The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-23
Envoys Did Not Meet Yesterday.
 s PRESIDENT AND WHITE
Envoys Received an Important
 Communication.
Roosevelt Suggests That Russia Ray Japan for sakhailn and Care Of Prasonsrs Bat csar Has De-
 ciding voice.

Associated Press Is now in position to reveal substantially the suggestion of President Roosevelt for breaking the existing deadlock in the peace ne- gotiations and rescuing the conferences from failure. S
 His suggestion would permit ths satisfaction of the Japanese demands for reimbursement for the cost of tho war and at the same time enable Rus. sia to face the world with the dec1ar- ation that she has not ceded foot of territory or paid . kopeck of war tribute to the victor. The solution ia the one which has heretofore been de- scribed in the Associated Press des- patches as the natural and logical corn- promise.
 Terse1y stated 1t consists in an agreement by Russia to repurchnso possession of either all or half Of the island of sAkhalin now in the miii- tary occupation of the Japanese for n sum the amount of which. if the cided by some method of arbitration hereafter to be determined. The pur- chase money, together with the sum Japan would obtain from the cession of the Chinese Eastern Railroad and the maintenance of the Russian pris- oners in Japan would. it is estimated, about equal the amount claimed by Japan as her bill for the cost of the war.
 Possibly. therefore, the solution of- fered by the President involves recess sion by Japan upon article five (th4 Ieession of Sakha1in) and recession by Russia upon article nine iindemnity1. It seems practically certain, though this cannot be affirmed positively. that the President today was able to giva M. Witte substantial assurance that Japan would be willing to accept surh Ea compromise. This apparently aup~ ported by the authoritative JapRneae statement made to the Associated Preaa tonight fn reply to a question as ta whether Japan had not decided t9 make q substantlai concession. Tt aIl depends upon Russia"
 It was the Presidents meaaaRs tG M Witte which catised the sensat1sSo. of the day. Early in the morning had come the pfficfal announcement that the meeting of the conference whloig was to have been held today was nosfs : poned until tomorrow at 8 o'clock. The public reasons assigned was that the ing had not been completed. But a few hours later the true reason leaked out. J. L. McGaw one of the stenok- raphers attached to the executive of- fees at Oyster Bay had arrived with a communication from the President for the Russian plenipotentiartea M Witte and Baron de Roser had left automobile car to York Beach but instead had quietly stepped over to the conference building at the navy yard to receive the message from Assistant Secretary Pierce. The most elaborate preparations had been taken to secure secrecy but 1t leaked out by e tip from New York which reached the As- i aA~tok kaA A. q a .a. M. Witte and Baron de Rosen remain ed at the conference building with Mir. Pierce. All those present decline to make any statement regarding what transpired at the navy yard, even r6- fusing to admit that any importance was attached to the matter. M Witte would only admit that he had acne to the building to send a messageT and Baron de Rosen and Mir. Pierce ahno- lutely refused to make any statements, Mir. McGaw took the 3:25 o'clock train for Boston. whence according to re- port he took the Merchants Limited after first inquiring st the inke1ii- gence ofiice for the connections to Oyster Bay He carried a dress suit case which probably contained the xe- ply to the President This reply ix im believed, was prepared by M. Witte and Baron de Rosen after Mir Pierce had delivered to them the Presidents message. A suggestion Is made that during the stay at the navy yard the Russian plenipotentiafTes were in di- rect communication with the President by telegraph.
 Mir. Roosevelt's message to M. Wvitte and Baron de Rosen Is believed to have been the result of his interview yas- terday at Oyster Bay with Baron Kane- ko. one of Marquis Ito's close frfasfds who has acted as the Presidents ule- dium of communication with the Tokia government
 sako Not at P0rtsmouth.
 A story was in circulation at the Kcs tel this afternoon to the effect that Baron Kaneko's secretary, MT. sako. was here in communication with the Japanese plenipotentiaries and also with MT. Peirce, but investigation de- veloped the fact that although Mir. Sako had been here a week ago he was not here today. It had been ascertalned that in addition to the Presidents com munioation to Mir. Witte through Baron de Rosen last Sunday and by msssan- ger today messages directly to Emperor Nicholas have been delivered by An- bassador Meyer at St. Petersburg but no oflcial confirmation Is obtainable
 The general disposition was to regard today's swift and kaleidoscopic devei- opments as materially brightenInR the chances or the success or Ine EreBA0enCG heroic endeavor to save the peace con- ference from failure. But 1t was real ised that all as before. depended upon the attitude of Emperor Nicholas and his advisers. M. Witte. 1t is positively stated, personally favors the solution offered by the President but he is pow erless unles his imperial master gives the word. With the most intense an- xiety the word Is awaited It spella peace or war.
 Another slight furry was created tonight by the arrival of Colonel Mich ael, the chief clerk of the State De- partment. He had come in response to a summons from Mir. Peisces but both Mir. Peircs and Colonel Michael stated that the visit was only in connection with the routine business of the de- partment. Mfr, Peirce, third assistant Secretary of State. tonight issued the following statement:
 s1No envoy or representative of the President had any conference with M. Witte or Baron Rosen today nor dld (