The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-02
RUSSIA COMPLAINS.
Finds Fault With Sentiment of
American Public.

conference lasting more than an hour
! has taken place between Secretary Hay
and Count Cassini. The growing i'll
feeling in Russia against Americans
and the continued attacks OF certain
| portions of the American press upon
Russia was the main subject discuss
| ed.
Count Cassini also Informally inquir-
ed about the report that commercial
| cable company had applied for landing
| privilege at Guam for a cable from that
| island to Japan. He was assured by
Mr.. Hay that this government at pres
| ent was considering no such applica-
| ton. The ambassador did not give any
| intimation as to what the attitude of
| his government would be in this mat
ter The Associated Press dispatches
from st. Petersburg. however, have
stated that the Russian government
would view aSkance the granting of
such privilege by this government and
| it is assumed that this government has
declined for the present to consider
such an application.
To a correspondent of the Associated
Press Count Cassini said that the Rus
sian people long since had learned to
| regard the people of this country as
| their fast friends and that it had been
| a bitter disappointment to them to find
American newspapers attacking the
| Russian government, the Russian peo-
pie and Russian policies. He said the
I first feeling of his people had been one
of painful surprise but that this is now
crystalized into a deplorable feeling of
unfriendliness.
1.-The tone of Russian newspapers
said the ambassador, "a consequence
of the tone of many American news
papers is beginning to take a very
painful direction in their references to
1 the United States, and in my opinion
| it is in the interest of both countries
that some measures shall be taken to
check this before it is too late For
/ Inn the r0Iati0nS of the two
| ernments continue, as always, abSo-
lutely friendly, and for this reason l
am hopeful that the present unfriendli-
ness on the part of the press of the
| two countries will not be lasting. The
friendliness of the American and Rus
sian governments, it is my belief, fur
nishes the basis for the restoration and
preservation of the traditional friend
ship of their two people, and l hope
some means may be found for the lat
ter to reach a better understanding"
What is the cause of the present
unfriendly policy of the Russian press
toward this country" the ambassador
was asked
He responded: ut is the constant I'M
friendly feeling expressed in many
American newspapers against Russia
am sure that when these attacks,
which so far as Russia can see, are
without cause, end the relations of
Russia and the United States will no
longer be clouded.
II am convinced of this because a
careful analysis Of the criticism ex-
pressed in this country fails to show
| any real ground for the bad feeling
people naturally cannot understand
these attacks upon them, and have
asked in all seriousness the reason for
them. For example, one reason which
has been advanced is that this country
| is displeased that Russia was unable
to evacuate Manchuria last October. 1t
was the earnest hope of my govern
ment that it would be possible to with
draw its troops from Manchuria at that
time. The necessity of safeguarding
our peculiar and predominant position
there, a position which has been recog-
nized by all the powers, made it i'm
with safety. This, in plain words, is
the reason why it has been impossible
for the evacuation to take place.
There have been examp1es-and it
is not necessary for me to specify
where a nation IN good faith has de-
clared it's intention to evacuate a re-
gion and has been obliged by unfore-
seen conditions to postpone the full
fillment of those intentions. The Rus
sian people, knowing the situation in
Manchuria; knowing Furthermore, that
the avowed, prime and sole interest of
the U. S. in that province is CONNER
cial, and that the government of Rus
STA has given all the powers, including
that their commercial rights will be
protected and safeguarded which ever
emergency may arise are unable to ex-
plain the continued attacks of certain
American newspapers against Russia
because she has been unable with safety
to effect an evacuation.
ut is tradition in Russia to feel
! friendly to America. Hundreds of
Americans returning from Russia
have told me of the marked kindness
with which they have been received
in all parts of my country and of the
| friendship of which they saw evideOc e
on every side for the United States.
| These travellers who have had the OPP
portunity to study the situation on the
spot are deeply impressed with the sin
certify of this feeling, not only on the
part of the people of Russia but the
| government as we'll.
cit is but natural that feeling of
| disappointment has swept over Rus
STA when American newspapers have
arrived there attacking the government
and people in a bitter manner.
81 have been repeatedly assured by
the officials that it is the earnest wish
of this government that the old tradi-
tional friendship between Russia and
the United States in the interest of the
| two people should not be disturbed
have the best assurance that this gov
! eminent will observe complete neutral
ity in the far eastern war. Indeed its
attitude has in this respect been all
| that either belligerent could desire, and
Russia has no doubt that it will con-
tinue absolutely correct.
Russia does not expect, now that war
is on, that this country shall be any
thing more than neutral My country
does not ask that you should be pro-
Russian and not pro-Japanese but that
you should be pro-American. She ex-
poets and I can but hope that she will
receive fair treatment at the hands of
the American press, as you say in this
country, a fair showing. One of the
reasons for the present unfortunate
situation is the large number of abso-
lutely false reports which have. been
sent to Russia from the United States
about matters affecting the far eastern