The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-06-22
anese commissioners will not complete
their work short Of that time.
Envoys' Powers Limited.

their work short of that time.
Envoys' Powers Limited.
There Is radical difference be-
tween the scope of authority possessed
by the Paris and the Washington CON-
missions. That which met at Paris
was clothed with full power to con-
clude peace and draft and sign treaty
which it did. That which will meet
here will be authorized merely to ar
range a settlement on the best posi-
BILE basis and then submit it to the re-
spective governments.
Any agreement which the Washing
ton commissioners will make, how
ever, will doubtless be accepted by
both countries, unless it should OBJ
viously be unjust to one side or to the
other, for Russia is at the end of her
fighting resources and unprepared to
continue the war on any scale that
will make success for ner possible. She
will, therefore, get the best terms that
she can from Japan, and then accept
them.
Japan, meanwhile, will be subjected
to strong pressure from England and
other friendly powers to make her de-
mands as light as possible, in order
that Russia may accept them without
loss Of further prestige.
Chief Problem, the idemnity.
The chief matter to come before the
commission, and the one which will
take most time to determine, is the
amount of cash bounty to be paid ia
pan by Russia The latter country
has started out with saying, unofh-
cially that the payment of any boun-
ty is out of the question. Japan, on
the other hand, insists that Russia
must reimburse her for the total
amount of money which she has been
compelled to borrow at home and
abroad on account of the war. The
actual settlement obviously will be
made on either one of these bases
but rather somewhere between them.
That there must be some cash in
demnity is freely conceded by disin-
terested powers. Japan has borrowed
on account of her present war, $780,
OOO, 900. of which sum $250,000,000 was
borrowed abroad and $35O,OO0,OOO at
home. Japan's minimum cash indem-
nity will be the amount of this for
eign loan, and she will take as much
beyond this as Russia will concede.
It is at this point that the negotiations
will take on their greatest interest.
Territorial Question Easy.
So far as territorial questions are
concernedtne way of the commission
ers seems to be reasonably clear. ia
nan nv her strong arm has determin-
ed them, within certain large boun-
daries beyond the power Of the world
to say her nay, and the legitimate
fuits of her victory will not be snatch
ed from her as they were at the end
of the war with China. Russia Will
have no status in the Liao-tung Pc
ninsula, which includes Port Arthur,
nor in the Korean peninsula Wnlcn
Japan will not use for her excess pop
ulation in prevent suffocation in her
narrow islands.
In Mancnuria it is very plain that
Russia will get nothing save what
Japan is willing to concede and these
concessions will, it is believed, not In
clude anything which will imperil the
integrity of China or Japanese COM
1nercial supremacy. Manchuria Will
still be exploited, but by a power Ash
attic in blood, traditions and sentiment
and to this China will nave no oppo-
sition. On the contrary, there are
many evidences that China Will well
come Jananese overlordship in Man
churia.
Russia has important vested inter-
ests in Manchuria, in the way OF rail-
roads, new towns, ETC., and these VIII
he protected in the treaty, but tney
will not be a menace to outside COM
MERGE and to civilization, as they
would have been had Russia won the
day. but will be, under japanese oil
rection, so managed as to permit the
largest possible commercial enterprise
whether Asiatic, European or Ameri-
can. Because of 11er nearness, Japan
however, will obviously reap the great
est harvest from the development OF
Manchuria.
Russia Near Bankruptcy.
Russia cannot borrow money 10 coii-
tinue the present war, in the OPINION
of experts, but she can borrow any
sum which she may want with WHICH
to pay war indemnity.
Russian finances are in deplorapie
state, and the country is really on 'he
~ this has been