Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-13

have been more accurate II the state
ment had said. as was indicated in it's
own closing paragraph. that a brief
conversation of mine with a newspaper
representative contributed to the pub
LEGATION by him Of q discussion Of this
agreement and the possibility of pro-
test by this government. and the de-
! partment regarded this conversation AS
'1ndiscreet." The publication referred
to did not mention my name. nor In my
judgment would 1t have been a mistake
il the Department of State had not
chosen to vouch for It's accuracy and
give to il an official significance by its
own conduct.
1T certainly contained nothing Of SUBJ
stance that was not matter of common
knowledge or deducible by any compc
tent newspaper reporter from facts
commonly known. The substance. IT not
the full text Of the agreement. had been
published and its effect had been widely
discussed.
when I accepted the appointment Of
minister to China, at the request of the
President and afterward, he expressed
the earnest wish that the people of this
country should be reused to keen in
terest on the, Pacific situation. both
commercially and politically: he felt
that our greatest problem lay there
and that our people were not fully
awake to its Importance.
Advised by President.
"As I stated in a public address In Chi
cago September IA the President advised
me to accept all available invitations to
public meetings and dinners and said:
DO not miss any Of them. and when you
60 to one insist on speaking and let them
have 1t red hot 1 assumed that the
President wished me to discuss realities
and not platitudes. / have not had ex-
perience as a public speaker and it was
and Is a difficult role, but have done my
best to carry out the Presidents wishes.
The difficulty has also been Increased by
the absence Of specific instructions from
the State Department and of any ade-
quate discussion with its officials as to the
policy of this government. / have oeen
much gratified that no criticism had come
to me from any official source until was
recalled to Washington last week. With
the previous approval Of the President !
had arranged to go to China by way OF
Europe. SO that I might have conferences
with well informed and influential persons
of widely divergent interests and points
Of view. and had made many valuable
appointments. 1t was then suggested
by Mr.. Knox that it would be better for
me to proceed by way of the Pacific. Con-
trary to my understanding that this mat
ter should be fully discussed with the
President In conference with Secretary
Knox. the Secretary informed me that 1t
would be unnecessary to see the Presi-
dent, and that should proceed by way OF
Japan. 1t was then agreed that l should
sail October with the minister to Japan.
1t was told that letters would be given to
me and arrangements made Tor seeing
important persons in Japan.
Criticises Department Officials.
IT have not since then seen Secretary
Knox except on last Sunday. nor have
had any adequate discussion with the de-
partment as to its policy. Some days be-
fore the date set for my departure came
to Washington and with considerable diff
Guilty made a number of appointments
with the first assistant secretary of state.
| no one of which did he keep nor explain
his failure to keep. No papers. not even
my official credentials, were ready for
me when left Washington for San
Francisco. with Just time to catch the
steamer I have not examined the pa
pers from the State Department, which
| reached me in San Francisco after the
Secretary's telegram recalling me to
Washington.
| LAS 1 was hurriedly leaving Washing
ton a representative Of an important pa
per asked me about the China-Japanese
agreement. and l said that the matter
was under consideration. as was well
known, but that no decision had beer
reached. and may have said. although
do not recall it, that obviously no state
ment would be prepared In the absence
of Mr.. Hoyt. I advised him to get thor.
oughly Informed upon the whole subject
as it would be of the greatest Importance
that it be handled intelligently by the
American press IL Official action were
| taken. This Is the sum of my offending
On mature consideration 1t is my judy
ment that my action was In accordance
with the spirit. at least. of the Presi.
dents wishes expressed by him to me and
that it furnishes no sufficient excuse for
the sensational and inconsiderate action
| Of the Secretary of State. However,
did not seek this post and am absolutely
unwilling to remain in 1t without the
entire confidence of the President and
| the cordial support Of the government"