Diplomatic Feather

In Washington, D. C, U. S. Secretary of State Kellogg received a distinguished assemblage of diplomats -- eight of them, each with a neat little document. They were:

M. Emile Daeschner, French Ambassador.

M. Tsuneo Matsudaira, Japanese Ambassador.

Signer Giacomo de Martino, Italian Ambassador.

Mr. Henry Chilton, C. M. G., Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Charge d'Affaires ad interim of Great Britain, for the British Empire.

Mr. Sao-ke Alfred Sze, Chinese Minister. Viscount d'Alte, Portuguese Minister.

M. Raoul Tilmont, Belgian Charge d'Affaires.

Jonkheer Dr. H. van Asch van Wyck, Charge d'Affaires of The Netherlands.

They came to deposit each on behalf of his Government its ratification of the two nine-power treaties negotiated at the Washington Arms Conference regarding conduct of foreign powers to China. The delay in consummating the treaties was due to the failure of France to ratify the treaties until a few weeks ago.

On the "deposit" of the ratifications, both treaties became effective. One relates to Chinese customs; the other, to "The Principles and Policies to Be Followed in Matters Concerning China." A step was made whereby, at conferences soon to be called, the Powers concerned will be able to hear and take heed of the voice of China.

Immediately after vacating the diplomatic room of the State Department, His Excellency Sao-ke Alfred Sze caused to be issued the following statement:

"Force, intimidation and oppression, which have hitherto been the weapons of the strong against the weak, are to give place to reason, cooperation and goodwill. Here America scores one of her greatest diplomatic triumphs: This is an adaptation of the Monroe Doctrine for the Orient. It is an American policy enunciated by Hay, formulated by Root and Hughes and promulgated by Kellogg.

"When the Washington Conference adjourned nearly four years ago, it was thought that the agreements and recommendations adopted at the Conference would be carried out within a reasonable time. But matters dragged on unduly till the Chinese people became exceedingly restive under the interminable delay.

"In the meantime the course of events has presented for solution new problems which the Washington Conference did not contemplate. The Washington Conference has, however, laid down the principles to be followed in such cases. Upon a strict adherence to those principles will depend peace and order in the Far East."

If in China angry Chinese are still striking, if some of his compatriots are yelling "Down with the British" and "Kill all foreigners," if some other Chinese left the British Legation at Peking last week because they feared for their lives at the hands of angry Chinese students, in Washington Mr. Sze showed not a trace of hostility on his face. He was smiling in his customary genial way, quite sure that China was to receive at last the attention for which these many years she has been clamoring.

Perhaps, the same day of the deposit of ratifications, he returned home and told his little girl, Maimi, and his two little boys, Dedie and Szeming, all about what was, after all, a considerable diplomatic feather in his cap.