The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-31
At Last Moment All For
eign Ambassadors Re
fuse to Attend.
THEY AREORDERED
TO REMAIN AWAY.
Reported Squabbles and Scandals,
and Fact That Several Nations
Arc at War, Cuts Down At
tendance Of Notables-Many
Sensational Incidents ,J
Centre Around Dinner.
Especial to The Times plspatch.J

Especial to The Times Dispatch. - ~
New Yors December 30.-That tho
turn of events in the peace banquet
assumed an International aspect and
that serious complications may result.
or would have resulted if summary
action had no, been taken By .tfieS
various governments. became known
lust before the banquet started to-
right ~ f3sE
1t was learned from Samuel Belt
Thomas. chairman of the arrangement
committee, that every foreign ambas-
sador after accepting an invitation to
the dinner. had for Sc",r unknown and
mysterious reason IT last moment
sent III letter OF regret. s5
Mr. Thomas was net backward In
stating that in his opinion, the ya.-S
rious ambassadors had been. ordered
TO stay away iron, tho peace dins
ncr by their governments. as q result I
of the reported sQuabhles and scandals
and also because most, Of the foreign
ambassadors represented countries
which were at present engaged in
war. asA.
schwnh's Guests Stay Away.
1t also became known that sixty
members OF the commission from Ar
Sentinc, here as guests Of Charles NJ.
Schwab for tho purpose of settling. on
he kind OF steel to be used In the con-
structlon of the navy OF Argentine.
and who have already bought two bat
tleships, refused to como when they
learned that the ambassador from Ar
gentino had cent in his letter of re-
sret. and the commission did like.
wise.
MIR. Schwab later refused to COM.
ment on the matter. merely stating
that the members OF the comn,IssioT,
! thought II best not to attend
Letters of invitation had been sent
II n fD. -
ters oil acceptance were received from,
the italian. German, French. Turkish.
Mexican. English and other lesser for Z
etgn countries. Then. Without expIn =
nation officially. but privately. 1T was
learned on undsputahIe authority, tho
Italian ambassador wrote to Mr..
Thomas that he could not attend.
TO come, said Mr.. Thomas. was
because his King had order
ed him to stay away because
italy was at present at war, and also
that Z might be rather embarrassing /
to see the Turkish and Italian am
bassadors at peace dinner. Z;
Following close on the refusal OF tf1d
Italian and Turkish ambas doris to
| come-thc Turkish amba ssador refus.
ing Just after the Italian ambassador
a letter of regret was received from
the EGssian ambassador. The letter said
he had another very pressing engage
nent But the real reaso for his res
! fusal TO come was said to be the abro-
cation by this country of the treaty
with Russia, and also because Russia
| is having a little warlike experiences
with Persia. @G
Then came the letter OF regret from
the Mexican ambassador and the Bra
lillian ambassador who sent teIeS
gram late In tho afternoon. The Chs
n hue a n l.
ther could tho Persian nor the Austro-
Hungarian. tI {f}ESE
the special train that left washingl
ton this afternoon and arrived here at
$50 was supposed to bring all the rep
resentatiVes of the diplomatic corps.
ON the train came n number of officials
of the state Department and Congress-
man Richard Bartholdt, the famous adj
vocatc in Congress OF peace and arbis .
tration. ,3i
CoIonci Wakes Warm.
, Former President Roosevelt. In his
letter of refusal of the invitation, writ
ten to Senator GriswoId, waxed warm
again on the subject of the treaties
He sent The following letter to the Sen
ator. which was given out in the Late
afternoon: ~
my Dear Mr.. Griswcld,-It seems ID
me worse than foolish-In short, uts
| terly hypocritlcal-now to support
tnese aTDltratlon treaties (unanended). Il
when we have just ahrogated the fius-&
sian treaty. People can sincerely be-
lieve. as do that 1t is right to abro-E
gate the Russian treaty and wrong to
pass the unamended arbitration trea-t
ties. or people can sincerely believe,
as apparently only one Representatives
In the House believed, that the principle
of the unamended treaties is right, and
that. therefore. it Is wrong to abrogatea
tho Russian treaty; but 1t is absolutely
Impossible sincerely to advocate the ui,-
amended arbitration treaties and at
tho same time the abrogation OF the
ton In ridiculous and hypocritical
position 20 do So Holding these Views.
from what now learn, I fear that
should not be IN sympathy with the
purpose OF mos, of those giving the
peace dinner Sincerely yours. sEs,
(Signedl 81. "A
..1IIEoDoRE RoOsEVELT..ssSs5as5
With President Taft as guest$of
honor and representative OF the move IS
mcnt for peace between natioisig oc
cupying places o the speakers table
the banquet. which was given by thu
Citizens Peace Committee OF " Nav /,
York. WAS held In this great bail room
, OF the Waldorf-Astorla. Andrew Car
ncglc presided at the dinner later;
giving way to Hon. John Templa
II Is spporlattvely good and resres.,sS
tnsly delicious with the MISUNDERSTANDING
>tJq raj q al 1v,rA ratf