Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-08-24

Emperor agrees to yield between now
and Saturday. the end is likely to come
on that day. And the indications from
Peterhof instead of raising the chances
of change of heart on the part of the
Emperor seem to indicate even a firm
er determination to yield neither ter
ritory nor indemnity, sugar-coated
though the latter may be.
The long instructions received, last
| night, while not a reply to the commu-
| nication of President Roosevelt given to
NJ Witte at the navy yard, yesterday
afternoon, was of character to al
most completely destroy hope that it
Will be possible for M. Witte to sat
1Sfy the japanese demand. NJ. Witte
himself. has been quoted as saying that
he would not, if ordered to do so by the
Emperor, sign a treaty involving the
payment of a copeck.
But 1T must be born in mind that NJ
Witte in these negotiations is not free
agent. He represents his Emperor. II
he were absolutely free this conference
would not fail. He would make peace
He sympathiZes with the solution offered
by the President. but his hands are tied
and useless he receives an imperial COM
mand he cannot move.
Black as the prospect appears, to-
night. however. the failure Of the nego-
tiations is not certain The Russian
camp is pessimistic to a man, but they
all know the quick and startling changes
of front that somestimes take place at
Peterhof. And there are factors in the
situation which might effect one OF
those sudden and inexplicable changes
in the Emperor's attitude which havs
frequently astonished Russia. Private
advices from St. Petersburg say that
sentiment there, in Moscow and other
large centers, favor acceptance of the
compromise. This may mean much.
But the real hope still rests with
President Roosevelt. He is resourceful.
He has made another move. He has
sent Ambassador Meyer direct to the
Emperor and they were together, ac-
cording to adNices received here, for
three hours today.
Mr.. Roosevelt himself tonight. may
know more about how the Emperor
feels than NJ. Wittc and be able to act
upon the information conveyed to him
by his ambassador. The report Is indus
triously circulated here that Emperor
William is responsible for the attitude
Of Emperor Nicholas and everything is
traced back to the meeting of the two
Emperors on board the Hohenzollern
in the Finnish gulf. In support of this
it is positively stated that after the
interview NJ. Whites instructions were
made stronger and more clinching.
The following authoritative statement
of the Russian position with regard to
the phase of the negotiations created
by the presentation Of the japanese
compromise. today, is made to The AS
sociated Press: t@ 2.
Statements have appeared in prom
inent American and English papers
which while eloquent, studiously mod
crate and well intentioned. are unhap-
PLY calculated to mislead the world as
to the prospects of peace and the gen.
eraI character Of Japan's so-called new
proposal with which 1t Is contended
Russia can close without loss of dig
nifty. The regrettable mistake into
which the representatives of these
journals have undoubtedly fallen Is
obviously the result Of misleading data
leavened with real but secondary facts.
THUS it is quite true, as those pa
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