Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-08-11
JAPAN'S DEMANDS
ARE HARD ONES
Power of Russian Nay in
the East is
Touched.
MUST GET OUT Of MANCHURlA
"Open Door" Must Be Recognized
BY Russia-Believed Demands viii
Be Regarded Too Great BY Russia
and Mean a Dishonorabie Peace.

Portsmouth, N. H., Aug. 11.-Reim-
oursement for the expenses sustained
IN the prosecution Of the war, and the
cesslon of the island If Sakhalin con-
stltute the main features of the peace
conditions handed by Baron Komura
to Mr. Witte at the conclusion Of the
yesterday mornings session of the
plenipotentiaries in the general store
building Of the Portsmouth navy
yard. The word Indemnity" is care
fully avoided, the term employed be-
ing reimbursement" for the cost of
the war. No sum is fixed, the
amount being distinctly adjourned for
mutual adjustment between the two
countries after the Japanese expen H.
ture has been ascertained. These are
the two all important conditions and
those which the Russian p!enpoten-
tlaries find absolutely unacceptable.
unacceptable as they are, however, it
can be stated that these two principal
conditions did not come as a surprise
to the Russian plenirotentiaries. The
friendly fashion in which Baron Kom-
ura explained the conditions before
handing them to Mr.. WHITE and the
avoidance of the use of the word Gin
demnity" in the presentation of ia
pans bill for the cost of the war with
out fixing a sum leaves the way open
for negotiations and constitutes the
main hope that a final agreement is
possible. Certainly the danger of
sudden rupture, no matter what the
ultimate result may be, is precluded
by yesterdays developments. The
other terms are substantially what
the world expected and with one or
perhaps two exceptions could probab-
ly be entertained as bases of negotia-
tions.
The Japanese terms are summed up
as follows:
The cession of the Russian leases
to the Liaotung peninsula, ocompris-
ing Port Arthur and Dalny. The nevac-
uation of the entire province of Man
churia, the retrocession to China of
any privileges Russia may have in the
province. and the recognition by Rus
STA of the principle of the open
door" The cession to Japan Of the
Chinese Ea stern railroad below Har-
bin, the main line through northern
Manchuria to Vladivostok to remain
Russian property. The recognition of
the Japanese protectorate over Korea.
The grant Of fishing rights to Jaran
in the waters of the Siberian littoral
Il ar1 Iol nj n
Boring sea. The REIMBURSEMENT to
Japan of the Russian warships intern
ed in neutral ports. Finally a limit
upon the naval strength of Russia in
far eastern waters.
AS a whole, the terms are regarded
as exceedingly hard by the Russians.
In addition to the two principal con-
ditions which cannot be accepted I'M
der M. Whites instructions, those re-
lating to the limiting of Russia's ma
val power in the far east and the
granting of fishing rights upon the
Russian littoral are considered partic-
ularly offensive to the amour propre
of their country and of such humil-
iating character as to be inadmissible
The Japanese, on the contrary, as
Baron Komura announced at the con-
ference yesterday. considered them
moderate, contending that they only
represent fair compensation for the
expenses of the war and the victories
they have achieved on land and sea,
their sole purpose being to attain the
objects for which they have fought,
the spoils claimed being only such as
they are legitimately entitled to as
the result of their military and naval
successes. The Russian plenipoten-
tiaries. as soon as the Japanese terms
were in their hands, called in the five
expert delegates attached to the mis-
sion and spent the whole afternoon
in the consideration of the terms.
Meantime the conditions had been
placed in cipher and cabled to EN-
peror Nicholas, with M. Whites Per-
sonal concentrations.