Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-06-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent. }

WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom our Regular correspondent
Washington, ID. c., June 12.-Presi
dent Roosevelt has startled the diplO
matte world by his frank identica
| note to Russia and Japan in which b
expresses, in terms. regarded as extra
ordinarily fOrceful for the language OF
diplomacy, bis urgent desire that peace
| between the belligerents may be speed
| lily accomplished 1t is gen orally as
sumed that the President, as result
of his extensive communications with
both the Gar and the MikadO, condu CT
ed through the United States Ambas
sador to st. Petersburg and the Jap
anese Minister to Washington, was as.
sured that such an appeal would be
welcomed by both nations. In fact nc
other hypO hesis would account for the
publication of the precise language of
the appeal.
1.-The President feels that the time
has come when in the interest of all
mankind he must endeavor to see if it
is not possible to bring to an end the
terrible and lamentabIe conflict now
being waged,' says the President and
further along he says, 1.-The President
accordingly urges the Russian and
Japanese Governments not only for
their own sakes, but in the interest of
rect negotiations for peace with one
another" While the note is not ex-
ceptiOnally emphatic for the Presi-
dent, it is remarked that in diplomatic
parlance the expression urge" is par
ticularly strong and would ordinarily
be replaced by such an expression as
''hopes fOr' etc.
The effort of the President to secure
direct negotiations rather than furth
err to act AS intermediary will prove a
relief tn many who have watched the
n egOtiatiOns with no little anxiety
fearing that Japan at least would look
to the United States to insure good
faith on the part of Russia. au insur
ance which the President would as
suredly be powerless to give especial
ly without the sanction of Congess. If
the belligerents act upon the Presl-
dents appeal there will undeniably be
added another triumph to the admins
rration of Theodore Roosevelt.
The Moroccan situation is beginning
to attract considerable attention, al
though somewhat overshadowed by
the peace negotiations. Germany has
issued an invitation to all the powers
signatOry to the Convention of Mad
rid, negotiated in 1880, to attend an
international conference to take steps
to preserve the open door in Morocco
and as the United States signed that
convention 1t is invited to the new
conference. Moreover 1t is intimated
that President Roosevelt intends to
send a representative to this confer
ence, although by so doing be would
both Great Britain and France. espe-
cially the latter. 1t will be remember
ed that Frace and Great Britain ne.
gotiated a treaty whereby the former
guaranteed the open door in Morocco
for thirty years and when the treaty
had been duly signed its contents were
communicated to Germany. Immedi-
ately, or almost SO, Emperor William
made his plans to go to ,the Meoitera-
mean and touch at Morocco. While
there or soon after he had been there
and as supposed sequel to bis visit
the Sultan rejected the proposals of
the French foreign Minister M. Del
casse. Now the Emperor calls an in
ternatiOnal conference to undo the
work of France and Great Britain
and do it over again along lines that
will give Germany hand in the af-
fair. With all this the United States
is, of course, little concerned, but it is
matter of regret to conservative
statesmen that the President should
entangle this country in the affair
The plea On which the President will
act will be the protection of the for
eign trade interests of this country
but as the United States sold to Nor
occo during the last fiscal year less
than 81 600 worth of goods the plea il
obviously somewhat specious.
Considerable interest is manifested
in what is termed here the peaceful
revolution of Norway against the rule
of Sweden. The particular interest
which attaches in Washington being
due to the fact that it has resulted il
the return of Minister Grip who was
popular in the national capital. Min
lister Grip is a Norwegian and will, il
is supposed, resign from the diplomat
ic service of Sweden when he return,
to the Swedish capital. The outcome
vi Gu0 IcFOluUluu 10 tlSO lOOhtu 10
with interest especially as it seem
possible that Norway may establish {
republic following the lines of th,
United States, but 1t is hoped will
some modern improvements.
Arrangements are practically com
plete for the trip Of Secretary Taft t,
the Philippines and it is regarded a
noteworthy that few members of Con
gress of any particular standing, es
pecially in the Republican party, will
make the journey. There are a few o
the more prominent Democrats, bu
the leading Republicans in both house
of Congress are conspicuous by thei
! absence The reason of this IS DO
easily explained, although it is sal
that the older men in both parties re
gard the trip as too expensive an
arduOus to permit of their undertak
ing it.
If the judgement of prominent Re
j: publicans is to be accepted the Pres
dent has run up the white flag befor
the assaults of the stand patIers an
will not call Congress in special SCI
sion next fall. The stand patters hay
J been insisting that there would be =
extra session for sometime but recent
i ly Senator HansbOrOugh, after a Ion
talk with the President came out an
told the newspapermen that he belle,
ed that the standpatters had won tt
: dav. Senator Hansborough is one
b those Republicans who believes as di