The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-02-06
HAY TO M. CASSINI
RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR ASKED
ABOUT PROMISE.
Would Like to Know When Cars
Government Intends to Do as 1t
Agreed Regarding the Evacua-
ton of Manchuria Date Set
Long Past.


Washington, Feb 3.-There is the
strongest reason to believe that within
the last ten days the state department
has repeated to Count Cassini, the
Russian ambassador, its persistent in
quiry as to when Russia expects to
withdraw from Manchuria. No direct
reply has yet been made to the ques-
ton. On account of the overshadow-
ing interests in the Russo-J japanese ne
gotiations and in the prospect of far
Eastern war, the public has lost sight
of the fact that our own government
still holds Russia to her agreement to
withdraw her troops from Manchuria;
and it seems to have been forgotten
that the United States will be left in
an embarrassing position if the pres
ent attitude of Russia in Northeastern
China remains unchanged.
Russia, through her diplomatic rep
resentative here, made clear promise
to our state department that the Rus
sian troops would be withdrawn from
Manchuria on a certain day many
months ago. Two or three times Sec
rotary Hay has automatically remind
ed the ST. Petersburg government of
this promise, and the latest reminder
is known to have been given very re-
cently-in fact, since the war cloud
in the far East became darkest.
Feeling on Account of COnsuls.
Certain recent incidents have not
improved the state of feeling between
this government and the government
of Russia. The whole story of Rus
sia's protest against the appointment
of political consuls at the new
treaty ports of Antung, Mukden and
Dalny has not been told, and cannot
be told at this time. At the time our
consuls were appointed to those places
about month ago, brief statement
was published, purporting to represent
the views of the state department, that
these consuls were not only CONNER
cial agents, but political representa-
tives-using the word political" in
its broadcast sense, as almost equiva-
lent to diplomatic. There is no
doubt whatever that this government
did regard the appointments in ques-
ton as political appointments, and
that the consuls will be expected to
report to Washington ON matters of
far Eastern politics as we'll as COM
merce. Count Cassini, however, inn
mediately called upon Secretary Hay
for an explanation, and Mr.. Hay de-
MED that the published statement rep
resented the views of this government.
Thereupon the Russian ambassador
gave out a statement from the embassy
announcing that he had been assured
by the state department that the con-
sular appointments at Aontung, Muk-
den and Dalny were not intended to
be political in any sense. 1t is be-
lieved that this announcement from
the ambassador was not relished by
the state department, and, in fact,
that it made distinctly unpleasant
impression in official quarters.
This government has never aban-
doned its purpose of holding Russia to
! her promise of retiring from Man.
churia. Powerful commercial inter-
ests have represented to the state de-
partment that it is better for our trade
that Russia remain in Northeastern
China, but it is not believed that these
representations are approved by trade
interests generally in this country. At
any rate an advanced position was
taken by this government in regard to
Russian occupation nearly two years
ago, and there has been no change
whatever in our attitude.
Meanwhile many indications have
appeared that the government author
tiles in st. Petersburg doubt the
friendship of the United States and
hold that we have repudiated what
they regard and wish to have regarded
by the world as the traditional ties
between Russia and this country. Rus
sian ocffiials scan our newspapers, and
they seemingly believe our newspapers
accurately represent the views of the
government at Washington. The con-
clusion in st. Petersburg, therefore,
is that the United States thoroughly
sympathizes with Japan in the present
dispute.