The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-02
Naturalization of SakhaIin
 Discussed. WILL SOON BE ADJUSTED The Armistice Takes Effect
 After Signatures.
Japan's Refusal to Consent to an Earlier Time Causes Delay in Cessation of the Far East
 ern Hostiiities.

DOSSiDl6 nlICn on the nOTlZOn OL IHc peace conference according to reports current here. which, however, are not officially confirmed. arises out of an evident misunderstanding over the question of the naturalization of the island of SakhaIin.
 According to the Japanese, the un- derstanding reached on Tuesday con- templated mutual obligatio on the part of the two countries not to fortify their respective possessions on the island. At St. Petersburg, however, there seems 70 have been an assump- tion that tt agreement involved free dom of acts n on the part of Russia in this respect In the north of Sakhalin with an obligation on tbe part of Ja- pan not to fortify or use for strategic purposes the portion owned by her be- fore 1878, which IS to be retroceded in the present treaty.
 It is expected on both sides, how ever, that the hitch, if it really exists as reported. will shortly be straight ened out and 1t Is believed that one of the subjects of tonight's conference re- lated to this point.
 An armistice has been signed to take effect after signatures to the treaty. The delay in cessation of hostilities was due to refusal of Japan to consent to earlier time.
 It is now expected that the text of peace treaty Will OS competed Dy tomorrow night or Sunday. Full sum maries, if not the actual text, will then be cabled to Tokio and St. Petersburg for the approval of the respective gov aTnments and by Tuesday or wednes- day at the latest M Witte and Baron Komura expect to receive final author ity to affix their signatures. The sub sequent exchange of notifications by the two governments will be simply formality. Mir. Dennison and MT. De Martens met again this afternoon. The conditions for the armistice, or rather complete suspension of hostilities marking the eonclusi~n Of the war, sa9til he arranged except for minor de- tails by the pienipotentiaries here.
 Technically the formal cessatiou pf Aos6,z.s5 5es st6 be sAfY sE ged- win be an "arnistice" inasmuch as 1t is tempo rary pending the final exchange of rat ifcations, It will not provide for the ultimate release of the Russian and Japanese prisoners of war. An article covering the latter subject will be in cluded in the treaty.
 A Quiet Ceremony.
 The ceremony of signing the treaty of Portsmouth" will be as quiet and unostentatious as possible. Both sides desire to avoid any spectacular fea- lures. Both realize that for different reasons the treaty will not be popular in their respective countries. In Japan especially there is expected to be great popular outcry.
 We know" said a mer4ber of the Japanese mission today, that we are going home to stones and perhaps dynamite"
 No arrangements looking to a joint farewell visit to President Roosevelt have been made or even suggested.
 Baron Komura and M. Witte will go separately to Oyster Bay to ex- af hafr spective countries and say good bye" M. Witte expects to sail September 12 on Kaiser William IL He has already provisionally engaged a suite of rooms on that steamer. Baron Komura has provisionally engaged cabins on steamer sailing from the Pacific coast September 20. He and his suits expect to leave New York September 12. The projected trips of the missions to the White mountains have practically been abandoned because of lack of time.
 The Treaty of Portsmouth" is to be given to the world. There Is to be no secret about 1t, neither government having any reason to withhold it. It's provisions are therefore to be publish ed broadcast textually, but not imme- diately. MT. Sato said to the Associa- ted Press that 1t would not be given out until the final ratlfications had been exchanged by the sovereigns of the two countries.
 The treaty win be engrossed on the treaty paper of the American State department a peculiarly fine linen parchment paper Two of the caligraphers of the State department have been sent for to come here and do the expressing It is officially stat ed that President Roosevelt will not come to Portsmouth 70 be present at the signing of the treaty.
 Cable communication between Baron l.t-
 interrupted for the greater part of the day, but message is said to have been received late tonight Baron Komura and MT. Takahira were in conference for a long time tonight. It is under stood to be the present intention of the Tokio Government not to make public the conditions of peace until the ratifi- cations of the treaty have been ex- changed. The official explanation is that this is the regular diplomatic method of procedure" but among the Japanese correspondents considerable suspicion has been aroused by the fact that until now their cablegrams giving the terms of peace have not passed the censor. They do not hesitate to say that the Government is anxious about the effect on public opinion when it becomes known that Japan valves her demand for indemnity to obtain peace.
 Comment i'm London.
 LOnQOns sept. 1---l uS result or the Portsmouth convention is discussed at length by the London weekly publi- cations. the consensus of opinion being that expressed by the Outlook which says
 Tn the matter of indemnity Japan yielded to inerorable conditions. in the matter of Sakhalin she allowed herself to be out generated"
 At the same time the general opin- ion is that in yielding half of Sakhalin Japan may fairly be credited with ex- cellent political foresight which will not be recognized at once by the mass of Japanese.
 The daily newspapers. the reviews. even those which seldom lose an op- portunity to express anti-American or antf-Roosevelt sentiments, give the president unstined praise for his share in the negotiations. The Speaker, an organ of the Liberal party, says:
 Those who. like ourselves. always mistrusted President RooseveIt's policy and blamed him for certain definite