The Triumphant Life of Theodore Roosevelt edited by J. Martin Miller

THEODORE ROOSEVELT 19
States that in the military operations which have begun
between Russia and Japan, the neutrality of China, and in all
practicable ways her administrative entity, shall be protected
by both parties, and that the area of hostilities shall be local-
ized and limited as much as possible, so that undue excitement
and disturbance of the Chinese people may be prevented and
the least possible loss to the commerce and peaceful inter-
course of the world may be occasioned."
This measure was recognized as so wise and was so gener-
ally commended by the nations of the world that not only was
it accepted by the neutral nations, but by Russia and Japan
themselves.
Too much credit cannot be given to the administration of
President Roosevelt for the splendid manner in which this
delicate and complicated Chinese and Eastern question was
managed by the admirable statesmanship and diplomacy of
his great Secretary of State.
Immediately after the outbreak of the war, on February 11,
IQ04, President Roosevelt issued his proclamation, declaring
that war unhappily e.xisted between Japan on the one side and
Russia on the other; that the United States were on terms of
friendship and amity with both the contending powers and the
persons inhabiting their several dominions; that the United
States assumed a neutral position, and proclaimed the strictest
rules of neutrality for the government of our nation and its
people in the important conflict.
Under the administration of President Roosevelt alone,
more than thirty treaties and international agreements were
concluded. There were concluded and proclaimed extradi-
tion treaties with Peru, Switzerland, Belgium, Chile, Denmark,
Servia, Brazil, Guatemala, Orange Free State, Argentine