The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-29
RUSSIA REFUSES
TO PAY INDEMNITY
Continued from First Page.
lminaries do not advance to a decisive
/ PEACE THRU ROOSEVELT
Japan Opened Negotiations by Tent,
tive Message Thru President.

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New York Sun Special Service.
Washington, March 29.-February %
last, it was announced from Washington
that Japan had notified Russia she
would welcome peace and had outlined
war might be ended. February Is Min
lister Takahira called on President
Roosevelt, and told him that. Japan was
ready to talk peace if Russia desired it
The Japanese minister was fearful lest
the motives Of his, country might be
misconstrued, and was most DESTROYS
f aa Eeere 9oect Of his m Visit e sn0Sd b
say to the president that his talk was
tentative, but that if Russia wished
Japan would consent to- peace negotia
tions. Since that time the great battle
Of Mukden has. been fought and the
Japanese have again won a decisive vic
tory. q@
Terms offered by Japan.
The general basis for peace proposed
by the Japanese minister was:
First-Complete and permanent evacu.
alton of Manchuria by Russia; and some
form of an international guarantee that
Manchuria should remain integral part Of
China. g. f=>
tional management fol
the railroad between Hardin, Port Arthur
and Niu-chuang.
Third-Recognition Of Japan's influence
in Korea as supreme. i
Fourth-Port Arthur to be retained by
Japan, but to be open to the ships of al
nations on equal footing. =
Minister Takahira did not men
ton an indemnity and it was intimated
that Japan would have no objection ia
Russia's retaining Vladivostok for use
as an eastern terminus for the Siberian
railroad Z
Minister Takahira did not ask the
president to communicate the views of
Japan to Russia, but he did not ask him
not to communicate them. -..~y ,..-
President Roosevelt understood the
diplomatic Importance of the call and
communication. The Japanese minis.
ter Impressed upon the president the
fact that Japan was willing to continue
the ,war with every confidence in the
result, but that if Russia was ready for
peace, Japan would meet her half way
France Comes In.
Then France came into the negotia.
tions. Ambassador Jusserand made an
important Sunday night visit to the
White House, and he told the president
what the attitude. of France. Russia IS
ally, was. The president and Secre-
tary hay had a definite understanding
OF exactly what Japan wanted.
The statements made by Minister Ia
kahlra were put into a cipher message
serand, and forwarded to the French
foreign office. Presumably, they were
sent to Russia by France.
IN the meantime Ambassador McCor-
mick, at st. Petersburg, had been in
structed by Secretary Hay to call on
Count Lamsdorff, and communicate the
Japanese statement made to his govern
ment: .>~, ~'"4-' -
The facts concerning Minister Taxa
hlra g call on the president were not
known to half a dozen men in Washing
ton until they were printed in the news.
papers. Before they were printed the
president had notified the ambassadors
:ofstWo4 powers friendly to Russia, and
ttney 10 tATn5 communicated with their
gepeg;eFlmsnts,s WhieAIiats onees,exerted all
duce the car to meet Japan half way.
sEs>' A Technical Denial.
Minister Takahira was constrained to
issue a technical denial that he had
offered peace. What these dispatches
said was that he had asserted Japan IS
Willingness to negotiate, and the dis.
patch from St: Petersburg tonight, that
ISussld has oHered Terms OF peace, and
the, United States land France, bears
out in: every detailAthe Washington dis.
patches Of Feb. 20 and "a.
:. The president and Secretary Hay
have always been willing and anxious to
do anything they could do to further
peace between the two nations. The
position Of this country in the negotia.
tlons leading, to the present peace pro.
"a ~
sented to act as the medium for mes.
sages. 1t is not expected that future
developments will bring this country
more prominently into the final negotia.
lions, altho that condition may very
well arise. 49,