Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-08-24
AGAIN ADJOURNED.
Peace Conference POSTPONED All 40
ton Until Wednesday.
THB PRESIDENTS PROPOSITION.
RumOr IL Current That Reply Of
Emperor Nicholas II That Rus
STA Will Make No Com
cessiOma.

oeSStOna.
Portsmouth, N. H., Aug. 23.-The AZ
ISOLATED press Is now In q position u
reveal substantially the suggestion o
President Roosevelt for breaking tn
deadlock in the peace negotiations ant
rescuing the conference from failure
His solution would ingeniously permi
the satisfaction of the japanese de
mands for reimbursement for the cos
Of tho war and at the same time enable
Russia to face the world with the decla
ration that she had not coded foot
Of territory or paid q kopeck Of wal
tribute to the victor. The solution II
the one which has heretofore been
described in the Associated press dis
patches as the natural and logical com.
promise. Tersely stated It consists In
an agreement by Russia to re-purchase
possession of either all or half Of the
island Of Sakhalin now in the military
occupation of Japan for q sum the
amount Of which II the two countries
can not agree shall be decided by
some method Of arbitration hereaf-
| ter to be determined. The purchase
money together with the sum Japan
would obtain from the cession Of the
Chinese Eastern railroad and the main
tainance Of the Russian prisoners In
Japan, would, II Is estimated. about
equal the amount claimed by Japan
as her bill for the cost Of the war.
Possibly, therefore, the solution offered
by the president involves recession by
Japan upon article s (the cession OF
sakhalin) and recession by Russia
upon article 0 Indemnity It seems
practically certain though this can
not be affirmed positively, that the
president Tuesday was able to give Mr..
Witte substantial assurance that
Japan would be willing to accept such
o compromise.
This is apparently supported by the
authoritative Japanese statement made
to the Associated press Tuesday night
In he reply to question as to wheth-
er Japan had not decided to make sub
stantial concessions:
1T all depends upon Russia"
1t was the presidents message to
Mr.. White which caused the sensation
Of the day. Early in the morning had
come the official announcement that
the meeting of the conference which
was to have been held Tuesday had
been postponed until Wednesday at
$3.50 o'clock. The public reason as
signed was that the protocols for sub
mission at the sitting had not been
completed. But few hours later the
true reason leaked out. ]. L. McGrew,
one Of the stenographers attached to
the executive offices at Oyser Bay, had
arrived with the communication from
the president for the Russian plenipo-
tentiaries. M. Witte and De Rosen
had left the hotel ostensibly for ride
In an auto car to York beach but In.
stead had quietly slipped away to the
conference building at the navy yard
to receive the message from Assistant
Secretary PIERCE. The most elaborate
precautions had been taken to insure
secrecy, but 1t leaked out through q
"tip" from New York which reached
the Associated press.
From 10:3O until 1:10 Mr.. White and
Baron de Rosen remained at the con-
ference building with Mr.. Peirce. All
those present decline to make any
statements regarding what transpired
at the navy yard, even refusing to ad-
init that any importance attached tothe
matter. Mr.. Witte would only admit
that he had gone to the building ito
send q message" and Baron de Rosen
and Mr.. Pierce absolutely refused to
make any statements Mr. McGrew
took the 1886 train to Boston whence,
according to reports, he took the Mer-
chants limited, after first inQuiring at
the. intAlliRanao. ofica for tha. connec-
uuns To oyster Bay, ne carried q dress
suit case which probably contained the
reply to the president. This reply, 1t
Is believed, was prepared by Mr.. Witte
and Baron de Rosen after Mr.. Pierce
had delivered to them the presidents
A suggestion is made that
during the stay at the navy yard the
plenipotentiaries were in d.
rect communication with the president
by telegraph, but there is nothing to
Substaintiate this and under the cir
It appears unlikely.
Mr.. Roosevelts message to Mr.. White
and Baron de Rosen is believed to have
been the result Of his interview Mon
day at Oyster Bay with Baron Kaneko,
one Of Marquis Ito's close friends.
who has acted as the presidents me-
dunn Of Communication with the To-
kio government
The general disposition was to re-
gard Tuesdays swift and KALEIDOSCOPE
lc Developments a. materially bright
ening the chances Of the success Of the
presidents heroic endeayors TO save
the peace conference from failure
But Il was realized that all. as before.
depended upon the attitude Of the en-
peror and his advisers. Mr.. Witte, Il
IL positively stated, personally favors
the solution offered BY the president
but be Il poWefless unless his imperial