The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-07-10
RUSSIA Will. not
RECEIVE PETITION
The State Department, How
ever, Is Determined 20 Go
Ahead ard Send 1t.
CAN BE NO INTERFERENCE
Gear lr.timates Tha. Foreign Demands
in Regard to Internal Affairs of His
Realm Cannot Be Considered
Gomez at Wrong Time.

Washington, July 2-The Associat-
ed Press Is authorized to state the
Russian government most positively
and absolutely denies the report 1t has
offered any official explanation to the
American government regarding the
Kishtnef incident and declares 1t has
never been addressed by the American
government upon the subject.
The Russian government must cate
gorically refuse to receive from any
power any petitions, representations or
communications regarding its internal
affairs.
The position Of the administration
regarding the proposed transmission of
the petition Of the Jewish citizens of
the United States to the Russian gov
eminent was made very clear and posi-
tive by a statement authorized by the
state department last night.
This statement was inspired by news
paper publications rejecting the atti-
tude of the Russian government in the
event of the presentation of such a
petition through the medium OF the
United States embassy at st. Peters
burg, which had been brought to the
attention of high officers Of the govern
ment. 1t was given very careful con-
sideration, both here and at Oyster
Bay before q decision was reached to-
make any declaration regarding the
matter. The statement is as follows:
State Department Opinion.
Eat 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,
i'll treatment of their coreligionists in
Russia was solely due 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 purportlng to-
emanate from the Russian govern
ment unless such statement was made
officially in some form or other to our
own government. The state depart
ment has been. especially careful to act
only in accordance with all require
ments of official propriety, but within
the limits thus laid down it will most
certainly not hesitate to give express
sion to the deep sympathy felt not only
by the administration, but by all the
American people, for the unfortunate
Jews who have been the victims in the;
recent appalling massacres and out
RACES.
Comes at Wrong Time.
I'm this connection it was pointed out
by another official, who disclaimed any
purpose to speak in his official capa-
city, however, that 1t 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 the
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 Manchuria, and has endeavored
to bar our people from access to the
Manchurian trade"
The foregoing statement was shown
to Count Cassini, the Russian ambas-
sador, last night, but he declined to
make any comment on it. Any reply
to this statement must be made under
direct instructions from St. Petersburg.
1t is realized, both at the state de-
partment and the Russian embassy,
that the situation is extremely delicate.
United States Viii! Go Ahead.
Oyster Bay, N. Y, July faction by
the United States government in trans
hitting 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
yesterday. It evidently is the intention
of the administration to forward the
petition to the Russian government as
soon as it is in readiness. This was
| rendered certain by statement made
here last night by authority, which
says that 1.-The action of the admins
tration in reference to the outrages Of
| the Russian Jews would be wholly I'M
| affected by any newspaper publication
| purporting to emanate from the Rus
sian government or by any communica-
ton not properly forwarded to the
state department"
President Roosevelt declined to dis
| cuss for publication the statement au-
thorized by the Russian government.
He said that any presentation Of the
position Of this government properly
ought to come from the state departs
ment.