The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-28
Newspapers at St Petersburg Continually AgItate the Sub-
 ject and Magnify RumOrs
GAR RAS HIGH REGARD
 FOR THE UNITED STATES
Most intimate Russian Friend of Amer. lcan Woman Declines Her Prof. fered Hand In Prominent
 Drawing Rooms.

St. Petersburg, February 27.-The news that the United States had assented to the extension of the Pacific cable from the Philippine islands to Japan with the reasons therefor assigned in dispatches from Washington, still further aggravated the popular belief that the United States is siding for the Japanese against Rus sia The few Americans in St. Petersburg have all remarked on the changed de- meanor of their Russian friends For merly they were treated with the great est cordiality, but now the Russians greet them with the question: "ls Amer lea our secret enemy. and shall we have to fight her also before the war comes to an end?'
 Russians Are Deeply Wounded.
 How deeply the Russians are wounded by the belief, Is destined, unless checked soon to become a conviction. That Amer lea has lost her old friend and is now playing a hostile part is shown by this severance of personal ties of which an instance occurred this week in a promi- nent drawing room when the most inti- mate Russian friend of an American woman declined her proffered hand. On the woman's exclamation of astonishment her friend burst into tears and said she felt aggrieved at all Americans since the reported action of the commander of the United States gunboat Vicksburg at Chemulpo.
 The attitude of the United States is a subject of constant discussion, even in 4La t,tohos+ oi,cIaa hara xx,f1a are with t1a greatest regret the fear is expressed that tn two countriessn without excuse so far as Russia is concerned. seem 70 be tfflft- ing apart The recently reported cancel lation of American contracts in Russia indicates how resentment of Americas s supposed hostility has invaded business affairs
 Newspapers Are Responsible.
 Popular feeling is to be attributed large lv to Russian newspapers, which have suddenly turned their attacks from Great Britain to the United States, and have seized every rumor to magnify their new animosity.
 It is apparent from the dispatches re- ceiyed from Washington that another complexion may be put on the Vicksburg incident the columns of the press for days past having been full of excited com ment based upon the original version of the affair. In spite of the state of pop uar opinion the government, it can be asserted, places the highest value on American friendship, and, although the course of American diplomacy is at times viewed with askance officially, the czar assumes that the American attitude has been strictly correct The slightest dis position to question its acts is not mani fested.
 Knew Nothing of Incident.
 At the foreign office today, the Asso- ciated Press was informed that the gov ernment knew nothing officially of the yicksburg incident and that it had not instructed Count Cassini, ambassador at Washington, to ask for an expression It was. however, said to be possible that the ambassador had courteously inquired as to the truth of the Vicksburg reports without having had specific instructions
 Regarding the reports of the cables to Japan the government Is also without of hcial services, and the impression left with the representative of the Associated Press after speaking of the affair, was that even were these reports true, Russia would not necessarily regard the running of this cable as breach of neutrality.
 The Associated Press is authorized to say that the Russian proclamation con- corning contraband of war. will be issued in few days