New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-25
THE GAIL FOR PEACE.

Tho call for peace in Russia grows louuer anu
stronger day by day. 1t has, indeeu NOW 49,
so emphatic that it is dithcult 10 uouo' nc
an influential part of the government. 10 IL -
nathv with it, Despite all rumofs 10 Tue III i
trary the censorship has not yet ueeh ~
ished We must therefore suppose the preoens
earnest and often impassioned denunciauohs OIL
the war and demands for immedlate peaceAa
ING n he pleasing or, at any rate, not oiehsiVo'
~ some high officers of the government perhaps
oy,o,, m the Emperor himself. In addition 10 the
usual arguments for peace the papers are no"
beginning to print in Russia what the press OIL
other lands has long been making puoilc-
" the sordid intrigues by means OF WHICH lie
war was provoked. They are declaring openly
that Russian faith was compromised ana NUS
sian policy controlled for the sake OF the money
making speculations Of Viceroy AleXlell iriehu'
Mr. Rezobrazoff who had some speculative I'M
bo,. in+arasts in Corea which would have been
greatly increased in value If Russia had sue
ceeded in conouering and annexing that country.
Hitherto some outside friends of Russia, more
Russian than the Russians themselves, have de-
nounced such reports as wicked Inventions OIL
the enemy They are, however, now repeated
bv responsible Russian papers under the CEN
sorship 1t seems scarcely likely that even the
most ardent Slavophile will again deny them
That the war had such an origin is, of course,
of principle or for national welfare Russia
might be justified in fighting to 1.-The last ditch"
but surely not when she realizes that the cause
of her fighting was nothing better than desire
on the part of selfish spectators TO grab some
thing that did not belong to them or TO Russia.
1t is TO be assumed that the Car was entirely
innocent and unconscious of the BezobraZoH-
Alexieff plot. More, we may conclude that on
learning of it he strongly disapproved it, in sup
+1,ai ro11p accixy TnoT
ner in which Alexieff, once second to only the
Emperor himself, has dropped out of sight.
Never was discredited and disgraced favorite
more completely suppressed. But why should
war be persisted in when its origin is known to
have been so base? The Emperor would GER
tainly never have sanctioned a war for such
purposes Why should he sanction its cOntinu-
ance now that he knows what its purposes were?
Other most urgent arguments for peace come
in the news from Manchuria and from the
money markets Japan has no trouble in float
ing a large loan in foreign markets, at 90,
while Russia, having difficulty in getting one in
the markets of her own ally, has been able to
place one at home at no better price than SO.
Now that may not indicate Russia's impend-
ing bankruptcy, and may, indeed, compare not
unfavorably with the terms of loans made by
other powers: but the comparison between the
two certainly shows that Russia Is not beating
Japan on financial grounds. Again, 1t is made
known that preparations are in progress for the
abandonment of Hardin and the retreat of the
Russian armies to Tstshar, and perhaps to
Lake Baikal. That, again, may not indicate the
utter defeat of Russian arms, but IL does sug-
gest tremendous task for Russia to regain all
the ground that she is thus surrendering. Rus
sias strength has always been in defence, as
Frederick the Great and Napoleon and the allies
in the Crimea learned. Thus far in this war
thtyO ho,.
but yet has been ineffective and has failed Is
it reasonable to expect that, having failed in
what has hitherto been her strong point. she
will soon succeed in offensive tactics hitherto
her weaker point? If not, what is there left but
10 seek peace?