The Washington times., 1909-10-13
End Not Yet in Remarkable
Controversy, Is Gen
eral Belief.
REAL DIFFICULTY
NOT MADE KNOWN
Actual Reason for Resignation
Goes Deeper, Declare Friends
of Recalled Minister.
By JOHN SNURE.

DN JUN ON ORE.
That the end has not come yet I'm the
remarkable controversy between Secre-
tary Of state Knox and Charles r.
Crane, recently appointed minister to
China. and then asked to resign by Mr..
Knox, is generally believed here today.
Indications are that there is much
back of the enforced resignation of Mr.
Crane, who has been forced TO resign by
Secretary Knox )n account OF alleged
indiscretions in giving out material for a
newspaper story as 10 the Governments
activities IN regard to the Japanese
Chinese treaty.
Close friends OF Mr.. Crane assert that
this is not the real reason why he was
invited 10 resign by Secretary Knox.
They say that the real difficulty goes
deeper and that Mr.. Knox was not
pleased because the President had viz
tually gone over his head in picking
man for the Chinese mission.
Wants Diplomats.
It is pointed out that the State De
partment strongly leans to the idea
that the men for the high posts in the
diplomatic service are those who have
had diplomatic training and that it does
not believe Ia picking up business men
or others unVersed In diplomacy and
putting them into places of high diplo-
matte responsibility.
How far the developments i'm the Ian
auese-ChiSAse situation may have
bearing on the matter f. much dis
Cussed, but there is no light on the
mIss1l of MT. Crane is looked on as
signifying that Mr.. Knox d. not bent
on making protest on account of the
Jap8neEe-ChiHeSe agreement
=
gone to Peking, il is impossible TO see
how this Government could have
escaped taking most aggressive stand
against the methods by which Japan is
Tightening her grip on MauChuria.
Playing With Fire.
In some quarters il is felt that Mr..
Knox IS unwilling TO go to the lengths
which the more aggressive supporters
Of the open door are anxious 10 have
this Government so.
tt is well understood here that for
this Government TO take a strong stand
against the Japancse-Ch agree
ment in ManchuTia would be like play
ing with fre. MT. Cranes Sighting dis
position is one of his most character
istic traits The question asked is
whether the State Department did not
discover that If a man OF his disposi-
ton went 10 Peking. Uncle Sam would
soon be involved In not water.
This phase of the matter is the more
interesting when it is considered that
the japanese government IS evidently
not intending 10 brook any attempt to
block its course ia Mauchuria and when
81 is noticed that Tokyo is feeling keen
ly satisfied over the recall Of Mr.. Crane.
As soon as Mr.. Crane was invited to
resign talk arose that the man selected
for the Chinese post would be Henry =
Fletcher, Of Pennsylvania. now charge
al pegiug- Mr. Fletcher has done good
work at Pekiug, Dut 10 goes without
saving that If Mr. Knox now aftenspfs
t. put into the Peking post a man from
his own state there Will be some rio-
lent protests from the friends OF Mr.
Crane in the Senate when the question
of confirmation comes up next winter.
China Embarrassed.
Not the least interesting phase Of the
situation is the embarrassment the cDI-
sode gives the Chinese government. The
President has rad a hard time filling
the PekiuE post tt was offered sue
cessively to former Senator Long. OF
Kansas; former Senator Fulton. Of ore
gon; John Hays Hammond, Of Nassa-
chusetts, and former Representative
Watson, Of Indiana All declined it.
The Chinese government thought that
the manner in which the job was being
offered about and not taken, and the
publicity given IL, was a reflection on
the Importance and standing of the post
Ii made known how it felt on the sub
JeCt TO the government at Washington
The Crane affair. Of course, emphgsizez
the trouble OF getting man TO serve
at Pekiug, and undoubtedly Is keeuIv
felt by the Chinese foreign office
Among the various names discussed
are those Of Francis 3. LoOmis. for
mer Assistant Secretary Of State. who
is now In washington, and StuyVesaut
Ess4l Of
trail
The enforced resignation Of Mr.. Crane
constitutes one of the most sensational
incidents I'm the history of the state
Department Following on the state
ment given out by Mr.. Knox yesterday
afternoon, in which Mr. Knox described
tne omeuse Of Mr. Crane in giving ma
tcTiai for newspaper publication and
told OF his requested resignation Mr.
Crane gave out a statement last night
which severely reflected on the officials
Of the state Department and said that
he had put his resignation into the
hands OF President Taft.
Still in Capital.
Mr.. Crane is slHl lu Washington.
He was seen at the New Willard this
forenoon. He said he had not yet heard
from President TAFT He had no fur
Their comment TO make on the action OF
Mr. Knox. IT was clear ne took the
view that until he had word from the
President he was stiu TO be regarded a.
minister Of China. Al the White House.
Secretary Carpenter said he had re-
ceived no word from President Taft
and ne did not know whether there
would be anything from that quarter.
Al tHe state Department, Acting Ser-
-etary Adee had nothing 90 say. Ia
Dofutcd out that the Supreme COuu
has decided in the case OF the United
States MS. Wright u Mclean, 50aI thaH
tre acreutauce of resignation iS not
Drt-essqFN TUIs raises fHD question
whether President Tau WOULD feel im-
pclIcd tc accept fIe e>iguatl0u of AIr
crane or drop tHe matter tHouLh ii 3.
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