The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-09-09

was KuRoPATKIS. We're he beaten, hif
defeat would In all likelihood become q
rout, and that fraction Of his troops
which should escape death or surrender
would have To seek refuge west OF Lake
Baikal The blockade by sea and land
Of vladivostok would quickly follow.
and nobody imagines that the fortress
could long avoid the fate Of Port Arthur.
Russia's riparian province, lying be-
tween the Ussuri River and the Sea Of
Japan, together with the territory
stretching along the northern or Russian
bank Of the Amur River, would have been
definitely annexed by the Toxic Govern
ment, which, moreover, would not only
have kept the whole Of sakhalin, but
would have 90 fortified the island as to
gain unshakeable control Of La Perouse
Strait and OF the Gulf and Strait Of Tar
tary.
Had they been left at liberty thus to
reconstruct tho map Of eastern Asia 1t
might have mattered little to the Japa-
nese whether or no they were able to
extract an indemnity from Russia, for
they would rapidly have turned to &C
count the vast natural resources Of the
conquered territory, and through their
possession OF tho railway running from
Lake Baikal to Vladivostok would have
occupied a strategical position practically
unassailable Such was the prize which,
in the opinion Of many Japanese, was
almost in their country's grasp, and
which, they hold, she must have secured
had the negotiations for peace been
postponed until after the enveloping
operations carefully planned by OYAMA
had been carried out. They would have
liked the Mikado to reply to Mr.. RoosE-
vELT's proposal that he must decline to
negotiate 80 long as any Russian soldiers
should remain in Manchuria, from which,
in pursuance Of the Cars promise, they
ought to have retired two years ago.
They think that the Japanese Emperor,
unwilling to administer a rebuff to
the Chief Magistrate of people whose
friendship he earnestly desired, con-
scented to send plenipotentiaries to Ports
mouth, where they were speedily out
generated and elbowed into a corner,
where they had to choose between the
invidious continuance Of the war for the
purpose Of sxtorting money or the ac-
ceptance Of an arrangement which is
rather a truce than peace, since 1t en-
courages Russia to renew the struggle
for ssoendency in eastern Asia at no
distant day.
That is the view manifeetly taken to-
day by many Japanese, who denounce
the Peace of Portsmouth as betrayal
OF their country's interests. In their
indignation and anger they overlook
two things: First, that had the ex-
pected battle between OYAMA and
L1N1EvrrcH taken place, it would have
cost the lives Of two hundred thousand
human beings; and, secondly, that q
renewed attempt on Russia's part to
contest Japan's preponderance in the
Far East has been rendered utterly hope
less by the treaty Of alliance with Great
Britain which the Toxic Government
has just concluded. The day is not re-
mote when those Japanese who now re-
gard with wrath the outcome Of the
Portsmouth conference will recognize
that the bloodless victory, gained with
the pen, when Lord LANsDowNE and
Japan's Ambassador set their names to
the compact knitting together the two
island empires, is Of more abiding and
transcendent import than any that
OYAMA could have won upon the field.