The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-28
MEDIATION FAR OFF
FRANCE NOT ANXIOUS TO MEET
 REBUFF.
End of the War Would Be Most Pleas ing, But The Time for the Prof. fer of Services is Not
 Yet.

Paris, August 27-The French gov- ernment is not aware of any present movement for meditation in the war.
 This statement, coming from the highest quarters. was made In re- sponse to inquiries regarding renewed reports of peace movements.
 One report gives sensational promi- hence to a statement attributed to high French official that Emperor Will liam intends to offer Russia Germany's good offices. The Foreign Office. which is the most authoritative source of off, ficial information, Is not aware of such a movement, and does not credit the report
 The Petit Parisien, a local paper, recently published an editorial favor ing the European mediation. The following day. a London daily used this editorial as the basis for an an- nouncement that the French govern ment was about to tender its medita- ton. -...-
 The Foreign CEiice here notified the Petit Parisien that its statement were not warranted and that the London deductions were false.
 France Anxious to Act.
 The fact is that France is ready and anxious to offer emidation whenever there is the slightest chance that it
 
 eign Minister Delcasse and other off1- cials regretfully feel that no such ef- fort can succeed at the present time. However, there is strong official opinion growing that France, Great Britain the United States should put their shoulders together to avert the increasing danger of Japan's victory being so great that she may become the dominant power in the Far East.
 A leading official said:
 Japan Is making terrible sacrifi- ces of men and money with the pros pect of securing an overwhelming vic tory. This sacrifice Is so great and the victory so correspondingly great that 1t threatens to give Japan a pre- ponderating position in the Far East such as no one anticipated when the war began. Therefore. the war no longer concerns Japan and Russia, but all the countries having intrests in the Far East particularly Great Britain, France and the United States. who should get together and adopt means to stop the war before either party secures such an overshadowing vic- tory as to make her incontestably mas ter of the Far East"
 For American Consumption. The foregoing statement was made in highest French quarters in the ear
 
 serious consideration of American public men and officials.
 A private letter just received from one of the American military attaches | at Liaoyang gives a graphic descrip- tion of the situation and scenes at the Russian headquarters. The American ! officers. accompanied a regiment of Russian infantry. engaged in evolu- tions south of that town. It was a toh hIo ~Nv@ .H, nlr ing above their knees. The troops showed great hardiness and endurance, though their shoulder packs were heavier than the American officers had ever seen before. They were so | heavy that the soldiers would proba- bly lose their packs during a fight. Their rifles, of the model of 1900. inn pressed the American attaches as be- ing exceptionally powerful weapons. On returning to Liaoyang, the Bus- sian officers, including General Alex ieff (not the admiraD entertained the American officers. General AlexiefT, who is a gruff old soldier, jocularly re- marked that he was too old to begin making friends of Americans. l Russian Hilarity. | The Russian oHicers showed no de- | pression over the war reverses. They were even hilarious and exchanged | toasts expressing the friendly feelings | of Russia for the United States and finally demanded that the American of- | fcers execute a cake walk This was ! done so successfully tfat the Russians , secured a blanket and tossed the cake walkers up in the air, despite the fact that they were in full dress. This was cited as evidence of the gay spirits prevailing.
 An official report from St. Peters burg says the speech of Premier Bal four in London Thursday to the depu- tation from the Chamber of Commerce. created an excellent impression at the | Russian court, as 1t was considered as removing the possibilities of an Anglo | Russian crisis over the stopping of l neutral steamers.