The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-11-29
JAPs BELIEVE 1T is SENT TO
INFLUENCE NEGOTIATIONS.
IS ouTcLAssED BY TOGO
japanese Admiral Confident He Could
vanquish Russians In Long
Range Battle.

Chicago, Nov. 25.-Walter Well
man, in a Washington special to the
h Record-Herald, says:
According to official and trustwor-
s thy advices received here, the Japan
/ csc government has no fear of what
I The Russian second Pacific squadron
may be able to do after it's arrival in
/ eastern waters-provided it ever ar
Il rives.
4 The Japanese naval authorities are
Il skeptical as to the intention OF the
Russian government to send the fleet
7 all the way to the China sea. They
still incline to the opinion, so say
1 kilograms just received in Washing
: ton, that the Russians are really put
i ting up a bluff for the purpose of in
%fluencing the negotiations for peace
which are looked for during the COM
ing winter.
Plan Peace Negotiations.
According to the official Japanese
view the st. Petersburg authorities,
while valiantly protesting that they
B will never listen to peace proposals
\ till after they have won a decisive
III victory and recovered at least a part
of their lost military prestige, are Sc
\ cFetly planning to have negotiations
\ started during the winter lull in the
II field operations. The Japanese think
H Russian diplomacy will cOntrive the
means before spring to set on foot
such negotiations as may lead to
peace. This might be done through
France, or some other mutually
ifriendly power.
IN well informed diplomatic quar-
tiers here it is said Japan is willing to
make peace at any time on the basis
of the original proposals made by the
Toxic government, plus the Japanese
possession of Port Arthur.
IA Fleet Simply An "infIuence."
Many leading Japanese officials be-
|Elieve the second Russian squadron
|Nwas dispatched for the east with a
|Sview to exerting an influence upon the
Respected peace negotiations. AS long
as Russian sea power is not destroyed
the Japanese could not claim to have
vanquished their adversary and to be
entitled to a victor's settlement. The
best evidence of Russias' retention OF
claim to naval power would be the
presence of the Pacific squadron in
waters adjacent to the theater of a
Hence the Japanese belief that the
Russian government has dispatched
the fleet more as a diplomatic than
Mas a naval enterprise, and that the
st. Petersburg government intends to
send Admiral Rojestvensk5's ships
Near enough to the Japanese squadron
Mo exert an influence in the peace ne.
|Ngotiations, but not near enough to in
|Nite battle.
Peace Efforts Expected.
In diplomatic circles at Washing
ton there is a general belief that dur
&ng the coming winter efforts are to
|abe made to negotiate peace between
Russia and Japan, but no such efforts
Twill be made by the United States
~Egovernment in the absence of a direct
Elimination from St. Petersburg that
such action would be welcome to the
sRussian government. Although this
Expectation of peace negotiations ex-
n SITS, it is admitted to be the result of
general knowledge Or observation and
That it is not based upon any direct In
Formation as to the attitude of the
aezar and his advisers.
Japs Itching for Fight.
If the Russian ships appear within
striking distance Of the Japanese navy
Ethey will have to fight whether they
wish to or not. The Japanese will
attend to that. Word m to Wash
Sngton almost direct from Admiral
Togo that he expects to be able to
whip the Russians at long range. In
guns of high power the Japanese fleet
us vastly superior to the Russian
squadron. If he gets the opportunity,
mich he is afraid he will not, Admiral
fTogo'is confident he can smash his
Enemy at about 5000 yards, while his
Dwn ships remain comparatively free
rom danger.
Fires IN PORT ARTHUR.