The age-herald., 1900-05-22
SENATE REFUSES THE
 FLOOR TO THE ENvOYS
After a Lengthy and Spirited Debate the Resolution
 Was Laid on the Table

ernments of the republics to urge your in- tervention with view to cessation of hos tilittes. Same request was made to repre- sentatives of European powers
 '"The president at once directed me to convey the substance of this telegram to the British government and in communi- eating this request I was directed by him to express his earnest hope that a way to bring about peace might be found and to say that he would be glad to aid in any friendly manner to promote so happy a result. The Transvaal government was at the same time informed of the presidents action in the matter. Our representative in London promptly communicated the presidents instruction to Lord Salisbury. In answer he was requested to thank him for the friendly interest shown by him and Lord Salisbury added that her majestys government could not accept the interven- tion of any power. This communication also was immediately transmitted to our consul at Pretoria, to be communicated to the president of the South African republic. So far as we are informed, the United States was the only government in the world of all those approached by the South African republics which rendered its good offices to either of the combatants in the interest of cessation of hostilities.
 Allusion to Hague Conference
 "An allusion had been made to the Hague conference and as action had been sug- gested, it may be as well to quote phrase from Article III, which states: Powers stranger to the dispute may have the right to offer good offices or mediation even during the course of hostilities and Article V, which says The functions of the mediator are at end when once It Is declined either by one of the parties to the dispute or by the mediator himself, that the means of reconciliation proposed by him are not accepted
 "Ims would seem to render any further action of the United States unadvisable un- der existing circumstances.
 "The steps taken by the president in his earnest desire to see an end to the strife which caused so much suffering may al- ready be said to have gone to the extreme limit permitted to him. If indeed in his dis erection 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 following declaration, which was made in the very act of signing The Hague convention by the penipotenti- aries of the United States; Nothing con- tained in this convention shall be so con strued as to require the United States of America to depart from it's traditional pol icy of not intruding upon interfering with, or entangling itself with questions of policy or internal administration of any foreign state; nor shall anything contained in the sad convention be construed to imply re- linquishment by the United States of Amer ica of the traditional attitude toward purely American questions.
 ''The president sympathfzes heartily in the sincere desire of all of the people of the United States that the war which is now afflicting South Africa, may, for the sake of both parties engaged, come to a neutral close; but having done his full duty in preserving a strictly neutral position be- tween them and in seizing the first oppor- tunity that presented itself for rendering his good office in the interests of peace, he feels that, in the present circumstances, no course is to open to him, except to persist in the policy in impartial neutrality. To deviate 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 should regard with favor"
 Lord Pauncefote called at the state de- pertinent while the delegates were confer ring with Secretary Hay. He was shown into the diplomatic reception room and there displaced General O'Beorne, who had also been waiting to see Secretary Hay. The ambassador was not kept long, for in the course of an hour the Boers left and he was admitted to see the secretary