The semi-weekly messenger., 1903-07-03
The Situation Regarding
the Jewish Petition
Critical
ANOTHER CAUSE
The Reason for Delaying the Jew
ish Petition is the Address Has
not Been Furnished-The Govern
ment Will not Hesitate to Send it
An Official Says Russia Adopts
Strange Methods of Making
known to America Her Attitude
i'm Advance and That it is not a
Friendly Way and That the Man.
churian Question is Included.

washington, July 1.-The position OF
the administration regarding the pro-
posed transmission of the petition of
the Jewish citizens of the United States
to the Russian government was made
very clear and positive by state
ment authorized by the state depart
ment tonight. This statement was In
spired by newspaper publications re-
fecting the attitude of the Russian
government in the event of the pre-
sentation of such a petition through
the medium Of the United States en-
bassy at st. Petersburg which had
been brought to the attention of high
officers of the government. 1t was
given very careful consideration both
here and at Oyster Bay before a deci-
sion was reached to make a declaration
regarding the matter. The statement is
as follows:
Washington, July 1.-The state depart
ment tonight authorized the following
statement:
AT the state department it was stat
ed by high official in the absence OF
Secretary Hay that the delay IN for
warding the petition of the American
citizens Of the Jewish faith as to the
ill treatment of their cO-religlOniStS in
Russia was due solely to the delay in
furnishing the address to the state de-
| partment by the petitioners. The state
department would of course, pay no
heed to any statement purporting to
emanate from the Russian government,
unless such statement were made off,
c1ally in some form or other, to our
own government. The state depart
ment has been scrupulously careful to
act only in accordance with all the re-
quirements of official propriety, but
within the limits thus laid down, it Will
most certainly not hesitate to give ex-
preston to the deep sympathy felt not
only by the administration, but by all
the American people for the unfortun-
ate Jews who have been the victims in
the recent appalling maSsacreS and
OutrageS.
/ In this connection it was pointed out
by another official who dlsclaimed any
purpose to speak in his official capaci-
ty, however, that it seemed somewhat
strange, to say the least, that the Rus
sian government should choose this
particular method of making a state
ment to the American people at rhe
very time when, by methods which are
certainly the reverse of friendly to the
United States, it has sought to make
China join in breaking the plighted
| faith of all the powers, as to the open
door in Manchur1a, and has endeavOred
to bar our people from access to the
Manchurian trade
| COUNT CASSINI WONT TALK.
| The above statement was shown to
| Count Cassini, the Russian ambassa-
| dor, tonight, but he declined to make
| any comment on it. Any reUly to this
| statement must be made under direct
| instructions from st. Petersburg. It is
| realized, both at the state department
| and the Russian embassy, that the sit
| uation is extremely dercate.
| THE PRESIDENT IS RETICENT.
Oyster Bay, N. Y, July 1.-Action by
the United States government IN trans
| mitting the petition of citizens of this
| country of the Jewish and of other re-
| ligious faiths, will not be affected by
| the inspired pronouncement Of the Rus
| sian government, given to the public to
| day. 1t evidently is the intention Of
| the admlnistra ton to forward the petit
| ton to the Russian ~0r-ernment as SOOr
as it is in readiness. This is rendered
| certain by a statement made here to-
| night by authority, which says thai
'the action of the administration II
reference to the outrageS on the Rus
sian Jews would be wholly unaffected
by any newspaper publication, purport
ing to emanate from the Russian gov
ernment, or by any communication no
properly forwarded to the state de
partment."
President Roosevelt declined to dis
cuSS, for publication, the statemen
, credited to the Russian government. III
said that any presentation OF the posi-
| ton Of this government, properly Ough
to come from the state department.