The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-04-30
A CHANCE FOR PEACE.
Russia's Losses Suggest a Fa-
vorable Time. Say Diplomats.
OUTLOOK HOPELESS ON THE SEA

RlLAOAA LII AiAls1 SAf AA~- $3.50
some Dipiomatists Hope Cxnr VIII
BanIsh war Party From Power and
seek Rest Terms obtainnbIe Before
Japan suffers Great Loa.-sIain-
tanned That Japanese win Take
All Desirable Towns and Hold
Them.
That Russia is already hopelessly
beaten and must soon swallow her
pride and sue for peace is the opinion
Of some Of the diplomatists Of highest
rank at Washington. says Walter
Wellman in the Chicago Record-Her
aid These men are not unfrlendly TO
Russia They are simply statesmen q
the world, wen Informed and able
through wide knowledge and long ex-
perience TO catch the first faint shad-
ows Ut coming events. One ~ them
well known on both sides Of the AT
lantc for his skill as diplomatist
made use Of the following words
Russia IS fast going the road TO
ruin The war IS virtually over, aud
Russia is yanquished Japan has com.
mand OF the sea. and command Of the
sea in modern warfare is victory. Rus
sta cannot win without recovering SUI
periority of sea power and that is i'm
possible unless she IS willing 10 pro
long the conflict three years or until
she can construct new feet Of battle
ships That would mean the ruin Of
the Russian empire, hopeless bank
ruptcy, commercial panic. revolution at
home
mo: there Is nothing for the car to
do but to save what he can OF the
wreck. He could move at once. He
should dismiss the war party, send
Alexeieff and Iessar and all the other
belligerents Into retirement along with
Bezsbrazoff The car can't well dis
miss his uneles and aunts and rid him
self Of the influence Of the grand dukes
and grand duehesses But he should
disregard their counsel. He should re
instate ne Witte and lean heavily up
on Count Lamslorfr and the other
friends of peace. TIE should immedl.
ately make oyertHres through Paris or
London for mediation ana settlement
with Japan, paying the necessary price
ana saving what be can cut Of the
wreck 10 continue the war is hope
less Il Is ruin and suicide
The foregoing words summarize the
best opinion IN the diplomatic world at
Washington, They would create a sen
sation IL the name Of the man who
spoke them could be given. Though
this expression IS only that Of an indi-
vidual and must not IN amy way be
taken ~ possessing political signih-
canoe, there IL III some minds at Wash
ington belief ana Iii others hope
that the ear Will rise to the crisis Of
the hour aud adopt the very course
which has been Indicated.
II Is the belief Of diplomatists whose
opinions are Of value that now, before
any great land BATTLES have been
fought aud Japan has made only tri.
cling sacrifices OF men and money, Rus
STA could secure terms Of peace which
might be regarded as favorable under
the circumstances that is To say, by
merely granting Japans original de-
mands, with one OF Two additions. Be
sides d guarantee Of the independence
IA Korea ana evacuation DC Maneharia
Japan would now doubtless insist upon
the surrender to her or 1T least the dis
armament and naturalization Of the
Liaotung peninsula, including OF course
Port Arthur
But Port Arthur win soon fall into
the possession Of Japan, said The dl
plomatist already quoted THAT must
be regarded as inevitable With sea
power lost the holding Of Port Arthur
is at best Of doubtful value to Russia
II Is tax upon her military strength
without any corresponding advantages
AS long AS Che Russian fleet was sum
cientlF Formidable I'd menace japanese
transports on ports Fort Arthur was
the key to the situation. But now the
Russian fleet Is more than half de-
stroyed or disabled.
What remains Is III state of de-
moralization Admiral Togo has only
70 station part Of his squadron be-
fore the port establish a blockade. and
Port Arthur itself and the Russian
ships there are powerless to infiict any
damage upon Japan All the troops
Russia keeps at Port Arthur are So
many men out Of the lighting else
where. The minute the remnant Of the
Russian fleet come out Of the harbor
aud give battle the japanese will over
whelm them with superior force. If
they stay ii port they are harmless
Meanwhile the Japanese are strong
enough TO 90 after the cruisers at Ylad- |
iyostok.
$50 far as sea power IS concerned |
the outlook is altogether hopeless for
Russia If the Baltic feet IS sent to
the Pacific, It in turn VIII be oyerpow-
cred and destroyed What I wish TO
emphasize Is that hy losing the freedom
Of the ocean Russia has lost the strug
gle. and It Is useless to continue it On
land
@lt three months ago any one had
predicted what has actually happened. |
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