Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-12-03
WELCOMETOTAFT
American Secretary of War Was. Accorded High Bonors in
 St Petersburg
RUSSIANS CHEER HIM

St Petersburg, Dec 3.-William II. Taft, the American secretary of war, and the members of his party ar rived here to-day from Moscow. The visitors were met at the railroad station by deputation of officers rep resenting the minister of war, the military governor and other officials of St Petersburg. Among those at the station were Count Konitz, who has been appointed imperial aide to Secretary Taft during his stay ill St Petersburg. The secretary and his party took up their quarters ill the Hotel de L'Europe.
 Immediately after his arrival at the hotel, the secretary, accompanied by Brigadier General Clarence Y. Ed wards, Montgomery Schuyler, jr, the American charge d'affaires, and Cap tain S.. l.. r. Slocum, the American military attache at St Petersburg, started on round of official calls. He went first to see Foreign Minister ls- welsky and General Rusiger, the min mister if war, and then called upon the grand dukes at present living here. These include Nichalos Nicholatevitch, Alexander Michaelovitch and half dozen others.
 Secretary Taft had desired to visit the duma, this afternoon, but. this vas made impossible by the late hour ot inhh tro n a
 The carriages of the American en- bassy ill which the secretary drove while paying his calls were recognized everywhere. Crowds gathered, in spite of the threatening weather, and "General Taft" as the secretary has come to be called here, was cheered again and again.
 Owing to the extraordinary rumors ill circulation here regarding the na- ture of his mission, the visit of Sec retary Taft has aroused the liveliest interest The Rossia. however, makes an effort to correct these wrong i'm pressions. The Rossia is the official organ of the government. Ill extend- ing to Secretary Taft an "open door. II
 '.The high position and the personal merits of Secretary Taft explain the heartiness of his reception and the honor of an audience of the emperor but it is a mistake to suppose that MT Taft's visit Is in any way connected with a change in the internal policy of Russia. There is not word of truth in the rumors that we are to give base for an American fleet at EIadivostok or any other Russian port, but the visit of Secretary Taft will renew and strengthen the old bonds of sympathy between Russia and America.'' ye.t 5" ~,t
 Mir Taft is expected to allude to the romors in speech at the banquet to be given him this evening by the members of the American colony of this city. He will then give them an American denial.
 The empress of Russia is indisposed and probably will not be able to re- ceice Mrs Taft tomorrow, consequent ly the secretary will go to Tsarskoe- Selo alone. Tomorrow evening the VIII ullChN ih NI Foreign Minister Iswolsky's. which will be followed by big reception of the diplomatic corps and Russian off cial society.
 Secretary Taft probably will be forced to go to Boulogne to catch the steamer President Grant on which he returns to the United States. The President Grant leaves Hamburg De- cember : and Boulogne December 6, this will give him day longer
 Mrs Taft. accompanied by Mrs George Post Wheeler. wife of the sec ond secretary of the American em- bassy at TOkiO. will go from here to Vienna and Paris. She will return to the United States several weeks after her husband.
 When questioned regarding the presidential situation in the United States. Secretary Taft requested to be excused from expressing any opinion He said he had announced a year ago his readiness to accept the nomination fin case it was given to him and that his attitude had not changed since,