The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-05
John Hay and the Genius Of Patience

Two years ago yesterday, writing from
expressed in private letter his pro-
found dissatisfaction with the attitude
OF the Russian Government respecting
our treaty rights in Manchuria. He had
already secured for the American policy
of the open door in the Far East the
assent of every great Power concerned.
including Russia. He had made the
policy of the United States the avowed
policy Of the world.
The course of the Russian Foreign
Office in the early summer Of 1908 seemed
ine1plcable to Mr. HAY. Count CAssINI,
perhaps goaded by censorious despatch
from LAMsDoRFF, had just issued his
manifesto to the press in which the two
subjects of kishineff and Manchuria
were for the first time coupled. At
Pekin the efforts OF Minister CoNGER to
get the new treaty with the Chinese Gov
eminent signed were apparently ba6led
BY threats and positive bulldozing on the
part of the Russian Charge d'Affaires
there. Russia seemed to be standing in
the way of that freedom of trade in Man
churia which had been agreed to by the
whole world, including the Government
of St. Petersburg When the new Russian
Minister, LEssAR, arrived at Pekin, to
Mr.. HAYS amazement the policy Of ter
rorism and obstruction was continued,
and the Chinese were still prevented from
signing our treaty.
Such was the condition of affairs when
Mr.. HAY wrote, on July T. 1903:
In all this matter have insisted on dealing
With Russia alone have refused for four years
TO Join any group or combination against her,
believing that by patience and persistence she
would finally see that our interests were not hostile
hut rather Identical with hers. And in spite OF
these passing clouds have ceased to believe
that we should gain our point. left Washington
with hope almost amounting TO certainty tina,
before the autumn We should work out the problem
TO our satisfaction and TO that Of our merchants.
" ! admit that have been disappointed by these
latest developments But there Is nothing fatal
or final about them. We must go ahead and knit
up the ravclcd threads again II will require
some labor and patience but that Is all In the days
work. The interests OF The two countries so
clearly Involved In good understanding that !
VIII not believe It will be long delayed"
In the last paragraph above is much
of the philosophy of JOHN HAYS remark
able success in dealing with world poll
tics. Labor and patience, with him,
were all in the days work" When
the situation became so strained that
q n trrif al hi Ia ri
in our Department of State might easily
have broken, or rendered exceedingly
difficult the maintenance of the good
understanding with Russia which Mr..
HAY so sincerely desired to preserve,
he merely sighed to himself, smiled to
the world and went ahead to knit up
the raveled threads again.
1t was so when the failure of the first
Hay-Pauncefote treaty threatened the
enterprise which of all things in the
world was then nearest his heart, the
cementing of friendly relations between
this nation and Great Britain 1t was so
in the case we are now considering, when
all that he had accomplished for the
open door seemed likely to be undone
by Russian intrigue at Pekin. Without
excitement or piaue, without any sacri-
flee Of personal self-respect or national
dignity, he went to work patiently and
laboriously to recover the ground that
had been lost; and six or seven months
later he had the satisfaction Of securing
the assent Of the Russian Government to
his memorable note Of February 10, 1904,
safeguarding the neutrality and admin
istrative entity of China
1t is all in the days work but not in
every mans days work The quality
was in ABRAHAM LINCOLN; and perhaps
that is where JOHN HAY learned its prac-
teal value in great affairs.