The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-09
HAYS Russian Policy.

The statement given by the president to |
the press last week, defining the position |
OF the government as to the transmission
Of the Jews petition touching the massa-
.cres OF Jews in Russia, to the Russian
government was not approved by Secre-
tary Hay, who was absent from Washing
ton at the time. .....-:
The difference between the views Of the
president and secretary Is no doubt COM
posed and talk Of rupture and Hays resig-
nation from the cabinet Is probably base,
less. The secretary has been working
out with his customary diplomatic skill
and reserve. his own plan Of dealing with
the Manchurian question, and he has been
cautious in his expressions while, in the
statement given officially to the press,
Russia Is bluntly pilloried for unfriend-
Illness and seeking ''to make China join in
breaking the plighted faith Of all the
powers as to the open door in Man
churin and has endeavored to bar our
people from access to t he Manchurian
trade" While there is no doubt that this
statement Is true, an expert in diplomacy
/ would not have allowed. the expression to
| emanate from the government direct, as
| this did The president is not cut out for
| a diplomatic expert. and did not consider
| that IN the world Of diplomacy there is a
| time for saying certain things and q time
| for not saying them, and time to be
i very ambiguous, a quality which Paul
| Chatfleld says Is deemed essentially
necessary to the clear understanding of
diplomatic writings and law proceedings
AS the matter now stands, our govern
ment cannot, with honor, withdraw the
| statement Of July !, which was sent all
over the world from Washington, with
the predatory remark that 1T was given
careful consideration both here and at
Oyster Bay before g. decision was reached
to, make any declaration regarding the
matter" The government stands respon-
sible and will back the statement no
doubt, altho its tone is distinctly hostile
j andwould be regarded by any nation spoil
} Ing for a fight as casus belli, especially
as our government has reinforced our
Asiatic squadron strongly during the last
few months.
} At the present moment a Russian war
council Is sitting at Port Arthur on the
Liao-tong peninsula, attended by all the
chief Russian officials In China Man
} churia and Koren, and while reporters
; are excluded, it is a foregone conclusion
, that the immediate topic is the threaten
ing attitude Of Japan, which has been de-
TERED from declaring war against Russia
only by the oounsels and objections OF The
I elder statesmen, who have figured out
3 the cost Of round with the claws Of ole
: Adam Fad, and the hardness Of Grea,
Britain to actualize the Anglo-J japanese
9 treaty OF 1902: The other powers keeI
g their eyes fixed on Port Arthur and thei
u ear son the ground and listening, and Rus
o STA shows no disposition to abdicate he
8 assumption of sovereignty over Manchuria
t and China, covering helplessly before her
r Is dumb and deaf to our insistent demand
8 that the Manchurian ports be opened t,
Il trade, practically admitting that Russi,
# Is her lord and master. Secretary Hay
It policy includes Russias compliance witt
d our demands for open doors Of trade. Rec
% ognizins China's claimed sovereignty owe
/ Manchuria, the demandsis first made t
IS her Russia's assumption 81 severeignt
g does mot minimize oursrights we hav
a no territorial lust to crafty, but, wit
i Secretary Hay in the department Of state
o it is extremely probable that the Russif
: cation Of Manchuria will not mean tn
barring out OF American trade
a The statement of July / was a bit {
Of incaution, not inherent in our departmen
se OF state, and the wise diplomacy, who
1e usually sways that department will over
esl cana any acridity generated thereby i