The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-12-04
CROWDS CHEER
TAFT In RUSSIA
Secretary's Welcome TO ST.
Petersburg
IS MARKED BY CORDIALlTY
win See Gar To-day-Goyernment Or
gan Denies Russia Is to Give Us Naval
Base at vIadiyostok OF Elsewhere
on the Pacific.
IS MARKED BY C0RDIALITY

81. etershurg, Dec. f.--wiillam n
Taft, the American secretary o. war
and the members Of Biz party. arrived
here yesterday iom Moscow. The visit,
o. were met al tho railroad station By
adepusation o. officers representing
Toe minister Of war, the military gov.
ernor and other officers Of s.. Peters
burg
Immediately after his arrival AZ the
hotel, the secretary started on a round
q official calls. he arst went 20 see
Foreign Minister iswelsky and General
Rndiger, the minister Of war, and then
called upon the grand dukes at present
living here. These include Nicholas
Nicholaicyiteh. Alexander Michael.
oviteh aud half a dozen others.
Secretary Taft lad desired 10 visit
the duma this afternoon. but this was
made impossible ~ the late hour AZ
which his train arrived here. The car.
riagcs of the American embassy, In
which the secretary drove while paying
his calls, was recognized everywhere
Crowds gathered IN spite Of the threat.
ening weather and General Taft" a.
the secretary has come to b. callel
here was cheered again and again.
Owing 10 the extraordinary mmors
Ii circulation here regarding the nature
Of his mission. the visit Of Secretary
Taft has aroused the iivcliest interest
The Rossia, however. makes an effort
TO correct these wrong impressions. The
Rossia 4 the official organ u. the gov.
eminent. In extending to Secretary
Taft an open door Russian welcome
the paper saysl
"1he high position and the personal
merits Of Secretary Taft explain tho
heartiness Of his reception aud the
honor Of an audience with the emperor.
but Ia mistake 70 suppose that Mr.
Taft's visit i IN any way connected
with a change in the international pol
icy Of Russia. There Il not a word Of
truth In the runners that We are 20
give base for an American feet at Vlad.
i,ostok or any other Pacific port, but
the visit Of Secretary Taft viii renew
and strengthen the old bonds Of sympa.
thy between Russia and America"
Mr.. Taft Il expe cted 10 alluje 70 the
rumors IN a speech at the banquet 20
be given him this evening by the mem
bers Of the American colony in this city.
He win then give them American denial
The empress Of Ri:ssm Is indisposed
and probably will not be able 20 re-
ccive Mrs. Taft tomorrow. consequently
the secretary win 60 70 Tsarskoe -Selo
alone. Tomorrow evening the secretary
will attend a banquet at Foreign Minis |
ter Iswolsky's, which will be followed |
by a big reception Of the diplomatic /
corps and Russian official society.
Secretary Taft win probably be forced
b 60 10 Boulogne 10 catch the steamer
President Grant, on which he returns TO
The United States. The President Grant /
caves Hamburg Dec :, and Boulogne |
Dec. g, this giving MIN a day longer.
Mrs. Taft, accompanied by Mrs.
5eorge p. Wheeler, wife of the second
secretary Of the embassy at Toxic, viii
% from here to Vienna and Paris. She
vial return to the United States several
weeks after her husband.
When questioned regarding the presi.
lential situation in the United States,
Secretary Taft requested to be excused
rom expressing any opinion. He said
lie had announced year ago his readi-
less to accept the nomination in case
t was given to him, and that his atti.
ude had not changed since.