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
Newport. Rhode Island, Secretary HAY
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
inexplicable 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 baffied
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 A. 1908:
In all this matter / have in listed on dealing
with Russia alone. have refused for four years
10 Join any group or combination against her.
believing that by patience and persistence she
would finally see that our interests were not hostile.
but rather Identical with hers. And In spite of
these passing clouds have never ceased 10 believe
that we should gain our point. left Washington
with hope almost amounting 10 certainty that
before the autumn we should work out the problem
10 our satisfaction and TO that OF our merchants.
IL admit that have been disappointed by these
latest developments. But there Is nothing fatal
or nnal about them We must go ahead and knit
up the raveled threads again II will require
some labor and patience but that Is all in the days
work. The interests OF the two countries arc So
clearly involved IN good understanding that l
VII not believe II will be long delayed"
In the last paragraph above is much
of the philosophy Of JOHN HAY S 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
an impulsive, erratic or irritable diplomat
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 80
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 pque, 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 TO- 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 it's prao-
,ical value in great affairs.