The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-11-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.

w ANalNQ ILL 1los
The determination of Russia and Great
Britain to invoke one of the methods de-
vised by the Hague Tribunal, for the
settlement of the acute situation result
ing from the recent firing on British fish
ermen by the Russian fleet is regarded in
Washington as distinct triumph for the
cause of international peace, and is the
occasion of great qualification to Presi-
dent Roosevelt, whose reference of the
Plus Fund case to the Hague, followed
by his persuading the European creditors
of Venezuela to submit to the arbitrament
of the same tribunal, restored that court
from the desuetude into which it had
sunk to one of the foremost factors in the
promotion of universal peace.
~
It must not be supposed that Russia
and Great Britain have, as yet, submitted
their difference to arbitration, however,
although that may be the ultimate out
come of the present move. The inter-
national commission of inquiry to which
the difference between Russia and Great
Britain will now be submitted will merely
make an impartial investigation of the
facts and comprehensive statement OF
its findings, a statement which, in words
of the convention, ''has in no way the
character of an arbitral award.' sit
leaves the conflicting powers entire
freedom as to the effect to be given to
this statement = 1t was believed by the
devisers of this method of examination
into International disputes, that such a
statement would either make manifest to
the conflicting powers a just method of
settlement or, in the event of failure to do
so, would pave the way for international
arbitration, while, in any event, the pro-
ceedings of inquiry would necessarily tide
over that crucial period which inevitably
follows the occasion of an international
rupture.
*x*
The hope is strongly expressed by GER
tain diplomats in Washington that Rus
sias resort to the Hague in this instance,
followed at no distant date, as it is prob
able, by the reassembling of representa-
tives of the powers signatory to the
Hague convention in response to the in
vitation just issued by President Roose
velt for the purpose of promoting univer
sal peace and minimizing the horrors of
war, and actually lessening the frequency
of war, must tend to create moral force
which, in turn, will effect cessation of
existing hostilities between Russia and
Japan.
~
A reecho of the famous postofice inves-
tigation of year ago has just been heard
throughout the country in the qualification
of two letters addressed by President
Roosevelt's secretary to James N. Tyner,
once Postmaster General and, until the
summer of 1908, Attorney General for
the Postofice Department. When the
postoffice investigation was concluded
the President issued memorandum in
which he characterized in scathing terms
the conduct of Tyner aud his nephew, by
marriage, Barrett, who together appeared
to be responsible for the admission
TO the mails of numerous get-rich-
quick concerns and other fraudulent com
panies who, as the President pointed
out, had through the neglect of duty, or
the culpability, of Tyner and Barrett,
been enabled to swindle thousands of
people, many of them, those who could
least afford the loss, out of many thous
ands of dollars. Tyner and Barrett had
been indicted and were subsequently
tried on the charge of conspiracy to de-
fraud. Tyner, who has suffered stroke
of paralysis, was carried in and out of
court, suffered numerous sinking spells, :"
when in the presence of the jury, had ito
resort to restoratives," and the two men
who. under the law must be jointly &C.
quilted or convicted, were acquitted.
Tyner then wrote a letter to the President
demanding that he retract the statements
he made in his memorandum. The
President replied, through his secretary,
that although Tyner had been acquitted
of the charge brought in the trial. he
could not retract his statements which
were based on grounds additional to
those involved in the trial and which
were in themselves ample to warrant all
that had been contained in the memoir
auduni. This letter Tyner did not make
public, but waiting, apparently, until the
.heigth of the campaign. he replied to
the Presidents letter of last June and
has only now made public his reply. To