The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-02-24
NO ABSOLUTE PROOF OF
 PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
NOTHING KNOWN OF THEM IN
 WASHINGTON.
If Such Are in Progress the Matter is Secret Between ToIiO and St. Pe- tersburg-Haye Heard Nothing of Either Russia's or Japan's Intentions --Report That Czar Has Taken stnnd Against Peace.


 --Report That Czar Has Taken Stnnd
 Against Peace.
 Washington Feb. 2S.-At the White house, and at the state department at the Russian, French, German, British and Italian embassies, and the Japan csc legation today, where inquiries were made regarding the rumors Of peace between Russia and Japan, the most positive statements were made that if either of the be1ligerents were thinking of proposing peace, 1t was a secret securely locked in the foreign office at St. Petersburg or at Tokio. The president has heard absolutely nothing of an avowed intention OH the part of Russia or Japan to sue for peac at this time, much less of an ae- fual proposal Secretary Hay to-day assured three ambassadors that while this government continued ever hope ful for peace and watchful of the ops portunity to be of assistance whenever assistance might be asked by the bel ligerents, there were no indications here that the time for peace was near.
 Sir Mortimer Durand, the British ambassador is the close personal friend of Lord Lansdowne, and therefore is in close touch with the British foreign office. The ambassador had 8 long talk with Secretary Hay, calling at the state department soon after his return from Philadelphia. He placed not the slightest confidence in the rumors of peace; that Japan had asked anybody to propose peace he said he did not believe, and the London government had not cabed him concerning the re ports. @
 Baron Sternberg, the German arnbas- sador, has heard nothing from his for eign office on the subject, neither he nor the president yesterday could find a favorable sign of peace at this time. This much can be stated on the best authority, that the president, Emperor William and King Edward scrupulous- ly will avoid intervening until it is cer- tain their services are desired by the belligerents,
 Baron Mayer des Planches, the Ital- ian ambassador, read with much in7 terest the Associated Press dispatch from Berlin telling of the Russian em- peror's decision to continue the war. It coincided precisely with the am bassador's own information. In a long talk with the Associated Press to-day Count Cassini, the Rus sian ambassador said ! talk of peace was never more absurd than now. The { ambassador has had positive informa- ton from thehighest officials in St. Petersburg that the war will be pros ecuted with increasing yigor. It is ex- pected that General Kuropaltkin with the opening of the spring campaign will accomplish much, ill view of the endorsements he has received. The emperor has every confidence in his military ability. zs
 "The peace talk can have but one ob- feet" said the Russian ambassador to- day,a 'sthe assistance of a Japanese loan. It is about time for Japan to raise another loan, and these rumors of peace generally begin at such a time s9 can reiterate, in the light of recent adyices I have received, in the most emphatic manner that the war in the Far East will end when Russia is vic torious, and not a moment before. The
 
 annoying cannot in the slightest affect the governments foreign policy. The war will go on to the end, as I have been saying ever since it began. The ftaik of peace is ridiculous, as will be Kuropatkin when the spring campaign seen by the coming activity of General opens in earnest.''
 Equally positive statements are made at the Japanese legation that Japan, while of course ready for peace on her own terms, as she has been since the war began, sees no outlook for 3. cessa- ton of hostilities yet, and is preparing to follow up the victories of last au- tumn with even more decisive battles in the spring. Now that the fall of Port Arthur has released the besieging < army there and it is available for oper- ations in the north.
 Sir Chentung Liang Chen, the Chin ese minister, was another diplomat who called at the state department, but could hear nothing of peace.
 GEAR AGAINST PEACE