Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-28
Tomorrow at Portsmouth.

The Portsmouth conference has developer
the "manana' habit. Tomorrow Will tell
the tale" has been announced so often from
the scene of the negotiations that the walt
ing public has begun to doubt whether the
crisis Is as acute the ENJOYS and their
attaches on both sides seem anxious 10 sus-
gest Again this note has been SOUNDED.
Tomorrow the plenipoten tiaries Will meet
and Japans representatives Will present the
final proposition. the result of a last con-
ference at Tokyo and offering Russia the
absolute maximum of concessions. Possibly
this is true. 1t may be that the conference.
which has broken all records in traversng
the ground of the negotiations. has actually
reached so soon after organization the
point of the supreme issue. If so, the
sooner the agreement or the disagreement
comes the better. There is nothing to be
gained by n prolongation of the uncertainty
if one sid' or the other is immovably OBJ
stnate.
II is son ewhat suggestive that two items
appear In the news columns today from
Russian sources to indicate first that the
Japancse forces under Field Marshal Oyama
are tighte hing the lines preparatory for
general battle, and second that the car
recently issued manifesto is as yet failing
to exert a Iacifying influence upon the peas
antry Thus we have the spectacle of still
internally troubled Russia facing a foe cap
able OF striking another staggering blow.
There is TO reason to dou1t Oyamas abil-
ity to repeat his past performances. He has
a larger army than he had at his disposal
when he defeated Kuropatkin at Mukden.
His men are veterans. wei armed, cheered
by a long series of unbruken victories. and
with great advantages of position and COM
muniCatons. The Russians are possibly
reinforced maybe to the point of numeri-
cal equality with the Japanese, but they
are embarrassed by the necessity of guard
ing their long and slender line of communi-
cations and of protecting Vladivostok, which
may al any time be isolated.
1t is significant that practically nothing
has emanated for several months from
Tokyo or from the Japanese front regard
ing the moves. This does not mean
it may be regarded as absolutely certain,
that the japanese forces have been idle dur
ing all this time. or that they have merely
rested on their arms during the period of
the peace negotiations. Rather is it to be
taken augury of the japanese readi-
ness to strike SHARPLY when the word Is
given, if the conference fails, that there is
an end TO the peace prospect. 1t may be
that Oyama's plans are so well perfected
that he will have won another great victory
before the Russian ENJOYS have landed in
Europe after their dispersal from Ports
mouth in the event of disagreement
The news of the agrarian agitations in
various parts of Russia is significant OF the
failure of the cars manifesto to quench
the spirit of revolt. Russia'S domestic trou-
bles are not exclusively political. They are
indeed fundamentally economic. The Rus
sian peasants are hopelessly in debt to
their masters, the landowners. 1t may be
doubted if they aware at this time OF
the proclamation of the so-Called legisla-
tive reform. They are densely ignorant
eighty-three per cent are totally illiterate.
II may be months before the news of the
manifesto percolates to the mass of the peo-
pie. and it is doubtful if even then it will
convey any meaning to their minds
1t is idle to expect Russia TO blaze up In
patriotic enthusiasm over the cars grant
of a "douma' or assembly. The thinking
part Of the people will prefer to wait to see
what results this reform will effect and in
no case is it likely that there will be any
lessening OF the feeling that the war in Asia
Is costly mistake, to be cured by imme-
date peace on the best terms obtanable.