Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-08-04
RUSSIAN PEACE
ENVOYSARRIVE
Serqius Witte Gives Out Long In
terview, Chiefly Regarding Rus.
sia's Friendship for America.
INVITATION OF Roosevelt
tts Quick Acceptance BY czar-erof.
DeMaartens Pleased to be in
America Again.

New York, Aug. 3.-The Kaiser
der Crosse. with NJ. Sergius
Witte, the senior Russian plenipoten.
tiary, arrived in quarantine this af-
ternoon. NJ. Witte was in good health.
The ship had a good passage. being
except on Sunday and Mon
day, when it was little rough.
On shipboard NJ. Witte was gen.
orally reticent when the subject of
his mission was mentioned. How
ever, to an Associated Press cores
pondent, who accompanied him from
Cherbourg, NJ. Witte said:
The Russians have had reverses,
but this does not signify that they
have lost the power that was known
to the Muscovite before tht war, nor
does it mean that Russia has become
a negligible quantity, nor that the
Japanese have acquired. by reason of
the recent victories, such supremacy
as to make the Russian empire con-
slider them truly redoutable enemy.
When the Kaiser Wilhelm der
Crosse arrived at her pier NJ. Witte
handed to Professor De Martens the
following statement, which Professor
DeMaartens read aloud:
Witte's Statement.
For the friendly greetings Of the
American newspapers upon my first
visit to the hospitable shores of the
United States, ! offer my heartfelt
thanks. This kind attention touches
me all the more profoundly because
l realize the vastness of the power
welded by the press of the United
States and admire the keen inteli-
gence with which it is uniformly di-
rected. ! am glad to be able to add
that l also appreciate the ethical
worth of the aims for the attainment
of which that power is so often and
so successfully employed.
zone of the noblest of these aims
is the establishment of peace and
friendship among the nations and it
is to the praiseworthy efforts of the
people of the United States in this
direction that my visit to the new
world is attributable. For it is in com
pliance with the American people, S
desire for peace, of which President
Roosevelt was the authorized expon'
ent, that his majesty, the czar, has
empowered me to come hither and
ascertain the conditions which our
4 lrv
adequate as basis for peace negotia'
tions.
Il need hardly point out that it is
my ardent desire that the two chival'
rous foes, who first became acquaint
ed on the field of battle, may have
found in each others sterling quail
ties motives powerful enough to cul
tivate that acquaintanceship until il
ripens into lasting friendship. Mean
while, however, the terms ofereo
must first be ascertained, weighed
and judgd admissibly by Russia be
fore she can proceed to formal nego
tiations.
Hitherto, as you are aware, it was
customary in cases like this to set
tie al such preliminaries before the
meeting of the plenipotentiarles
whose task it was to come to f1na
agreement on the matters under dis
cussion. Now the very fact that h1s
majesty, the cZar, consented to take
a course involving departure IRON
these ancient diplomatic usages ant
| to appoint mission to learn the ma
ture of our brave enemy's terms is ar
| eloquent token Of the friendly feel
ing which ne and his subjects con
tinue.l to cherish toward the people
of the United States. / say to cher
ish,' because at no epoch OF our his
tory have our traditional reations witt
this great republic been other thar
cordial. And now l should like u
say, and prove to your people, who
live less in the past than in the pres
ent and the future, that 1t is the fer
vent wish of the emperor and thu
people of Russia further to strengthen
the ties of friendship which have
hitherto existed between the two ma
tions.
at is in virtue of that sincere de
sire that his majesty, the czar, waiv
ing all other considerations, has un
hesitatingly accepted the cordial invi
| tation of your first citizen and gen
ial leader. And if my mission should
prove in all other respects barren
and the endeavor to find common
basis for peace negotiations shoul'
fail for the time being, the sigma
proof of friendship given by his mai
esty, the czar, and the Russian natioI
would still stand out as a memorable
event. fraught. l trust, with far-reach
ing and beneficent results to the tw'
great peoples of the west and tn
east.
DeMaartens Is Pleased.
Some of the members OF the Rus
sian peace delegation have visite
Ameica before. Professor DeMarten
said it was a real pleasure to him t
return to America.
81 was in the United States in o.
tober, 1901" he said, "On the occasiO
of having conferred upon me the d.
gree of doctor of laws by Yale unive
sity, together with President ROos'
welt, Chief Justice Melville w. Fulle
Marquis Ito. Mark Twain and the lat
Secretary Of State Hay. Then l ha
the privilege of making the persons
acquaintance of President Roosevelt
slRyorv~fhore the most oYOUiai