Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-22
Shown in the Utterances of
Ambassador Cassini.
OoubIy Concerned as to the Attitude
Of United States.
Offering inducements to Keep Us on
the Fright Side"

secretary Hay that as far as possible,
the helliSerents in the Far Eastern was
localiZe hostilities and respect the neu-
trality of China in the interest of a con-.
| tinuance of the peaceful intercourse of
| the rest of the world NV government
| expressed the conviction that Mr..
Hays suggestion was prompted by
| motives OF the highest humanity and
was mutually advantageous to the bel
| ligerentS."
| This statement was made by Count
| Cassni, the Russian ambassador. to
| The Associated Press, tonight.
1T is Fortunate" continued the am
| bassador, that whatever may be the
| feeling here and there in the United
| States OF sympathy Tor Japan, the ira
| ditional and so far as Russia is con-
| cerned, the highly priced friendly re-
iations between the Washington and St
Petersburg governments in no way has
been Entcrfered with. Every mail brings
| to the embassy from so to 100 contra
| dictions in the form of offers of assist
| ance, medical and military of the state
| ment that Russia is without friends I'm
this country. 1t is so in this country
| IS III every other, that the smaller ma
ton in the struggle can count on a GER
| tain amount Of sympathy arising solely
| from the fact of it's minority, but it is
| a tribute to the fairness of your gov
| eminent that the official conduct of
your government certainly has been all
| that either belligerent could expect in
| the preservation of the strict neutrality
which the President directed shall be
| observed by his people. SO numerous
| have these offers of medical and other
| aid become that l have felt it my duty
| to bring them to the attention of my
government. 1t is possible that in rec
| ogntion of the kindly spirit of human
| ity and friendliness which is evidenced
| by the American physicians Offering
their assistance, that my government
| may find q way to accept some of them
and that American physicians and
| nurses may aid us in caring for the
wounded in the Far Eastern war. am
daily expecting an answer from St.
| Petersburg on this point
| What will be the effect of the re-
| moval of the censorship on all the news
from st. Petersburg to the outside
world?" the ambassador was asked.
| He replied:
| 1t is believed that this will effective
| " diminish the number of canards
| which have been secretely sent from
Russia, especially to England and the
United States about my country. Cen
5orel dispatches were wrongly cOnsid-
cred abroad as having the approval Of
TIE government. Nothing could have
been further from the truth unless 1t
vas the additional false impression
that unCensored dispatches represent
"a the facts as they were. With the
censorship it is hoped that the outside
world may have a better idea Of my
government ana my people
| In the earnest hope that peace
might be preserved with Japan. my
i government was giving more attention
to the methods by which q diplomatic
lscttlentn might be reached, than to
pre- parations for the recourse to AIMS,
(which We are now convinced Japan
had determined on ii the outset of the
negotiations. For this reason the first
chapter in the Far Eastern war has
not been characterized by Russian
Victories. The truth, however, has
been made public as rapidly, and Ad-
miral Alevieff's dispatches have been
reported to His Majesty. In this first
chapter. however. is contained n pic
tire which. as to be expected, the fair
Esprit OF Americans Was~quick to ap-
preci1te and applaud. | refer to the
noble conduct of The captain of the
Variag. who after refusing TO surren-
der his ship. came out of the harbor
of ClIemulpo to face an overwhelming
| force of Japanese warships to whose
/ fire he replied as effectively as he
could and blown up his own ship that
she might not fall into the hands of
| the enemy.
Tic Associated Press dispatches from
| st. Petersburg have correctly reported
| the tidal wave of national feeling aid
| enthusiasm which has swept over my
| country. My august master has shown
| extraordinary patience in endeavOring
| to arrive at 4 settlement without was.
But now that Japan has made war. it
| is the determination Of the Russian
Emperor and his people that she shall
he satisfied.
I'm the interests of the worlds hui
| mainly. am confident all nations will
hope for the success of Secretary
Hays effort to limit the deplorable
war to the bclligerents now engaged"
st. Petersburg. Feb. 21.-Maj. Gen.
Plug, the chief of staff of VicerOy
Alexieff, telegraphed from Port Arthur,
saturday, as follows:
The situation at Port Arthur is I'M
changed.
"A sotnia of Cossacks, marching
from NiJu, captured a Japanese major.
Tatasura, with five soldiers and two
civilians.
The reports regarding the enemy are
generally contradictory and scarce"
1T is confirmed that troops of Yuan