Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-03-30
RUSSIA AND JAPAN
ON ROAD To PEACE
important Private Conference
Approaches the
Subject,
IN SOME NORTHERN CAPITAL
Investigation Seems to Confirm the
Rumor-Russia's Aim Seems to Be
Primarily to Secure Pause in Jap
anese Military Operations.

st. Petersburg, March 25.-The in
formation contained in these dispatch
es for over a week regarding the
change in Emperor Nicholas attitude
concerning the ACCESSIBILITY of making
a pacific proposal to Japan is fully
confirmed and in very high quarters
peace within six weeks is regarded
as certain. The positiveness with
which this is affirmed would indicate
that the government Is already in pos
session of information as to the Jap
anese terms which indicate a basis
to which Russia can agree.
The exact situation is shrouded in
mystery. The secret of what has been
done and what is being done is zeal
ously guarded. The Associated Press
hears, however, from a source close
to the throne that pour parlers are act
ually in progress in Paris, but possibly
only OF a preliminary character and
that Copenhagen may be the scene OF
first exchanges between representa-
tives of the two powers. In this con-
nection importance is being attached
to the visit of Mr. D'Iswolsky, Russian
minister to Copenhagen, and Baron
Rosen, former Russian minister to
Japan, to NJ. BOmpaTd, the French
ambassador to Russia, on Tuesday.
The parties to their conference re-
fuse to admit that significance is at
tached to it. In the meantime the
foreign office is silent.
Paris, March 26.-Inquiry late last
night tends to strongly confirm the
statement in last evenings dispatch
that approaches toward peace between
Russia and Japan have already begun
at a private conference in a northern
European capital. In view of the
statement from st. Petersburg that
pour parlers were going on in Paris,
the Associated Press last night called
at the Russian embassy and the Jap
anese legation. Ambassador Nelidoff
stated specifically that he knew no.
thing about such negotiations being
in progress here, and Minister MotOno,
while declining to discuss the general
question of peace, authorized the
statement that no pour parlers were
occurring In Paris. At the foreign Of
flce it was also stated that officials
were not aware of steps towards
peace.
The foregoing statements by Count
Nelidoff and DR.. MOtono, while indi-
eating that negotiationg are not pro-
ceeding here, do not alter the main
statement that several peace prelimin-
aries are actually progressing else
where. The real explanation is prob
ably to be found in the Paris dispatch
of last evening that preliminary con-
ference had already been held at
northern capital. There are strong in
dicatiOns that this capital is Stock
holm, and that the negotiations will
be conducted at Stockholm if the pre-
liminaries prove successful. Copen-
hagen also is mentioned; but it is I'M
derstood that the point was raised
against past or future conferences
there, that a large and influential
British element is at that capital
whose sympathios might be hostile to
Russia.
The parsonage acting for Russia in
the preliminary stage Of the negotia-
tons is described as a leading gener-
al" The parsonage acting for Japan
Is not disclosed, but he Is believed to
be one who has heretofore taken no
prominence in Japanese affairs.
There IS reason to believe that st.
Petersburg and Toxic are aware OF
the results Of the meeting, and that
similar information is in the posses
sion Of certain diplomatic circles In
Paris This simultaneous receipt of
Identical information in st. Petersburg
and Paris probably accounts for st.