The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-10-13
MIR. Knox Informs Minister to China That His
Retirement Would Be Appreciated
APPO|NTtE INSISTS UPON DEFENDING H|MS{L
Breaks All Traditions by Making Statement Relative the
Affair Which Reflects Upon the State Department,
and Charges That He Was Not Given
the Usual Instructions.

substance of the agreement had been
published and its effect had been
widely discussed. As an illustration
of this, the New York Herald had
published on September . the follow
ing Dispatch:
"open- Door" Policy.
Toxic, Wednesday-Th Toxic
press regrets that the lingo American
press is raising the usual protest
against Japan regarding the new
China Japan convention. 1t states
that the Manchurian railways are adj
ministered in accordance with
Americas long cherished motto of the
open-dnnr policy. Moreover, 1t adds,
the convention is now an accomplished
fact and America cannot change it,
however much it may dislike It,.
The publication complained of by
the state department was not made
until September q. This also has a
significant bearing on the reference to
recent canardss in tho secretary's
telegram to me at San Francisco. In
order to understand how this matter
came to be mentioned. Ii is necessary
/ accepted. the appointment of min
lister To China at the request of the
president. ne expressed the earnest
wish that the people of this country
should be reused to keen interest
I'm the Pacific situation, both COM
mercially and politically; and he felt
that our greatest problem lay there
and that our people were not fully
awake to its Importance.
"Red Hot" E.#
AS I stated in a public address i'm
Chicago on September IA, the president
advised me to accept all available
invitations to public meetings and din
ners and said: ;Do not miss any of
them, and when you go to one insist
on speaking and let them have it
red hot
Il assumed the president wished
me to discuss realities and platitudes
| have not had experience as a pub
lie speaker and 1t was. and is diff
ficult role. but | have done my hest
to carry out the presidents wishes.
The difficulty has already been in
creased by the absence of specific in
structions from the state department
and of any adequate direction with its
officials as to the policy of this gov
arnment. | have been much gratified
that no criticism had come to me from
any official source until | was re-
called to Washington last week.
with the previous approval of the
president. / had arranged to go to
China by way of Europe. SO that l
might have conferences with well-in-
formed and influential persons of
widely divergent interests and points
of view and | had made many yalu-
able appointments. 1t was then sug-
gested by MIR. Knox that 1t would
be better for me to go via the Pacific.
Contrary to my understanding that
this matter should be fully discussed
with the president and conference
with Secretary Knox. the secretary in
formed me that it would be unneces-
sary To see the president and that l
should proceed by way of Japan. 1t
was then agreed 1 should sail on
October 8. with the minister to Japan.
Il was told letters would be given
to me and arrangements made for see
ing important persons in Japan. I
have not since then seen Secretary
| had any adequate Information from
the department as to its policy.
Much Difficulty.
Some days before the day set for my
departure | came to Washington, and
after considerable difficulty, made a
number of appointments with the first
assistant secretary of state. not one
of which did he keep or explain his
failure to keep. No papers. not even
my official credentials. were ready for
me when l left Washington for San
Francisco. to catch the steamer
have not examined tho papers from
the state department, which reached /
me i'm san Francisco after the secre-
tary's telegram recalling mo to Wash !
ington.
As | was hnrriediy leaving Wash /
ington. a representative of al i'm
portant paper asked me about the
agreement and | said the
well known. but no decisions had been i
reached and may have said, although j
/ do not recall il. that obviously no !
statement will be prepared in the alb
senee of Mr- Hnyt. | advised him In
get thoroughly informed upon the /
whole subject as it would be Of the .
greatest Importance that it be handled !
by the American press if .
action We're taken.
This is the sum of my offending. /