The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-19
President Roosevelt in COmmu-
nicatiOn With Portsmouth.
He Is Making One More Effort
to Secure Peace.
THE OUTLOOK is BAD.
The Conference Has Been AID.
jOurned Until Tuesday.
Unless the Unexpected Happens
That Day Will Be the Last.

Portsmouth, Aug. 19.-President
Roosevelt has stepped into the breach
and is making a last desperate effort
to save the peace conference from
shipwreck. That, in a sentence, is be-
heved to be the situation this morning.
Just what the president is doing has
not transpired.
Portsmouth, n. H, Aug. 1e.-At mid
night Assistant Secretary PIERCE was
hurriedly called to the Hotel Went
worth, where a message was awaiting
him from the president. He iInmed-
lately wrote a lengthy reply.
Later he was called to the telegraph
instrument and for half an hour carried
on a conversation by telegraph with
the president who was at the other end
of the wire at Oyster Bay.
At 1880 a. m. the Geographic con-
versation with the president ceased and
Mr.. PIERCE left the hotel in his auto
mobile. He said he was going home.
but beyond that declined to make any
statement.
Il can tell you nothing" he said to
all the anxious inquiries of the news
paper men.
The Associated Press has reason TO
believe that the purpose of the presi-
dents conversation with Mr.. PIERCE was
TO arrange for one of the Russians TO
go to Oyster Bay. The president is I'M
derstood to be already in communication
with the Japanese through Baron
Kaneko. Mr.. Roosevelt is undoubtedly
prepared to make last effort to induce
the warning countries to compromise.
Black pessimism reigns at Portsmouth.
The prevailing view is that the fate of
The peace conference is already sealed,
that 1t has ended in failure and that
all that now remains is for the pleni-
potenttarieS to meet on Tuesday, to
which day they adjourned upon COM
plotting the seriatim consideration of the
Japanese terms, sign the final protocol,
90 through the conventionalities and
bid each other farewell. But there is
gtsll room for hope of compromise.
Neither President Roosevelt nor the
powers will see the chance of peace
shipWrecked without a final effort and
that pressure is being exerted especial
ly at Toxic to induce Japan to mo Ierate
her terms is beyond question. Just
what is being done or is to be DONE
has not transpired. King Edward is
understood to be now lending a helping
hand and the financiers of the world
are known to be exerting all their in
fiuences. At Toxic and st Petersburg
the final issue will be de ';ded
The japanese have been implacable
throughout the six days sittings. They
have listened and explained, but they
have yielded not an iota of the sub
stance of their original demands. Mr..
WHITE accepted outright seven of the
twelve japanese conditions, one in
principle and four, including the main
issues, indemnity and Sakhalin, he re-
jected. The other two. limitation of ma
val power and the surrender of interned
warships, might have been arranged
had there been any prospect of agree
ment on the two points upon which the
divergence seemed irreconcilable
Turn TO Home
In the oral discussion of the terms
Mr.. Witte yielded upon two articles
but substantially the result of the IL
sittings of the plenipotentiaries has only
been to emphasize the position taken by
2Ar. Witte in the written reply he pre-
scented last Saturday to the Japanese
terms. And now both sides turn tc
home for the last word before the cards
are thrown face upward upon the table
next Tuesday, for the impaSSe reached
by the plenipotentiaries is recognized tC
be only a diplomatic fiction. If in the
interim fresh instructions are received
by either side compromise is yet posi-
bic. But the chances are recognized tC
be slim. So far as the Russian pleni-
potentiaries are concerned there never
was chance of their yielding both in
demnity and sakhalin. The cession OF
Sakhalin without indemnity was ac-
cording to the best inside information
the extreme limit to which Mr. White
would ever consent to go, and the en-
concede that.
A new factor which has been intro
duced, in the opinion of those mosi
competent to judge lessons materially
~, the issuance of his manifesto grant
ing popular representative body to hi.
subjects. The bearings of this "histori
cal document" as Mr.. White described
1t a few days ago, upon the issue arr
easily comprehensive 1t is bound t.
ameliorate the internal situation il
Russia. 1t is the entering wedge fol
the realization of the century old dream
OF the Russian people.
Manifesto Discussed.
x1rfII
said one of the most prominent mem.
bers of the Russian mission, because
all thinking men realize that it means
eventually a great change in the COM
position of the Russian state. It viii
be followed by true parliament {
responsible ministry, a premier, anC
Russia will become a constitutions
monarchy"
1t is pointed out that the manifest,
is timed like what the French call ;
coupe de foudre, and that its signifi
canoe is too plain to be questioned 1
was to have been issued last Saturday
when the Russian reply was presented
but it was held over until the concIu
sion of the oral consideration of tn
Japanese terms. Meantime the term
had been published everywher
throughout Russia. The press, eve
the liberal press, had replied that Rus
sia could not pay money for the priv
ilege of getting out of Manchuria. TIL
emperor had publicly proclaimed t
ms SuDJeclS on july %, IN reply TO
telegram of the Oremburg clergy:
THE Russian people can rely upol
me; I will never conclude a peace hu
initiating or unworthy of great Rus
sia"
-, manifesto is Emperor Nichola:
enswer to the japanese demand for tn
payment OF a war tribute. The gran
of this broad reform is regarded a
virtually an appeal to the Russia PEG
pie for support to resist it.
At Toxic it is impossible 10 tell wha
view will be taken.
Vague intimations come from tn
japanese side that 1.-The demand 70
the cost of the war; might be modeT
ated, but NJ Whites reply is that h
will pay literally for the maintenance