The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1920-02-25
WILSON APPOINTS
NEW MINISTER
President Wilson Appoints Chas. II.
Crane to Represent United
States in China.
RECALLED FROM POST BY TAFT
Several Things Want to KnOg About
Before Accepting, Says
New Appointee

Chicago, business man, millionaire and
world traveler, who was appointed
minister to China by President Taft
in 1909 and recalled while OH the way
to Peking for "talking too much,' has
been selected by President Wilson for
the same post to succeed Dr.. Paul
Reinsch.
Mr.. Cranes selection by the Presi-
dent reopens chapter of diplomatic
history which although forgotten by
many was one of the most lively in
cidents in American foreign relations.
1t was quite generally stated, and
believed by many in touch with for
eign affairs, that Mr.. Cranes recall
in 1909 was at the instance of the
Japanese Government which was re-
ported not only to have regarded his
appointment as offensive, but objec-
ed also to a man whom Mr.. Crane
was taking as a private secretary
and adviser and who was quite we'll
known for writings construed as anti
Japanese.
None of the real inside story of
Mr. Cranes recall appears on such
diplomatic documents as were per-
mitted to become public and as the
records stand President Taft changed
his mind about Mr.. Cranes fitness
for the post in the far east after
agreeing with Secretary Knox that
Mr.. Crane had "ta liked too much" and
had been mndiscreet" in some of the
speeches he made while on the way
to San Francisco to take an army
transport to China.
Mr.. Crane came again into public
notice during President Wilson's ad-
ministration when the President Of
fered him the post of ambassador to
Russia, which he declined. Later Mr..
Crane was a member of the commits
sion headed by former Secretary Root
which went to Russia, and he has gen
orally been regarded in government
circles as one of the, few men who
were "close to the President"
Of course the Chinese Government
has accepted Mr.. Crane as being per-
soma gratta as it had been in 1909
otherwise, according to diplamtic
procedure, he would not have been
selected again. Whether the Japa-
ncse Government knew Of President
Wilson's intentions to send Mr.. Crane
to China can only be a conjecture, for
while it is not customary for one
government to consult third gov
ernment on it's selections Of diplomats
to be accredited to another power,
some official folk in Washington feel
that in view Of the previous incident
in which Mr.. Crane figures and the
general aspects of the situation
would not have selected him without
feeling that his appointment would
cause no disagrceable incident be-
tween the United States and Japan.
Mr.. Crane was appointed minister
to China by President Taft in Septcm-
Der, 1909, and in CHICAGO, while on
his way to San Francisco, at com
plimentary luncheon, quoted Mr.. Taft
as having told him Of Americas in
terest i'm China's welfare and having
added that whether Mr.. Crane made q
speech he ought TO "spcak it out red
hot" That uttcrance seemed to at
tract no particular attention and later
Mr.. Crane attended another luncheon
at which WI Ting Fang, Chinese min
lister to the United States, cmpha-
sized the friendly interest the United
States had in China
The storm did not break, however,
until month later when in San
Francisco Mr.. Crane got brief tec-
gram from Secretary Knox, on the
eve Of cmbarkng ordering him back
to Washington. The reason for the
sudden change was not made public at
the time, Mr.. Crane processing igno-
rance, Of it, but diplomats in Washing
ton began talking about his speeches
and it began to leak out that some
one was offended.
1t finally developed that a story
appearing in Western newspaper
accredited to Mr.. Crane and repre-
senting him as attacking the Man
churian agreement between China
and Japan were the real causes Of his
recall. The story also appeared in