The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-07-31
Diplomatic Mix-up
Causing Democratic HiIarity

administration on the Russian end
Manchurian question is causing a good
deaf Of hilarity here among Democrats
and some uneasy wonderment among
Republicans as to the final outcome.
It is known here that the remarkable
statement lately given out by Assist
ant Secretary of State Loomis. during
the absence Of Secretary Hay, to the
effect that the Kisheneff affair and
the Manchurian question concerning
the open door policy we're intertwined
and interdependent, aid must, there
fore. be considered together, was in
spired by no less a personage than
President Roosevelt hit1self When
Secretary Hay hurried 20 Oyster Bay
and informed the president that he
had played the dicktus" in giving
DOomis any such Instructions, the
president quickly side stepped" and
left poor Locmis with the bag to hold.
The vcriest tyro in diplomacy would
have known that the two questions
had no more to do with each other
then the Alaskan boundary dispute has
so 20 with the Breathitt county feuds,
and Assistant Secretary Loomis prob
ably knew II when he was promulgat-
ing the remarkable statement that
went out to the country. but he was
obeying the instructions Of his chief
who was simply trying to play some
politics ami got his gee" leg over
the Low" traces. Secretary H-.
recei. ststerent to the effect that he
mad obtained Rrssia's consent to the
open door in several important ports
in Manchuria has still further compli-
Gated matters. He made the unquali-
fed statement that he Rad things
"fxed". Now. Count Cassirh, the Rus
sian ambassador to this ountry, comes
out in a statement and says it isn't
SO. and that Secretary Hay said moth
ing to ldm about the matter, and there
you are.
So far as the Kisheneff affair is con-
cerned, public men here are contrast
ing the actions Of two men in the
matter When the news of this mas
sacre of Jews in Russia came to this
country, the first man to echo the cry
of horror was Mr.. William r. Hearst
in his papers. Although he is a gem
Tile himself. he Immediately began tho
collection of relief fund for those
poor, persecuted people, heading the
list with a generous donation from
his own pocket. He not only did this,
but he demanded justice for the Jews
and sent a special commissioner to
the scene Of the massacre in the per-
son OF Michael Davitt, the well known
Irish member of parliament This had
the effect of rousing Russia to action
in the matter, order was restored and
some of the leaders in the massacre
were arrested and the governor of the
province was dismissed from office.
MT Hearst's action was dictated by
humanitarianlsm and his innate love
OF justice. The action of the president
of the United States in this Kishenen
matter has laid him open to the charge
OF trafficking for votes in a manner
that is on par with the methods Of
a ward heeler. He first blew cold and
then he blew hot He ignored the
matter completely until he was called
on by a committee of influential Jews,
who asked hin to present petition to
the czar of Russia setting forth the
woes OF the unfortunate Jews in his
empire He then proceeded TO get
very busy He gave out statements
from the state department as to what
he was going to do. and how he was
going to do It, He knew that the
changes would be rung on this thing
through the press of the country until
the Jews Of the country would begin
TO think that he was their greatest and
best friend and grapple them to him
with hoops of steel He also knew
that the thing would go so far that
Russia could be compelled to take
cognizance Of il and announce hel
policy in the matter. Russia has done
so. and announces that she Will not
receive any suggestions from anybody
concerning her internal policies Al
this, Roosevelt lies down "liEe steer
in the road, washes his hands of the
whole affair, says he has done all he
can for the Jews, and that ends th'
matter This is not the FIRST time th'
president has played petty politics
nor Is It the first time he ever wen
bear" hunting and came bas-. emDt!
handed