The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-03
Conference Between CasSIni
and Roosevelt Is So
Considered.
AMBASSADOR IS EvASIvE,
But Says Russia Cannot End the
War at This Time.

or,cial Washington Regards His Visit 10
the White House as Significant and
Thinks That Internal Troubles in tho
Cars Dominions VIII Soon Force
Matters to Hesd-Japan Ready to
Treat II Russia VIII Cry Enough. and
Russia knows This-No lntimatiOn as
Yet From Our Legation At Toxic or
St. Petersburg That Irs Time to
CAL q Halt in the Conflict OF Arms
WASHINGTON, June 1.-The visit OF Count
Cassini, the Russian Ambassador to the
United States. to the White House this
afternoon, extending little over half an
hour, is being regarded in Washington
"a the first step toward the resumption
of peace between Russia and Japan.
From the White House there is no COM
ment on the conference between the Cars
representative and President Roosevelt.
Count Cassini denies that there is any sig
nificapce whatever attached to his visit
which he characterizes as being merely
an official call OF the kind he makes peri
odically.
Coming at this time, however. when
there is much talk Of peaoe but few or no
real indications, the visit Of the Russian
diplomat must necessarily be regarded as
significant. The President and Count
Cassini undoubtedly talked over the atua-
ton, and President Roosevelt, equally
beyond doubt. defined his position re-
garding the ending Of hostiities.
high Government official said irnme-
diately after tho Cabinet meeting to-day
that there was absolutely nothing to indi-
cate that any definite move was being made
tJward bringing about an end to the war.
Count Cassini went to the White House at
$50 o'clock and left shortly after o'clock.
He afterward declared be had no instruc-
tions or indica tions Of any desire on the part
Of the Car to make peace and had trans
mitted nothing Of any nature from his
Government to the President. He said:
MY visit to the White House this after
noon should not be treated as a matter Of
great importance nor as a step toward
the ending Of the war. I have had no in
structions from my Government. The
visit with the President had no moro sig
niicance than any visit I have made
for the last two or three months, the
President and merely talking over general
matters, and there was nothing like reach
hga definite conclusion on anything I en-
deavor to see President Roosevelt every
little while, and called on him to-day only
TO pay my respects
Russia cannot make peace at this time.
The great naval disaster we have suffered
can make no difference in our attitude
toward ending the conflict in the Far East.
AS l have said more than once before.
Russia was not responsible for the brin ging
on OF this war; her very unpreparedne ss
hears frequent evidence to the fact.
On the other hand, the Japanese were
very we'll prepared. The inference is OBJ
,ious. Russia has always been for peace,
but no matter how much a great nation
may desire to preserve peace, 1t must fight
when it is forced into war We must fight
cr. Our resources are not exhausted and
Russia is by no means defeated
The repeated emphatic assertions Of the
Russian Ambassador that his Govern
nent will not end the war are having some
effect on Official Washin gton, which can now
see wherein the Russian Government can
continue the fight in Manchuria, even
though defeats are apparently certain.
Russia is considered by some to be, so
far as the conditions which would force her
10 end the war are concerned, in the same
condition as before the battle Of the Japan
Sea, when Russia's vast feet was as good
As useless in the China Sea. The naval
engagement, disastrous as it was, does not
affect the status of the situation in Man
ohuria. save for the effect such a disastrous
defeat will have on the soldiers. Vladi-
vostok is regarded as as great stronghold
g. Port Arthur, and one which will cost
thu Japanese as much to capture.
II is confidently expected by many IN
Tashin gton that the internal affairs in
Russia will assume such shape and pro-
portions that Russia will be forced to end
the war. Bad as conditions are now, 1t Is
thought that when a realization Of the
meaning of the naval enga cement strikes
The people OF Russia disastrous results
will ensue which will simply force the war
party to terms.
Then, too, there are likely to be persus-
ding sug ges.ions from other Powers; sug-
Fesi ions of such insistence, possibly, thai
Russia will simply have to succunb. Rus
eia's internal conditions are expected to
grow worse and it is extremely doubtful