Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-24
Shirt Waists at Just Halt Price.
Y.M.C.A Building, Cor. 10th and Douglas.

gard to the latest stage of the peace ne
gotiations:
Statements have appeared in prominent
American and English papers, which, while
eloquent studiopsly moderate S.,1,s "a ana d well well
lead the world as to the prospects Of
peace and the general character of Japan s
so-called new proposal with which IL Is
contended Russia can close without loss
OF dignity The regretable mistake into
which the representatives Of those journals
result Of misleading data leavened with
real but secondary facts. Thus II is quito
true, as those papers predicted, that the
ENJOYS Of Japan came forward at todays
sitting with a. proposal which was new
in form. but old In substance. II Is equally
true that that proposal lacks the two con-
tentious clauses stipuating that Russia
shall surrender to Japan her disarmed war.
ships and limit her naval strength on the
Pacific and that 1t reduces the differences
between the two powers to the compass
OF what Is In appearance a single ques-
tion-the sale OF sakhaln. Seemingly
therefore, Japan has also struck her pen
through the most obnoxious clause of ali
that which deals with indemnity-and all
that she now asks Russia to do in addition
to the terms already agreed upon is TO
purchase the northern half Of Sakhalin
for sum OF l2OO.0OO,00O yen. And this
alleged slmplfication OF terms Is supposed
10 provide Russia with an acceptable basis
for a peace treaty. At first sight the
ofer may perhaps seem new to some, but
a closer examination will show II to be
in all essentials Identical with the proposal
already rejected by Russias plenipoten-
tlaries only person unfamiliar with
war, In love with humanitarianism, for
eign to Russia and incompetent to Judge
OF Russias national honor and dignity
could see In those terms the source of a
new impulse given TO the peace negotia-
tions But grieyous mistake was com
mitted by those who Imagined that the
plenipotentiares OF the car the repre-
sentatives of the Russian nation, would
take the husk for the kernel, the shadow
for the substance. A person Of average
Intelligence can see what is new in this
prop5Ssal pp,pSSa is the phgaseoloey IN which 1t is
The elimination OF the two clauses stipu-
iatlny that Russia's 'disarmed warships he
hRnded over ia japan and its naval strength
on tne Pacihq be restricted brings no new
drawal OF these claims. which were oh
viously put forward with the intention OF
being waived IN the course of the negotia-
uonR, IL devoid OF Importance
1t is childish to affirm that Japan fore
goes It's claim for an indemnity because the
new proposal does not actually mention n
gu Si tha. II does Is to join the question OF
% insist upon war costs under the name Of
purchase money. The transa ctlon Is ho-
utlous and the terminology misleading II
What Is proposed be in truth a purchase and
sale II should be treated as such. and there.
fore should Russia decline to buv the ter
ntory Japan should keep Il and conclude
peace on the basis Of the concessions al
transaction were indeed intended the value
OF the territory offered would be the basis
H what the present two parties would
treat; But here even this essential condi-
tion Is not observed. The price demand ed
for the northern half OF the island is l. s60. :
neOOO yen, which is the original estimate OF
the war costs.
Japan having obtained all that II needed
ana longed for as nation now narrows
down the issue to a question of dollars and
cents yet refuses for peace's sake to waive