The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-02-10
ADAM M-zAD THE BEAST THAT
ONCE WALKED LIKE A MAN
Now Preparing TO Get Down on All FOurs and
Craw..-The Grand Dukes Are Weakening.
May Stop the War
BESET BY FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC FOES.

London. Feb. 7.-Highest authority
is claimed by the st. Petersburg cor
respondent of the London Daily Chron-
icle that the grand ducal party has
suddenly decided that Russia must
sue for peace.
The correspondent states that the
grand dukes and their supporters
have held frequent conferences of late,
at which they discussed the far east
ern war and came to the conclusion
that the country could not afford to
continue the war under present con-
ditions.
The immediate cause Tor this change
of mind on the part of the very men
who have right along stood in the
way of peace. is said to have been
the recent disaster to the Russian
arms on the Hun river. Coupled with
the news of this defeat has come to
the grand dukes the realization that
they cannot compete with Japan's
ability to throw army upon army into
Manchuria, especially in view of the
internal situation which may make
further mobilization of reservist
troops almost impossible.
The correspondent states that, ac-
cordingly the Russian embassy at Par
is has been asked to gain the good
will of Great Britain with a view of
mitigating the terms which the Japan
ese are likely to impose.
Well informed parties here are con-
fdent that Japan will be willing to
make all reasonable concessions, barr
ing, of course, those which would in
terfere with her far eastern policy.
While it is not considered improbable
that the United States will play an
important part in the peace negotia-
tions, France will, it is believed,
transact for Russia the most import
ant business and be her go-between.
Japan, according to prevailing opin-
ion here, must be approached by her
ally, Great Britain, while Germany's
part in the matter will be confined to
the eXertion of indirect influence.
Startling as the Chronicles dispatch
may be in itself. we'll informed Eng
lishmen see in it only an announce
ment which would have come many
weeks ago were the grand dukes
amendable to reason. Now that they
are confronted to facts which cannot
be denied and yelled by superCilious
statements about Russia's ability TO
keep the war up for years to come,
they will probably, it is argued here,
bring about peace far more precipi-
lately than would have been the case
had the czar been willing and per-
mitted to place the matter in the
hands of friendly nations at an earlier
date.
The expectation is that Russia will
advance her internal troubles as an
excuse for her withdrawal from the
theatre of war She will not admit
that she has suffered singing defeats
in Manchuria that she does no longer
feel herself strong enough to continue
the struggle but her contention will
be that her first duty lies at home.
Military authorities have figured
out that Russia is unable to send an
other army into the field. The reserv-
lists cannot be counted upon and the
regular troops are needed at home.
Besides, the danger of a spread of the
insurrection in Russia, with the re-
suit that supplies cannot be sent to the
far east is growing daily. So soon as
the strikers in Russian Poland gain
the upper hand-and this is not con-
sidered entirely out of the question
General Kuropatkin will be isolated
and made dependent upon the prob
lematlcal resources of Manchuria.
The contention is also made that,
were the peace proposals to emanate
from the czar, the Chronicles dis
patch would still be rated with the
many others in which Russia's will
ingness to come to terms was fore
shadowed. But it is the conc9nsus
OF the best informed opinion here, that
the grand dukes are the real rulers of
Russia. and if. as the informant of the
Chronicles correspondent AYERS, these
men have decided upon peace, then
peace will come.
PEACE TALK AT WASHINGTON.
Washington, d. c., Feb. 6.-Not-
withstanding the repeated denials from
officials of the state department that
negotiations for settlement of the
war in the far east are in progress
the talk of peace is one that is agi-
tating the diplomatic corps here as
nothing else has for months. To
heighten the interest and further
arouse official curiosity, Count Cassini,
.he Russian ambassador; Sir Morti-
ner Durand, the British ambassador
. ind M. Takahira. the Japanese minis
or all called at the state depart