Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-22
CASSINI ANSWERS.
Russian Ambassador at Our
 Capital Speaks For Czar.
GLADLY FAVORS MR. HAYS NOTE
Endless Offers of American Assist anoe In the War Have Been
 Brought to the Notice of His Government.

Brought to the Notice of
 His Government.
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-"Russia gladly and willingly favored the sug gestion of Secretary Hay that as far as possible the belligerents in the far east ern war localize hostilities and respect the neutrality of China in the interest of continuance of the peaceful inter- course, of the rest of the world. My government expressed the conviction that MT. Hays suggestion was prompt ed by motives of the highest humanity and was mutually advantageous to the helligerents.''
 This statement was made by Count Cassini, the Russian ambassador, at the embassy last night. The ambassador said, speaking in general on the far eastern situation, that, although the negotiations on the neutrality proposi- ton have been carried on almost en- tirely between the several foreign gov ernments addressed and the American envoys accredited to them, the weight of the word of the Russian ambassador at Washington in the counsels of his majesty was strongly influential in the shaping of Russia's reply. As soon as the note was addressed to the Rus sian government Count Cassini was ad- vised of the fact by Secretary Hay, and long and earnest conversation fol- lowed on the motives of the Washing ton government in initiating this move, unique in diplomacy. To the frankness of this. conversation, frankness made possible by the cordial and intimate relations which MT. Hay and Count Cassini have enjoyed at Washington, is largely due, it is said, the prompt re- sponse of the Russian government. r Tt is fortunate" continued his ex- cellency, "that whatever may be the feeling here and there in the United States of sympathy for Japan, the tra- ditional and, so far as Russia is con- cerned, the highly prized friendly rela- tions between the Washington and St. Petersburg governments in no way. have been interfered with. Every mail brings to the embassy from fifty to 100 contra dictions in the form of offers of assistance, medical and military, of the statement that Russia is without friends in this country. It is so in this country as in every other country that the smaller nation in the struggle can count on certain amount of sym pathy, arising solely from the5fact of its minority, but it is tribute to the fairness of your government that the official conduct of your government cer- tainly has been all that either belliger- ent could expect in the preservation of the strict neutrality which the presi- dent directed shall be observed by his people.
 "So numerous have these offers of medical and other aid become that have felt 1t my duty to bring them to the attention of my government It is possible that in recognition of the kindly spirit of humanity and friendli- ness which is evidenced by the Amer ican physicians offering their assist ance 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. I am daily ex- pecting an answer from St. Petersburg on this point"
 What will be the effect of the re- moyal of the censorship on all news from St. Petersburg to the outside world?'' the ambassador was asked He replied:
 'sIt Is believed that this will effective ly diminish the number of canards which have been secretly sent from Russia, especially to England and the United States, about my country. 'In the earnest hope that peace might be preserved with Japan my government was giving more attention to the methods by which diplomatic settlement might be reached than to preparations for the recourse to arms which we are now convinced Japan had determined on at the outset of the negotiations. For this reason the first chapter in the far eastern war has not been characterized by Russian victo- ries."
 Postmaxter General Robbed. WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-About S1,-