Waterbury Evening Democrat

Prominent Jews in Conference With President

DISCUSSED RUSSIAN OUTRAGES

Also the Monster Petition That Has Been Presented—President Saw Document To-Day for First Time—Intimation Given Out That It May Not Be Forwarded to Russia.

Oyster Bay, L. I., July 14.—An important conference was held at Sagamore Hill to-day between the president and representative Jewish citizens of the society of B'Nai B'Rith regarding the petition to the Russian government on the Kishineff outrages. Besides the president the parties to the conference were Simon S. Wolf of Washington, Oscar S. Straus and Leo N. Levi of New York.

The administration has been embarrassed by the delay of the representatives of the B'Nai B'Rith society in presenting the petition. A draft of the document was handed to President Roosevelt several weeks ago by Mr Wolf, but it was decided after some consideration to modify the text of the petition before presenting it formally to this government for transmittal to Russia. Time was desired, too, to obtain to the petition the signatures of representative citizens of the United States of all the religious faiths. As a result the document was not placed in the hands of the president until to-day.

The result of the conference at Sagamore Hill has not been disclosed yet but a strong intimation is given that the petition may not be forwarded to the Russian government. The desire of both the president and Secretary Hay is that the Kishineff incident should be closed as soon as possible, as further delay in its consideration might prove embarrassing to this government in other diplomatic negotiations with Russia.

Inasmuch as the Russian government has indicated by the adoption of severe measures a genuine disposition to punish adequately the perpetrators of the Kishineff murders and in addition those who instigated them, it is a problem for the president and Secretary Hay to solve whether the representations concerning the incident now are either desirable or necessary.

It is suggested that the whole matter may be resolved into a brief statement through diplomatic channels to the Russian foreign office that such a petition is in the hands of the United States, thus leaving it to Russia to say whether it would or would not receive the document if it were presented. It would close the incident without subjecting United States relation with Russia to a strain and it is regarded would be quite as effective as the actual presentation of the petition. The members of the Jewish commission together with Dr Albert Shaw, editor of the Review of Reviews, and his friend from England, Maurice Sheldon Amos, were the guests of the president at luncheon.

Secretary Root left this morning at 8:50 for Washington. He said that he could not sail for England before August 23 because it was desirable that he should see the general staff in full operation before he left the country.