The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-22
COUNT CASSINI TALKS
UPON THE SITUATION.
Russia May Accept Offers of Aid
from Americans.

from Americans.
Washington, Feb. H.-"Russia glad
ly and willingly favored the sugges-
ton of Secretary Hay that. as far as
possible, the belligerents in the Far
Eastern war localize hostiiities and re-
spect the neutrality of China In the
interest of a continuance of the peace
full intercourse of the rest of the
world. My government expressed the
opinion that Mr.. Hays suggestion was
prompted by motives of the highest
humanity and was mutually advantag-
eous to the belligerents."
This statement was made by Count
Cassini, the Russian ambassador, in
conversat ton with a representative Of
the Associated Press tonight.
1T is Fortunate" continued his ex-
cellency, that whatever may be the
feeling here and there in the United
States of sympathy for Japan, the ira
dition, and, so far as Russia is con-
cerned, the highly priced friendly re-
lations between the Washington and
st. Petersburg governments in no way
have been interfered with Every mail
100 contradictions in the forms of Of
fers of assistance, medical and mill
tary, of the statement that Russia
is without friends in this country.
1T is so in this country, as in every
other that the smaller nation in the
struggle can count on certain amount
of sympathy, arising solely from the
fact of this minority but it is a trib
ute to the fairness of your government
that the official conduct of your gov
eminent 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 | have felt it my
duty to bring them to the attention of
my government.
1T is possible that in recognition of
the kindly spirit of humanity and
friendliness, which is evidenced by the
American physicians offering their as
sistance, that my government may
find a 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 news
from st. Petersburg to the outside
world" the ambassador was asked.
He replied:
1T is believed that this will effec-
lively diminish the number of canards
which have been secretly sent from
Russia, especially to England, and the
United States, about my country. Cen
sored dispatches were wrongly consid-
cred abroad as having the approval of
the government. Nothing could have
hlpn fnrfhpF from ba -
was the additional false impression
that uncensored dispatches represented
the facts as they were. With the censor
ship removed, ii is hoped that the out
side world may have a better idea of
my government and my people.
I'm the earnest hope that peace might
be preserved with Japan, my govern
ment was giving more attention to the
methods by which a diplomatic settle
ment might be reached than to prepa-
rations for recourse to arms, which
we are now convinced Japan had de-
termined on at the outset of the nego-
tiations. For this reason the first
chapter In the Far Eastern war has
not been characterized by Russian vic
tories.
1.-THE Associated Press dispatches
from st. Petersburg have correctly re-
ported the tidal wave of national en-
thusiasm which has swept over my
country The struggle in the Far East
has hared up into national war. The
august master has shown extraordi-
nary patience in endeavorlng to arrive
at a sediment without war But now
that Japan has made war the deter
mination of the Russian Emperor and
his people that she shall be satiated
with that for which she has seemed so
anxious is made all the more strong
by the patience and forbearance which
have hitherto characterized our deal
ings with the Japanese"