The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-09-05
PEACE ENJOYS
SIGN ARMISTICE
Does Not Go Into Effect Unit
Treaty Is Signed.
hitch IN THE NEGOTIATIONS

misunderstanding over Naturalization
Of sakhalin, Which Will Shortly Be
Strengthened Out - Treaty Nearly
Finished-Will Be Engrossed lr
French and English.
Portsmouth. ~ H.. Sept. .. - The
only possible hitch ON the horizon o
the peace conference. according 10 T.
ports current here. which however
are not officially confirmed arises on
of an evident misunderstanding oycl
the qu. i,on of the naturalization o
Tine island OF Sakhalin. According t'
the Japanese. the understandin.
reached ou Tuesday contemplated
mutual Obligation on the part Of tho
two countries not 10 fortify their re-
spocti,c possD si0ns on the island. A
ST. Petersburg. however, there seem.
~ have been an assumption that the
agreement involved freedom Of action
upon the part ot Russia in this respect
In 'hc north of SaElalin. with an obi
cation 800 tho part OF the japanese not
to l0rtify or use Tor strategic pur
poses tho portion owned by her before
1876 which is tu Dee retrocedcd I'm the
present treaty II is expected on both
sides. however that the hitch. II II
really exists as reported Will shortly
bc straiehtancd out and it .s believed
thar one of me- subjects oi last night
conference related % this point
An amst.cc was signed IN Baron
Komwas apartments in tine lIotc
Wentworth The greatest secrecy sur
rounded the meeting and an hour aitei
the armisrlce had been signed Mr.
Sato. The official japanese spokesman
was standing about the lobby assuring
mqu.rors that the signing oi the docu
mont was imminent
Minister TaHahira. however. a f."
miutcs later admitted that the sigma
lures had been affixed and VI Plan
con. OF fhc Russian party To whom To
task Of drawing mp The papers har
been assigned. said that he had car
rl,d them to the plenipotentiaries. anC
that each had signed his name.
The agreement upon the terms OF
tho armi.tlcc Is most unusual and was
not reached until after some argu
mcnt. The armistice does not 90 into
effect until after the formal treaty OF
peace has been sicncd II is under
STOOL however. that hostiiities are tC
cease Immediately although the lines
I'm the field will remain in their pres
cnt position until the armistice for
malv takes effect after the signing OF
tho treaty.
The japanese insisted on this. al
though the Russians were at first in
clined 10 hold ont for the customary
procedure I'm such matters. What
the Russians asked lis the use OF an
armistice after a treaty OF peace has
been formally completed?'
An explanation advanced for the per
slstonco OF The Japanese on this point
was that they would not be willing "a
conccde until the last moment that
peace is indeed assured.
Slight as tho chances are Of any
hitch I'm the negotiations at this time.
they are taking no chances whatever.
They feel. # is said that If they
should break their lines the war sen
timcnt m 81 Petersburg might gain
sufficient strength 10 cause trouble.
Forairn Minister Lamsdorf. however.
has sent message 10 VI. White reas-
suring him against such a thing.
The news was cabled at once TO
81 Petersburg and Toxic. and Line
witch and Oyama will be notified forth
with
some fear is expressed here that
there may DO some scattered engage
monts among the troops in remote
parts Of the country before the news
reaches them.
Unless something should arise to
mar the present plans, the treaty VIII
be signed in the conference room OF
the Kittcry navy yard on Monday
evening or TUESDAY VI Witte. Baron
Roscn Baron Komura and Minister
Takahira will probably meet for the
last time until the signing 10 dispose
OF the protocol Of Tuesdays meeting.
at which the peace agreement was
reached.
As a result Of the reports made by
Mr. De Martens and Mr. Dennison 10
their respective chiefs upon their
work in the drafting Of a treaty OF
poace. Mr.. Wltte and Baron Komura
had a brief conference in the formers
apartments regarding some details oil
translation and the few points OF In
terpretation upon which the trainers
had been unable 20 reach complete ac-
cord When Baron Komura left Mr..
Dennison and Mr.. Adachi. he entered
the apartments of Mr.. Witte. where
they weer Joined by Mr.. De Martens
and Mr.. Plancon. This conference last
ed for about half an hour. when the
Japanese returned to Baron Komura 5
apartments. leaving Mr. Witte and his
conferees who remained In confer
ence for more than an hour Mr.. Witte
and Baron Komura had no difficulty
in coming to an agreement on the dis
puted points and the trainers OF the
treaty expect to complete their work
today The treaty must then be en-
crossed in French and English in du-
nlicate. which maytake several days.
II IS stated that II articles OF the
treaty have been completed and agreed
upon. It now seems probable that the
trainers will be able to confine the
treaty to IA articles instead Of Is, as
was the original plan
Mr.. Witte continues to receive mes
sages of congratulation from all over
the world. He reads each one OF them
and gives directions to his secretaries
-,gardlng the answers 10 he sent.