The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-11-01

Ear Easier Time with The Japanese.
Russians Said to Have Been sus-
picious and Observation-Disclosures
tion Of Nipponites For Mr.. Roose-
velt when They Understood Him.
"In dealing with the peace commits
sioners President Roosevelt had far the
easier time with the japanese plenipo-
t~entiaries," said one of the men who
had heard from the chief executive the
anecdotes hereinafter related concern
ing the real 'inside of some Of the con-
ferences which were held ut Sycamore
Ill.," says the New York Tribune.
"They were willing to take his word
for any statement Of facts and seemed
anxious from the beginning to do ev-
erything to please him. The same could
hardly be said Of the Russians; they
were suspicious. overbearing and. when.
ever they were at a loss for an argu.
ment or Il reason for their refusal to
come to terms. would invariably fall
back on the grandeur of their history.
Russia a pay indemnity; she
is too great. Russia can cede ter
r1tory; her history is too sublime
"After the president had listened to
these set speeches for some time, he
one day asked the Russian ENJOYS II
Russia had not ceded territory after
the Crimean war.
"'Ah. yes. but that was a different
case they exclaimed.
"'Quite true agreed the president;
this is another war; but. If you refuse
to cede Sakhalin. how are you going
to defend it? The japanese now hold
the island. do they not?
eyes admitted the plenipotentiaries.
"'And you have no navy in Asiatic
waters or in any other waters that is
likely to retake it within a generation? 2
"'4Alas, quite true!.' again admitted
the Russian ENJOYS.
Then how are you going to avoid
ceding the island?' asked the presi-
dent. .-....
ITO this clincher they had no reply
except again to fall back ON Russia's
past.
1.-THE president intimated rather dry.
ly that her position was not half as
glorious just then rs 1t had been at va
rious other times in her history and
made Il few other remarks which, I
think, opened the eyes of the ENJOYS.
y I'm his dealings with the japanese
plenipotentiaries he soon found that he
was considerably handicapped by their
ignorance of our commonest idioms
and figures Of speech. When he Illus
trated a point with a figure he usually
had to spend a quarter Of an hour dla-
granting the thing. Then. when they
finally understood. they held up their
hands in admiration and awe.
1.-The president is the wlscst of men.
He speaks in parallels. He is a seer
they exclaimed.
For instance one day, he said, Keep
the kernel and throw away the SHE'LL
when he was trying to make the Japa-
nese understand how much better it
would be to accept IL settlement that
was to their immediate advantage than
to try to force a larger indemnity that
they perhaps could not collect after II
had been eXtorted-On paper.
"'What does that mean?' they asked.
Where Is the nut? We do not see any.
"When they finally saw the applica.
ton Of the presidents remark they
were immensely pleased and were all
the more impressed with his prophet.
like speech.
During another conversation that he
had with Baron KOmura and Minister
Takahira over the same subject thu
president said: when l lived out ives
and had occasion to travel across tn,
plains we sometimes found Il bull OF
the track. Although the right Of wa
was ours and. If we wanted. we coult
knock that bull off the rails, we dc
not do so unless we had to. We woult
blow the whistle. let Off steam, ex
haust the air brakes. V get out o.
the train and throw stones ut that bull
before we'd butt into him. And oul
solicitude was not because we loved
that bull either. Now, In this ease ia
pan reminds me Of the train. which has
the right Of way. and Russia is thu
bull on the track
Baron Komura and Minister Taxa
hira were completely mystitied.
"IHow do we resemble a locomotiv.
and n train Of cars? they exclaimed II
duet. And how does Russia imperson
ate a bull? All, 1t is because the Rus
SLAMS below SO very loud that the,
are like the bull upon the track"
"The president spent some ten min
utes calculating.
1--WE are like the locomotive and tn
train because we represent progress. l
It not SOP they then asked.
"'No. no. no! cried the president.
"'But we do represent progress
cried Baron Komura in an injured ton
Of voice. And the Russians do bello,
like the bull upon the track
"'Of course you are progressive IL.
serted the president. I did not wis
to hin that you are not. What l wan,
ed to make plain was the probabilit
that n vnu prnSS vO,,r Aor,ouds q,