The Mena weekly star., 1909-10-21
CRaNE $ ID RESIGA
SECRETARY KNOX TAKES BRAS. TIC ACTION IN CASE OF
 MINISTER TO CHINA.
TALKED ABOUT STATE SECRETS
The State Department Issues State. ment Specifying the charges Against Mir. crane--A Prom sing carcsr Cut Short.

Washington. Oct Secretary Knox. of the state department. ia- formed Charles R. Crane. minister to China, this afternoon that he would accept Cranes resignation Mir Crane already had advised the secretary that he was prepared to resign if tAe re- cent developments had made his further service in that position em- barrassing to the department
 Mir. Knox has advised President Taft of his action.
 Should MT. Crane dccida to acccae to the secretary's spgaesliors, whisa 1t is taken for granted he VIII do promptly, his rssignaaoa will in tlsa nature Of the case te a-dsassed n9i to the state department tDs so tAe president, who appointed hia
 In announcing his acton, MT asaS gave out the following staten and said that he would have noticing ta add to It.
 The department of state has been engaged for some time in mas'. the usual study of the recent aaleem nls between China and Japan in relation to Manchuria from such data bearing upon the situation as # was ab tu se cure with view Of det ninins whether there is anytaing in the agree ments adversely affecting Ain rcan interests or in conflict with the prins ciple of equal opportunities 10 hlea the rowers are pledged; . sird. not yet concluded and in resfect to witch no decision has been reaeAed
 ~Whiie this investigation vas r9 @eealng Mr. Crane, the minister ie China. came to the department and, while there. was informed by one oi the clerks that suca an examination vas being made.
 "Nifhout consultation with the act lar secretary or any other responsible officer of the department and without the knowledge CT authority of anyone conriected with the department, Mir Crane gave out newspaper sscry to the effect that this government was preparing to protest against some ot the features of the agreements. and that the promulsatian of the protest only awaited the return of an official who was to formulate t.
 "The story appeared in a western paper and at the same time or day later in the Japanese press and sub sequently was generally published.
 Such were the representations made to mc October i by the resaon- sibIe officers cf the department of state. accompanied by their statement that they had sufficient reasons to De. Iieve them to be true. Whereapon J sent Mir Crane at San Francisco the following telegram datad ee;oscr 1909:
 "Ycu have heon charged w!ta tAe responsibility fer the canarAs recently appearing in the Japanese and Aiasfl can press 10 the effect that the Lailed States Is preparing to protest agaiiisl the Chinese-1apansse agreement
 ~sThe evld nee that yoa are fssFons sible for this is of such d character as warrants mo in directing you 10 conle to Washington at cnce and meet | If YOU are not responsible, as hope YOU are not. matters relating to Orr | ental afrairs have developed since yor eft Washington to make t adylsasie for me to communicate with Scu yer sonalIy and in the utmost c5nA7ehes | in relation thereto
 "At conference win M e'sahs Sunday evening he admitted lawns had an indiscreet talk with . reFaf'ef which resulted in the pubicat,oAs fs ferred to and, assuming res9onsieiii'F. stated that if the indiscretion Nas grave enough to shake my coaAa nee n his usefulness he would ~iilinglE rosien have reluctantly reached the conclusion that the good of las sary'cs demands that l should iaAerin MT. Crane his resignation Ni' be as eanted and l have done so
 Mir Crane, when seen at his h0ts : this afternoon. said fe bad ff e5Sse formal letter from seerst3r' sNllpS ra,naettng him 10 tender his sessaa' .ion as minister 70 China ST ef''l's ax,,iained that he lad aos saen sns settlement given ont 10 the 47ss q tha state department and deeilHs1 lp talk for publication until he ee'ha read thls
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