Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1905-07-20
RUSS|AN--JAPAN WAR.
THE END is NOT YET IN
SIGHT.
If Japan Wounds Russia's S
Amour Propre, The Latter
will Continue War Indef-
initeIy. Ultimate Decision
Rests in the Hands of the
Emperor.

Emperor.
st. Petersburg, July II M. Witte,
the senior Russian peace plenipoten-
tiary, received the correspondent oi
the Associated Press at his villa on
Yelagin Island today.
M. Witte spoke in French. After
greetings, which were cordial, the
conversation gravitated quickly to
the high mission with which the
Russian statesman is charged and
the disposition ofthe foreign press to
interpret his appointment as an in
dication that Russia had decided TO
make peace at any price.
"No, no." said he, strengthening
up in his chair and speaking slowly
and distinctly, as if weighing the
value of each word. sin the first,
have been designated by the En-
peror as his am bassador eXtrodinarv
for pour parler5 with the japanese
pienipoten'iaries 70 ascertain wheth-
er it is possible to conclude a treaty
If peace. My personal views are Of
secondary importance, but my ideas
ire in entire accord with those of
ny friend, Count Damsdortf.
''In serving my Emperor l have
received precise instructions from
iI;s Majesty-and shall follow them.
''TI u innate decision remains in
thu hands of the Emperor and it is
ior him to decide the d stinie5 of
.'ssia. The Emperor is the friend
ol peace and desires peace but | very
much fear that the Japanese terms
will be such that we will be unable
70 reach au accord.
''SecondIy, the world should disa-
btlse its mind of the ideas that Rus
sal want peace at any price. There
are two parties in Russia. Ole fay-
Ors the continuation of the war a L
outrance-this is a large and iEfuen-
tial party. The other to which [ be-
long, favors peace. 1 avow it frank
ly, because telling the truth has al
ways been my rule in politics. | was
for peace before hostilities broke out
when the war began the situation
changed.
Given though there are these two
parties as to the advisabiiity of end
ing the war in the present circum-
stances, both would be united if the
Japanese demands wound the
amour propre of the Russian people
or ieopardized our future as a ma
ton.
''I am sure If Ireport that the con-
ditions of Japan cannot be accepted, /,
Russia will accept the verdict and
the Russian people will be ready to
continue the war years if necessary
'sThirdly, Russia is not crushed as
the foreign press has led the world tc
| believe. The interior situation is
very serious, I do not deny, but in
Europe and America the true signi
ficance of what is happening is moi
understood. Correspondents come
here and talk with few hundred
people in st. Petersburg and Mos
COW, misinterpret what is happen
ing and fill the world with false i'm
pressions as to Russia's future.
"Russia is not OH the verge of dis
solution as a great power and is no
obliged to accept any cnoditions OF
fered in spite of the military reverse
she has sustained.
eve are passing through an inter
nal crisis, which has been marked b,
many grave events, and which ma,
have others still in store, but tn
crisis will pass, and in a few year
Russia will again take her place as
preponderant power in the Euro
pean concert"