New-York tribune., 1903-07-12
TENTATIVE DIPLOMACY.
No Need to Worry About Non-offcial
Utterances.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Various more or less inspired utterances
which have appeared in the public prints about
the attitudes and intentions of the Russian and
American governments concerning the pending
Kishineff petition to be regarded as exam
pies of what may be called tentative diplo-
macy" conducted through the indispensable
agency of the press It must be distinguished
from what has been called newspaper diplo-
macy" which is a different and far less cred
liable thing Newspaper diplomacy" or town
meeting diplomacy" IS an attempt to transact
private business in public by screaming from
the housetops important matters which should
be quietly discussed in the closet. That is an
indiscreet and improbable thing have high
regard for the newspaper press and high esti-
mate Of its functions But l cannot regard 1t
as a function Of the newspaper to supersede
ambassadors and ministers of state. What is
legitimate and often profitable, however, is for
the press to be the servant the medium of
such ministers in giving expression tentatively
to opinions and desires in advance of and aux
iiiary to the serious work of diplomacy. / have
called that the indispensable agency of the
press. because 1t would be impossible to per-
form just such work in any other way.
In the present both the Russian and
American governments have discreetly en-
ployed this agency. The Russian press has been
saying assumably in behalf OF the imperial gov
ernment, that the Russian Government cannot
permit alien interference in its domestic af-
fairs; that the presentation of any remon-
STRANGE, petition other utterance concerning
the Kishinef massacre would be such inter
ference, and that therefore it could not permit
such presentation, accept it if made. The
American press has likewise said that the
American Government does not think the mere
forwarding and delivery OF a respectful petit
ton would be interference in the domestic af-
fairs Of Russia, and it intends to proceed
with such forwarding and delivery. At the
same time each government is careful to make
it plain that it does not regard official any
such newspaper utterances in behalf of the
other, and therefore will not take any official
notice of them. For the Russian press to state
even ''on authority" that the Russian Govern
ment will not receive the petition, and for the
Russian Government officially to inform the
American Government to that effect are two
very different things rhe former is something
the American Government need not, indeed
can not, officially notice. The latter would be
something TO which it would necessarily pay
serious attention.
At present. then. the case stands thus: De-
spite all that has been published about it, the
Russian Government does not officially know
that the President is going to forward the
Kishinef petition. Despite all that has been
published. the American Government does not
officially know that the Russian Government
may decline to receive the petition. Such
knowledge will come. if ever only when action
Is taken by the proper diplomatic officers.
cerning the results of which we can now merely
speculate. These tentative utterances in the
press are presumably serving valuable purposes
TO the two governments, and may go far tow
ard shaping their inal action. But in my judg-
ment it would be a sad mistake for the general
public TO take them too seriously. as binding
words, upon which hang the issues of peace
and They are not such. 1t is not after
ALL by newspaper interviews nor by "communi-
cations from officials of high rank that the af-
fairs of nations are directed. Let US possess
our souls in peace. Tentative Utterances. no
matter how sharp ley may seem. are, after all,
merely tentative. The real work win come later,
and there is present reason TO fear that its
result will et,-er menace our friendly relations
with all the world or do discredit to our gener-
Gus interest in the welfare of the human race.
Yours. w F. ].
Neu-York IuIy : 1902