Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-05
RUSSIAN CENSURES
COL. ROOSEVELT FOR
STOPPING JAP WAR
Made Possible Development of
Imperialism in Pacific, Says
Ex-cabinet Officer.
TOXIC WAS NEAR COLLAPSE

By Associated pr,ss 70 Every Evening.
Williamstown. Mass. August o.
Russian view ~ Theodore Roose-
velt's successful efforts a. end the
Hpsgo-Japanese war was given 10 the
Institute ~ Politics today by Baron
eergius 4. Korf formerly deputy
governor general 81 Finland
Not doubding Eoosevelt's sincerity.~
he said. I've can. however. AZ present
question his wisdom in forcing this
peace on Russia
Baron KorRs subject wos Russo-
japanese relations.
Bad feeling between the two nations
was intensified by the determination
of some Russian adyentgrerF. aided
and abctted ~ the Car. - obtain ron-
cessious in Eorea." he said The
Psychology If the Gar in This caee 3
explained BY his absolute contempt
of Japan. on the one. hand. and IN fhs
other hand by his c0nceit and convic-
tion that ne could DO No wrong This
was ono of the most rErniciOus ~ the
influences ~ the Kaiser, which told in
this case very strongly. Wilhelm ass
consciously and cleverly urging The
Car on II such a confii T. upholdiux
his conviction II superiority over ths
Japanese and hatterinE him into conn
placency. His fame was a sure one.
too; Germany could only win@and Rus
sia could only lose"
Baron Korff then told ~ Japau's
efforts To settle the matter aTnicahly
and If the final loss of patience and
the declaration ~ war
This war" he said, was r-sver
popular with the Russian nation Rrs-
sia was against IL. not even undey-
standing why she was fighting Japan
Under such conditions defeat was un.-'
avoidab.e.
The situation became 50 threaten
ing that in july the Gar had finally
70 give III. ne sought peace abroad
and made constitutional concessions
at home. an under the direct pressure
cf fear. The initiative ~ the peace
negotiations came as is well known.
from President Roosevelt. After some
hesitation. the Gar appointed Coun1
Witte az the chief representative n
Russia. probably her cieverest man,
bot unfortunately lacking firm moral
principles.
''witte gives a vivid account, in hts
memoirs Of the Portsmouth peare
conference. OF how he won a brilliant
diplomatic victory, nearly succeeding
in annihiiatinE the Japanese military
achievements. At the same time he
also succeeded in another, no less inn
portant. task Of swinging American
public opinion from open hostility 70
hearty sympathy.
Contrast only his seeming open
rnindedness and civility to the press
men with the cold aloofness u the
Japanese enshrined in their dignity.
secluded and secretive and you VIII
easily understand the results and con-
sequences. In the space OF a FEW
weeks. American public opinion was
entirely on the side OF Russia and
against Japan while during the war
and previous to IL. while Russia was
dickering in Manchuria. the trend of
American feelings was just the op-
posite whole heartedly back uf
Japan.
There is no doubt whatever that
this change, achieved among Ameri-
cans. affected the peace negotiations
and helped Witte TO gain the upper
hand
Not doubling Roosevelt's sincerity.
his wisdom in forcing this peace upon
Russia. Not that we could expect a
victory or even military achievements.
but Japan might have learned lesson
which would have changed much *
the succeeding events throughout the
world.
Again the continuation Of the war
would have brought important changes
in Japan. Japan at that moment was
at the end Of her tether. Roosevelt.
in other words. saved Japan from an
economic collapse that might have
called for constitutional reforms in
Japan also. and only the latter could
be a reliable guarantee against the
developments Of Imperialism in the
Pacific"
s