amy
further action of the United States
unadvisable under existing circum-
| stances.
1.-The steps taken by the president
| in his earnest desire to see an end to
the strife which has caused so much
suffering 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 Eng
land the South African request for
good Offices, he might have justified
his action by referring to the follow
ing declaration, which was made in
the very act of signing The Hague
convention by the plenipotentiaries OF
the United States:
Nothing contained i'm this conven-
tion shall be 80 construed as to re-
4 quire the United States of America 10
relinquish it's traditional policy of not
intruding upon, Interfering or inter
esting itself with questions of policy
or international administration of any
foreign state;sahosssalall anything con
tanned in the saide4x,vention be con
strued to imply q ;Islllqushment by
the United States of America of its
traditional attitude toward purely
American questions.
"The president sympathizes heartily
i'm the sincere desire of all the people
of the United States that the wai
which is now affecting South Africa
may, for the sake of both parties en-.
gagged, come to a speedy close, but
having done his full duty in preserv
ing strictly neutral position between
them and in selling the first oppor-
tunity that presented itself for ten.
dering his good Offices in the interest
of peace. he feels that in the pres
ent circumstances no course is open
to him except to persist in the policy
of impartial neutrality. To deviatt
from this would be contrary to all our
traditions and all our national inter
ests, and would lead to consequences
which neither the president nor the
people of the United States would re-
gard with favor
Lord Pauncefote called at the state
department while the Beers were con
sulting with Secretary Hay, and after
the delegates had departed was adj
mitted to see the secretary.
SENATE BARS B0ER ENJOYS.