Arizona republican., 1905-06-20
PHoENIx. ARIZONA. JUNE 20. 1905
The Treaty of Washington.

The agreement of Russia and Ja-
 pan to hold the peace conference in
 Washington clinches the diplomatic
 triumph of President Roosevelt and
 brings new prestige to both the pres ident and his countr-r. Once more
 "shirt-sleeve diplomacy" has won out against the more refined variety prac- ticed in the old world, and it's foremost exponent has executed stroke which every statesman in Europe wanted to attempt but dared not for the fear of failure.
 It must be remembered that the se- lection of Washington as the meeting place was made by the belligerents without any suggestion whatsoever from our government. Russia favored Paris, but Japan declined to go to Europe. Russia. on the other hand, refused to send her representatives to Chefoo, which was favored by Ja- jan. MT. Roosevelt suggested The Hague, but the Dutch capital was probably objected to by Japan for the same reason that prevailed against Paris. Washington being neither in Europe nor the far east, and more over being the capital of a nation which is allied with neither belligerent, but which made the <rst practicable peace overtures, met with the approv- al of the two nations most vitally con- cerned.
 The holding of this conference on American soil means a great deal to this country, because tt will en- nance our prestige as a world power. It will remove the last shadow of doubt abroad of our rank in the coun- cil of nations. In Europe there has aI- ways been a good deal of criticism of the right of the United States to meddle in what Europeans regard as strictly European affairs This was shown when the Kishineff petition was presented to tho Russian government, and again when Secretary Hay sent a circular letter to the powers relative | to the prosecutions of the Roumanian Jews.
 But the efforts of President Roose- welt to induce the warning nations to l discuss terms have received the un- qualified Endorsement of every power and none of them is likely to object | to the choice of Washington as the ! meeting place. Willingly or unwiI- ! ingly they must admit that it is the ! most appropriate choice, just as they | have admitted that President Roose- welt is the one statesman in the world | who could undertake the delicate task | of bringing the belligerents together
 i'The Treaty of Washington" sounds | fine. That is what it will probably be called. and it certainly will rank | as one of the most important in mod ! ern history. It will define. perhaps for all time. the status of Russia as a sec will firmly establish the supremacy of | Japan. It will put in concrete form | the doctrine insisted upon by the United States, England and Japan. that the integrity of Japan must be preserved, and it will prop the open door so wide open that the combined efforts of German--, France and Rus sia will fail to close it.
 If great indemnity is exacted the Treaty of Washington will virtually bankrupt Russia, and place her for the next half century in the same class with Spain. while 1t will at the same time provide Japan with funds not only to pay the cost of the war but to build a new and great navy We shall see history made in Washington in the next six months.