The San Francisco call., 1909-10-13
Crane Defends Himself IN
Reply to Secretary Knox
Deposed Minister Places responsibility for His
Utterances Upon Taft

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12.-Charles
Crane of Chicago, whose resignation
the post Of minister to China was d'
manded by Secretary Knox toda
broke through all the old traditions t.
day and insisted on defending himse
from the aspersions cast upon him /
the secretary of state by the issuan'
of a statement commented upon hel
as certain to be embarrassing to tt
administration.
Cranes statement is as follows:
The statement issued by the de-
partment Of state is slightly inac-
curate in saying that the[secre-
tary has informed me that my
resignation will be accepted. The
letter / received from Mr.. Knox at
noon today says he has recon-
mended to the president that the
president accept my resignation.
MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT
Before this letter had been re-
ceived by me l had already sent
to the president, through his secre-
tary, Mr.. Carpenter, the following
telegram:
president William II. Taft: The
state department objects to certain
things / have done in the effort TO
carry out my understanding OF
your wishes as expressed by you to
me / have carefully considered
the entire matter. In my judg-
ment no mistake has been made,
except as the department has made
1t a mistake. However, / did not
and can not guarantee to make no
l. so1I arv,1a Il
have the cordial support and CO.
operation of the government.
The manner in which the de-
partment has proceeded and is pro-
ceeding is inconsistent with my
own self-respect, and my concep-
tion of the dignity of the position,
and with the understanding upon
which l accepted. l appreciate the
personal consideration / have re-
ceived from you. and under all the
circumstances have decided TO
await information as to your
wishes before taking action. You
will understand, of course, that my
resignation is in your hands;
CHARLES R. CRANE"
OF ACCURACY
The statement of the department.
is further inaccurate in saying that
gave out a newspaper story"
about the preparation of a protest
in regard TO the agreement be-
tween China and Japan 1t would
have been more accurate if the
statement had said, as was indi-
Gated in it's own closing paragraph.
that a brief conversation of mine
with a newspaper representative
contributed to the publication by
him of a discussion OF this agree
ment and the possibility OF pro-
test by this government, and that
the department regarded this con-
versation as "indiscreet." The pnb-
lication did not mention my name.
nor, in my judgment, would ii have
been a mistake If the department
OF state had not chosen to vouch
for its accuracy and give to it an
official significance by its own con-
duct.
1t certainly contained nothing of
substance that was not matter of
common knowledge or deducible
by any competent newspaper re-
porter from facts commonly known.
had been published and It's effect
had been widely discussed.
DISPATCH FROM TOKYO
AS an illustration of this. the
New York Herald had published
on september the following dis
patch:
American press is raising the usual
protest against Japan regarding
the new Chino-Iapanese conven-
tion. IT states that the Manehu-
rian railways are administered in
accordance with Americas long
cherished motto of the open door
policy. Moreover, il adds the con-
vention is now an accomplished
fact and America can not change
il however much It may dislike 1t.
The publication complained of by
the state department was not made
until September %. This also has
a significant bearing on the refer
ence TO recent canards" in the Sec