The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-08-19
PEACE PROSPECTS
ARE VERY BRIGHT
Two More Articles Disposed of by
PlenipOtentiaries.
CRISIS WILL COME MONDAY


Articles Will Be Completed BY Sat
urday After Which ENJOYS Will
Consult Their Governments and the
Question of Peace viii be Speedily
Decided.
Portsmouth. ~ H., Aug. Il. - The
prospects Of peace 49, dls'lheuE
brighter. The plenipotentlar'es are
lahoring with a seriousness ana earn
estness which leave not the slightest
doubt that both are anxious To con
cmde a treaty. Though the main
points remain to be contested ana the
plenipotentiaries of each side SPEAK
"a though the conference uid go 10
nieces unless the other side give way
the snirit of compromise is in the air
When he returned TO the hotel MT
Witte. who was tired out with MS
hard DAYS work. said: 81 am doing all
I can do for peace OF the eight aru-
cles we have already considered
have Welded seven. No other states
man in Russia would have dared DO
so much. and have done what nave
done upon my own responsibility.
From an authoritative source 1t Is
NOW possible 10 forecast with falr
degree of accuracy that the crisis VIII
come on next Monday. Articles seven
and eight. dealing with the fate OF the
Chinese Eastern railroad. having been
disposed OF. there remains in addition
10 the cession of Sakhalin. which was
passed over. the question OF lndem-
nitv. which comes up as article nine
tho limitation of Russias sea power
in the Far East the surrender of the
interned warships and the grant To
Japan OF fishing rights on the Littoral
north OF Vladiyostok.
To all except the latter. u when
Russia will agree. a negative answer
has been returned. absolute in the case
of indemnity and Sakhalin. Perhaps
both the others may be modified a1d
accepted by Ar. Witte in order to
strengthen his position in insisting
mon a concession from Japan regard
inc its demands Of an indemnity and
Sakhalin.
BEFORE yielding on either of the lat
ter It can be regarded as practically
certain that Mr.. Witte will consult the
emperor.
The exchange of views on the five
remaining articles is expected to be
completed tomorrow or Saturday at
the latest. The plenipotentiaries VIII
then adjourn until Monday. and the
interim will probably be used by the
plenipotentiaries TO consult their re-
spective governments. When they
meet on Monday their last cards will
be thrown upon the table. II there Is
10 be BARGAINING. it will come then.
and suddenly the conference will be
over or peace will be assured. The
Observation-Disclosures will come togethG
with protocols drawn up to sign and
part or remain for the elaboration Of
the treaty of Washington"
Articles seven and eight were dis
posed of. the former lin principle
the latter unanimously. according to
the official bulletins. Article seven
provides for the cessiOn 70 China OF
the branch of the Chinese Eastern
railroad running south from Hardin
10 Port Arthur and Dalny. and with
branch line connecting at Newchwang
with the Observation-Disclosures
road.
Article eight provides for the reten-
ton by Russia of the line through
Northern Manchuria which forms the
connecting link of the main line OF
the trans Siberian and the Usurrl rail
road with its terminal at Vladivostok
and HarbOrovsk.
From both sides the Associated
Press is informed that the acceptance
"in principle" OF article seven only
means that certain points remain to
be elaborated. not that dispute still
exists But this may possibly be only
a convenient method Of pOstponing un-
III the final struggle the acceptance Of
an article which could be used in the
ultimate compromise. Russia by the
acceptance of these two articles, in
connection with articles two, three
four and six surrende every vestige
Of her ambition in anchuria- She
closes the door to the warm water
ice-free port Of Dalny. upon which she
layished her millions and retains only
as a commercial road the link Of the
railroad connecting her European pos
sessions with the maritime provinces
upon the Pacific. The right to police It
with Russian troops or railroad guards
is given up and its protection will be-
come the duty of China
There were persistent rumors about
the hotel late last night that several
powers. including the Washington gov
eminent are bringing pressure to
bear upon Japan to fOrego "the cost of
the war" and content herself with
such other compensation as she can
secure out of the railroad the Russian
property in Port Arthur and Dalny.
and the cost Of the maintenance Of
Russian prisoners in Japan, this only
on the theory that Russia will event
ually agree to cede Sakhalin, which is
now potentially conquered territory.
This IS undoubtedly the line of ulti-
mate compromise, if compromise there
is to be.
The Associated Press can state au-
thoritatively that neither the question
Of making Vladivostok an open port"
or the Amur river an international
waterway as somepapers have stated,
is included in the Japanese terms
which. as developments have demon
strated, were given correctly by the
Associated Press the day they were
Z. l.. Il. ....lL aL.a