Arizona republican., 1904-04-10
the Tradition of a Genera.
 ton.

Did Russia, at any time during our
 civil war, determine to assist the
 United States in the event of war be-
 tween this country and England or
 France? Did Russia reveal this de-
 termination to MT. Lincoln and his
 cabinet? In pursuance of this policy,
 did Russia station a fleet of her war
 ships at New York, under sealed or
 ders, these orders to be opened by the
 Russian admiral only in the event of
 war between the United States and a foreign power? And did these orders
 require the Russian fleet to fight on the
 side of the United States if England
 or France intervened on behalf of the
 southern confederacy?
 After believing for forty years that these questions should be answered in
 the affirmative, the American people find that a fierce controversy has
 arisen over the entire subject. It Is as-
 serted on one side that Russia did none of these things, and on the other it is just as strongly insisted that she did all of them.
 The discussion is net altogether aca- demic; it is very desirable that the truth shall be known, once for all. The general question involved has a direct bearing on the future relations be- tween this country and Russia, and this country and England, notwith
 standing the accepted doctrine that sentiment plays but a small part in international affairs.
 A writer who signs himself Anglo American,' and for whom the pub fishers vouch as an Englishman well known to the reading public, contrib utes an article to the April North | American Review, in which he makes an effort to demclish the entire tradi
 tion of Russian friendship for America. | He names as the greatest revelation of 1 the present war the enlightenment which the American people have re- ! ceived concerning the true relation of | Russia to the United States, and he 1 classes as a mere legend, a mythical ] story, this foundation upon which 1 American friendship for Russia has rested for nearly half a century. He thus disposes of the tradition:
 "The legend itself sprang from the ! fact that in 1863 a half dozen wooden vessels belonging to the Russian fleet ! did actually anchor in New York | harbor. Not a single line can be found l in the Washington archives to connect the arrival of those vessels with the | crisis through which America was passing. It is an assumption absolute ! Iy unsubstantiated by the evidence in ] the possession Of the administration. So far as I know, the only reference, l if reference it be, to any understand i ing between the Russian and Ameri- can governments at that time is to be found in a private letter written by MT. Seward-a mere hint, abundantly qualified, of possibilities that might happen sooner or later But the mat ter may easily be brought to a de- cisive test. We have been assured that the commander of the Russian squad ron had sealed orders. A copy of those orders must surely exist. Let the Russian government produce them if it dares. It will not dare because from first to last the whole tale is a fabrication.
 And yet for a whole generation the legend has held sway, gaining new power and confidence by the mere magic of repetition"
 Beyond entering this general denial, however, Anglo American" submits little in support of his side of the case. He attempts to show that Russian professions of friendship fer America have never had the ring of sincerity. the real object of Russia being at all times to prevent an intimate under standing between America and Great Britain. The English writer is on much firmer ground, of course, when he attempts to shCw that the United States and Great Britain now have common interests in the far east-but his showing in that regard is scarcely relevant to the main question involved.
 Directly controverting the position taken by "Anglo-American" Col. John S. Cooper has an article in the Satur- day Evening Post of yesterday, in which, it must be conceded, a strong CdSt ID IlIdOt Oul lOE INUSSld. NOl. Cooper points cut that in September, 1863, a Russian fleet composed of three frigates and two sloops of war, with large complement of men, officers and guns, arrived at New York With in a month another fleet, from Vladi- vCstok, on the other side of the earth, joined the squadron already anchored. The new fleet comprised five war yes sels and two transports. The gather ing of this fleet at New York from the ports of Europe and Asia attracted the attention of all nations, as a mat ter Of course, and Col. Cooper observes:
 Inevitably it calls forth the query, the most important and interesting of all the clements of this great interna- tional drama of forty years ago: For what purpose did those Russian fleets visit cur shores?'
 The writer then relates the follow ing:
 Years ago the Hon C V N o+b