The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-14

upon, there is no longer any doubt tina
striking success has attended Presiden
RoosEvELTs attempt to bring the com
batants directly together and thus pave
the way to an early termination of the
war. We have yet to learn whether an
armistice will be concluded, and, if So
for what duration and under what re-
strictions; and it is also too early to as
sumo that even the minimum terms OF
peace insisted upon by Japan will be
accepted by Russia.
1t Ia by no means universal rule that
an armistice is concluded pending the
consideration of terms of peace. Much
depends on the relative positions Of the
combatauts, on their comparative ability
to bear the expense Of maintaining an
army In inaction on the field, and on the
extent to which one Of the parties might
profit by the opportunity Of bringing up
reenforcements during the suspension
Of arms. In the Franco-German War,
for instance, it would have been an act Of
folly on BIsMARcK's part to grant an
armistice before the preliminary basis
OF an accommodation had been fixed
During our own Revolutionary War a
long period elapsed between the sur
render of Yorktown and the conclusion
OF the Peace of Versailles; nevertheless
there was no formal armistice, although
there was lull in respect of aggressive
movements. II will also be remembered
that during our War of 1912 there was so
far from being an armistice pending the
negotiations at Client that the battle Of
New Orleans was fought some weeks
after the treaty Of peace was signed In
the situation which is now presented
in the Far East it is obviously for Russia,
the worsted Power, to ask for an armls-
tice, and it is for Japan. the victor, to ac-
cede, IL she chooses. to the request. We
may take for granted that if an armistice
is conceded by the Toxic Government
it will be coupled with rigorous condi-
tions as to the reinforcement of the army
under Gen. L1NrEv1TcH and as to the fur
Their fertilization or victualing of Nladi-
vostok. 1t is only fair to the thus far
successful belligerent that. if the nego-
tiations come to nothing, the status quo
ante shall have suffered the least possible
interference.
SO far as the name officially applied to
the negotiators is concerned. there seems
to be no ground for the suspicion of bad
faith with which the first report of Rus
sia's intentions was regarded We now
learn on the highest authority that the
representatives. of Russia, like those of
Japan, will be described as "plenipo-
tentiaries. This, however, is a tech
nical term which has had various
meanings in the history of diplomacy
and the precise significance of which
will have to he deduced from the text
OF the credentials. Very seldom has a
representative been clothed with powers
absolutely full. In recent times the
ENJOYS delegated by the Bordeaux
National Assembly in 1871 to arrange
a peace with Germany came nearest
to the possession of such plenary au-
thority. 1t is probable enough that in
the present case the full powers" of
the agents will be defined to be such
as fall within their instructions and
that these instructions will simply author
ize them to receive proposals and trans
init them for examination to the Home
Government, This might be looked
upon as only n reasonable limitation
In these days of telegraphy, which has
minimized the Importance of agents
and enabled principals to deal directly
with one another
The absence of such appliances in 1914
compelled our Government to make our
Commissioners to Client plenipoten-
tiaries in very wide sense of the word
On the other hand, the Commissioners
whom we sent to Paris in 1893 for the
purpose of concluding peace with Spain
were required to submit certain features
of the projected compact to the ap-
proval of our State Department. In
like manner the Spanish Commissioners,
with regard to one or more clauses of
the suggested treaty, had to apply for
specific instructions to the Madrid For
eign Office. There is no ground for
surprising that Japan will object to
such limitation Of "plenipotentiarys
authority, provided, Of course, she is
NhNI ~ 10 IlOb ueSlRneu TO |
secure delay during which reinforce
ments might be forwarded to Man
churia. If any doubt on that point
exists at Toxic an armistice will doubt
less be refused
As regards the probable terms of
peace. we shall soon have Trustworthy
information concerning the irreducible
minimum Of Japan's demands. That
one OF these will be pecuniary indemnity
seems to be taken for granted at Toxic,
and we no longer hear it treated as
inadmissible at st. Petersburg. Some
light on the probable amount may be
obtained from recent presidents. The
allied Powers e1acted from China $685.
ooo,oo in gold for the indignity inflicted
BY the attack on the legations at Pekin
and for the comparatively trivial loss
incurred in putting down the Boxer
rebellion. japan After her sho,t uor