Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 June 1905 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Political and General Gossip of the National Capitol. Special Correspondence to The Democrat: President Roosevelt has startled the diplomatic world by his frank identical note to Russia and Japan in which he expresses, in terms, regarded as extraordinarily forceful for the language of diplomacy, his urgent desire that peace between the beligerents may be speedily accomplished. It is generally assumed that the President, as a result of his extensive communications with both the Czar and the Mikado, conducted through the United States Ambassador to St. Petersburg and the Japanese Minister to Washington, waß assured that such an appeal would be welcomed by both nations. In fact no other hypothesis would account for the publication of the precise language of the appeal. t t t “The President feels that the time has come when in the interest of all mankind he must endeavor to see if it is not possible to bring to an end the terrible and lamentable conflict now being waged,” says the President, and further along he says, “The President accordingly urges the Russian and Japanese Governments not only for their own sakes, bu t in the interest of the whole civilized world, to open direct negotiations for peace with one another.” While the note is not exceptionally emphatic for the President, it is remarked that in diplomatic parlance the expression “urge” is particularly strong and would ordinarily be replaced by such an expression as “hopes for” etc. t + t The effort of the President to secure direct negotiations rather than further to act as intermediary will prove a relief to many who have watched the negotiations with no little anxiety fearing that Japan at least would look to the United States to insure good faith on the part of Russia, an insurance which the President would assuredly be powerless to give, especially without the sanction of Congress. If the belligerents act upon the President’s appeal there will undeniably be added another triumph to the administration of Theodore Roosevelt.

The Moroccan situation is beginning to attract considerable attention, although somewhat overshadowed by the peace negotiations. Germany has issued an invitation to all the powers signatory to the Convention of Madrid, negotiated in 1880, to attend an international conference to take steps to preserve the open door in Morocco and as the United States signed that convention it is invited to the new conference. Moreover it is intimated that President Roosevelt intends to send a representative to this conference, althongh by so doing be would run the risk of seriously offending both Great Britain and France, especially the latter. It will be remembered that France and Great Britain negotiated a treaty whereby the former guaranteed the open door in Morocco for thirty years and when the treaty bad been duly signed its contents were communicated to Germany. Immediately, or almost so, Emperor William made his plans to go to the Mediterranean and touch at Morocco. While there or soon after he had been there and as a supposed sequel to his visit the Sultan rejected the proposals of the French foreign Minister M. Delcasse. Now the Emperor calls an international conference to undo the work of France and Great Britian and do it over again along lines that will give Germany a hand in the affair. With all this the United States is, of course, little concerned, bat it is a matter of regret to conservative statesmen that the President should entangle this country in the affair. The plea on which the President will act will be the protection of the foreign trade interests of this country, but as the United States sold to Morocco during the "last fiscal year less than SI,OOO worth of goods the plea ta obviously somewhat specious. t t t Considerable interest is manifested in what is termed here the peaceful revolution of Norway against the rule of Sweden. The particular interest whioh attaohes in Washington being due to the fact that it has resulted in the return of Minister Grip who was popular in the national capital. Minister Grip is a Norweigian and will, it is supposed, resign from the diplomatic service of Sweden when he returns to the Swedish oapital. The ontoome of the revolution is also looked for

with interest especially as it seems possible that Norway may establish a republic following the lines of the United States, but it is hoped with some modern improvements. t t t Arrangements are practioally complete for the trip of Secretary Taft to the Philippines and it is regarded as noteworthy that few members of Congress of any particular standing, especially in the Republican party, will make the journey. There are a few prominent Democrats, but the leading Republicans in both houses of Congress are conspicuous by their absence. The reason of this is not easily explained, although it is said that the older men in both parties regard the trip as too expensive and arduous to permit of their undertaking it. t t t If the judgement of prominent Republicans is to be accepted the President has run up the white flag before the assaults of the “stand patters” and will not call Congress in special session next fall. The “stand patters” have been insisting that there would be no extra session for some time but recently Senator Hansbrough, after a long talk with the President came out and told the newspaper men that be believed that the “stand patters” had won the day. Senator Hansbrough is one of those Republicans who believes as did the President a short time ago, that the people are being robbed by those tariff schedules which require revision. Moreover, the Senator is standing by his colors but he is likely to have a hard time explaining to his constituents next campaign why the President did not do the same.