The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-10-13
TAFT WILL BACK KNOX
(Continued From First Pagel

sedrcn VIII nave to De resumed. Among those mentioned to-day as pos sible appointnes are Stuyvesant Fish, former president of the Illinois Gen. tral, and Henry P. Fletcher, secretary of the legation at Pekin. who is re- ported to be doing very satisfactory work.
 Although opinions in diplomatic cir cles vary as to the underlying causes of Cranes removal. the general ver- dict is that the incident has furnished one of the most deplorable situations in the history of the department Crane accuses the secretary of state of '1naccuracy'' of statement, charges Assistant Secretary Wilson with in attention to business and intimates that the President and the department have been working at cross purposes Knox declines to take any further mo- tice of Crane or his statements.
 Wilson. in answer to the charge that Crane was unable to get him to keep Knox that he had two conferences with Crane during which ''it was inn possible to get him to talk business and he was prevented from keeping other engagements with the minister on account of an attack of appendi- citis.
 There is a we'll defined suspicion that Cranes 1'indiscreet'' conversation with Chicago newspaperman was merely made the pretext by Knox for the re- moval of the minister. It is said that the secretary was far more disturbed over Cranes reference in a recent speech to the present holdup policy'' of the government in dealing with China. Although interest in the poli- t1cal side of the incident overshadows any other phase of it, diplomats are expecting an aftermath in the change or attitude of Japan toward the United States. The rumor is already abroad that Baron Uachida. successor to Baron Takahira as Japanese Am bassador to the United States may be recalled to Japan as Crane was re- called to Washington. in view of the fact that the Baron has as strenuous ly declared in public utterances that the Chinese-Japanese agreement was all right as Minister Crane intimated that it will be all right. Whether or not this may come to pass, it is gen. erally assumed that Knox has em- phasized the importance of watching Japan by objecting to Cranes ''indis- erect interview, that the relations be- tween the Japan and the United States which have been the object of con- stant solicitude on both sides, may now become even more formally polite The necessity of allaying popular feel ing has appealed to President Taft to such an extent that he has taken ad- vantage of every opportunity to re- iterate his expros ssion of friendship D for Japan. A similar course has been planned over there. >Just how much of this work has been undone by the Knox Crane incident is a question.
 MT. Cranes statement is as follows:
 The statement issued by the De- partment of State is slightly inaccu- rate in saying that the lSecretry has informed me that my resignation will be accepted. The letter which I re- ceived from MT. Knox at noon today says that he has recommended to the President that the President accept my resignation. Before this letter had been received by me I had already sent to the President, through his secre- tary, MT. Carpenter, the following teIe- gram; 3N .,.-.-...
 ashington. D. C., Oct. 12. 1909. " President William H. Taft:
 The State Department objects to certain things I have done in the eff fort to carry out mp understanding of you wishes as expressed by you to me- i have carefully considered the entire matter. In my judgment no mistake has been made, except as the Depart ment has made it a mistake. How ever, I did not, and cannot, guarantee to make no mistakes, especially unless have the cordial support and coop eratlon of the government. The man. ner in which the department has pro- ceeded and is proceeding, is inconsist- ert with my own Self-reSpect and my conception of the dignity of the posi- tion and with the understanding upon which I accepted it. I appreciate the personal consideration I have received from you, and under all the circum- stances lave decided to await inform ation to your wishes before taking action. You will understand of course, that my resignation is in your hands.
 CHARLES R. CRANE.
 tfThe statement of the department is further inaccurate in saying that ! gave out a newspaper story about the r Ireparation of a protest in regard to an agreement between China and Ja- pan. It would have been more accu- rate if the statement had said as was indicated in it's own closing parag ph that brief conversation of mine with a newspaper representative contribut- ed to the publication by him of 9 dis cussion of this agreement, and the pos sibiliyt of a protest by this Govern ment, and that the department regard ed this conversation as tindiscreet.' The publication referred to did not mention my name, nor in my judgment would it have been q mistake if the Department of States had not chosen to vouch of it's accuracy and give to it an official significance by it's own con- duct.
 "It certainly contained nothing of substance that was not matter of com mon knowledge or deductable by any competent newspaper reporter from facts commonly known The ssIIt,-