Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-08-22

here that corporations by Great Brit
ain would have been resented by Japan
Among the japanese. tonight, no note
OF hope is sounded. With genuine re-
luctance they seem almost resigned 70
the Shipwreck of the conference. They
declare that their position IS unchanged
and they speak of renewing the war
with snap of their black eyes which
speaks volumes for their confidence i'll
the success of Oyama when the word
is given to advance.
1--WE have fought for lasting peace"
said one of the attaches closest to the
chiefs I'VE have been victorious. II
Russia came to Portsmouth unprepared
to pay the price of defeat. all is over.
We do not believe the President consd
crs terms unreasonable He knows Jap
ans position as accurately as does either
of the Japanese plenlpotcntiarieS. We do
not believe he will even ask us to weaken
at the last moment and yield. even to
save the negotiations. Heartily as the
whole world desires peace Japan believes
the neutral powers would prefer that war
should continue for IL year or even two
years longer than that Japan for the sake
Of immediate peace should make conces-
sions nov and be forced perhaps Il de-
cadc hence to reopen hostilities
The plenpotcntiarlcs and the members
| of their suites apparently had little to do.
| today. Those of the latter who were not
engaged in completing the final drafts OF
| the protocols joined in the festivities of
| this pleasant summer resort. But when
| the subject of the negotiations was men
| TONED their answers were almost inva-
| riahly pcssmistic and some of them
openly predicted the cnd would come. to-
| morrow. Baron komura and Mr.. Takahira
cam" downstairs this afternoon. to sit for
| Il photograph in "A group of newspaper
| corr, SpondentS and then retired to be
seen no more NJ. Wittc. in the morning,
| took occasion to show himself in the lob
| by OF the hotel rs if to contradict the
stories that he was i'll. In the afternoon,
| he and Baron de Ros"n went out for 1t
| spin in an automobile.
Portsmouth. n. H., Aug. 21.-This
would have been an ideal day to ne
gotiate. 1t is an even plea asanter day
| to bask in the warm sunshine on the
veranIa and this is what many of the
| attaches of both missions are doing.
| The principals however, Baron komu-
| IA aud Mr.. Takahira, and NJ. Wittc,
have no time for recreation. Before
| breakfast. this morning, NJ. Wittc. al
| though he WAS not feeling well, was
hard at work and he scarcely stopped
while breakfast was served to him in
his room.
No plans for either mission have
been announced. today. but as both
arc expecting cablcgrams from their
! home governments which may decide
the fate of the Negotiations, it is un-
| likely tina: they will go far from the
| l.otel, today. The Dolphin has received
| orders to sdil for Boston and will prob
ably get under way. this morning. 1t
is assumed here that she will later re
| turn here IN case the envOys upon tha
conclusion of their labors wish to re-
turn to New York by water.
| The Maytlowcr will remain through
out the conference
| Both the Russians and japanese have
| almost finished tho preparation of tho
| protocols 20 he submitted at the meet
| ing of the conference. tomorrow after
noon. The features of the protocols
is the presentation of the reasons adj
vanccd by both sides for the divergence
of views upon the articles upon which
| no agreement was reached.
On Article ), tie cessior of Sakhalin.
| the Japanese claim that they are en-
titled to the island as we'll by reason
of their national rights to its possess
sion as by the occupation by the Jap
anese forces The Russians on the
contrary insist that up to 1850 Japan
had never claimed any right to SAX
halin and ct that time only % unmar-
led japanese lived in the south of the.
island during the fishing season.
Admiral Peoutiatinc opened the ewes
of the Japanese to the yalie of Sakha
lin when he went there in 1854 and ini-
tiated negotiations for the possession
of the entire island BY Russia 1t was
then that Japan in order to make good
her claims tried to colonlZe the island
and stated that the Aino race which
lives there belonged TO the same family
as the original inhabitants of the
northern islands of Japan.
In 1859. Mouravieff. governor general
Of Amur. tried to persuade Japan t.
yield in her claim TO the south part of
Sakhalin. but did not succeed, as the