Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-08-23
ROOSEVELT'S
LATEST PLAN.
President Outlines Scheme to
End Far Eastern Wal
Japan Agrees.
SECRET MESSENGER.

l. 49, A1f nus 49,
The suggestion of President Roosevelt
for breaking the existing deadlock in
the peace negotiations and %rescuing
the conference from failure is now
semiofficially revealed. His solution
would %ingeniously permit the satisfac.
ton of the Japanese demands for re-
endorsement for the cost of the war
and at the same time enable Russia
to face the world with the declaration
that she had not coded a foot of terri,
tory or paid a copeck of war tribute
to the victor. The solution is one which
has heretofore been described as the
natural and logical compromise. Terse,
ly stated, it consists in an agreement
by Russia to repurchase possession of
either all or half of the island Sax.
hahn now in the military occupation Of
Japan for a sum the amount of which
If the two countries cannot agree
shall be decided by some method OF
arbitration hereafter to be determined.
The purchase money, together with
the sum Japan would obtain from the
cession of the Chinese Eastern rail
road and the maintenance of the Rus
sian prisoners in Japan, would, it is
estimated, about equal the amount
claimed by Japan as her bill for the
cost of the war. Practically, there.
fore, the solution offered by the pres
ident involves recession by Japan up
on article 5 (the cession of Snkhalinl
and recession by Russia upon article
8 Indemnity. 1t seems practically
certain, though this cannot be affirmed
positively, that the president has given
M. Witte substantial assurance that
Japan would be willing to accept such
a compromise. This is apparently sup
ported by the authoritative japanese
statement in reply to a question us tC
whether Japan had not decided to
make substantial concessions:
at all depends upon Russia"
1t was the presidents message to NJ.
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 had been post
poned. The public reason assigned vas
that the protocols for submission at the
sitting had not been completed. But Il
few hours later the true reason leaked
out. j. l.. McGrew, one of the Stcnog
raphers attached to the executive of
fees at Oyster Bay, had arrived with
a communication from the president
-for- the Russian plenipotentiaries. NJ,
Witte and Baron de Rosen had left the
hotel ostensibly for u ride in an auto
car to York Beach, but instead had
quietly slipped over 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
it leaked out through u tip" from New
York.
For three hours NJ. White and Baron
de Rosen remained at the conference
building with Mr.. PIERCE. All those
present decline to make II statements
regarding what TRANSFERRED at the navy
yard, even refusing to admit that any
Importance attached to the matter. NJ.
White would only admit that he had
gone to the building ito send a mes
sage" and Baron de Rosen and Mr..
Peirce absolutely refused to make any
statements. Mr.. McGrew took a train
to Boston, Whence, according to re
ports, he took the Merchants Limited
after first tAquiring at the intelligence
office for the connections to Oyster
Bay. Ne carried a dress suit case.
which probably contained the reply to
the president. This reply, 1t is be
heved, was prepared by NJ. Witte and
Baron de Rosen after Mr.. PIERCE had
delivered to them the presidents mes
sage. It's character is, of course, a Sc
cret.