The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-06-23
ARMISTICE SHOULD
NOW Be DECLARED
Engagement Between Armies
Would Upset Plans.
President Roosevelt Pays No Attention
To His Critics in Russa-Portiand
Wants Conference To Be Held.
There Other News.

Washington, June 20.-While the
progress of the preliminary negotia-
tons for peace between the Far East
ern belligerents is necessarily SLOW,
and at this stage of the proceedings
it is known that President Roosevelt
hopes they practically may be conclud-
ed before he shall go to Oyster Bay
for the summer. His desire to faciI-
itate in every way possible, the ne
gotiatiOns induced him TO reconsider
his original plan to go to Oyster Bay
this week.
After his visit to Worcester and VIII
Jamestown, Mass, where he will go 10
attend the commencement exercises OF
Clark university and Williams college,
he viii return to Washington, arriv-
inS here next Friday morning II is
expected that if nothing unforeseen
shall have occurred in the meantime,
some definite announcement of the
status of the negotiations may be
made soon after his return.
There is possibility, even, that the
selection of the plenipotentiaries OF
botn Russia and Japan may be an
nounced before the president leaves
tomorrow night for Massachusetts.
\ final decision as to the seat Of
the conference having been reached by
tne president in common with the pc
litical world is awaiting action of the
belligerent nations as TO their peace
ENJOYS With that part of the pro-
gram the president naturally has
nothing to do. When the selections
have been made the names of the en-
Voys of the respective governments
will be communicated to the president
By him they will be communicated to
the governments in interest and for
maIly announced TO the world.
1t is the hope here that the arrange
ments for the conference may proceed
with such facility as TO avert a geneT-
al engagement in Manchuria between
the forces of Generals Linevitch and
Oyama The precipitatio of a great
battle at the present stage of the peace
negotiations would be regarded here
as a most unfortunate error of judg-
ment-an err which might imperil
seriusly the negotiations for the con-
ference. Indeed. it is believed that in
some quarters. that whatever might be
the result of such a conflict, il would
arouse such bitterness that the negO-
tiations the status of which is now so
favorable would collapse.
1t can be said President Roosevelt is
giving no heed 10 irritating personal
references TO him which have appeared
in a part of the Russian press His
conduct Of the peace negotiations
thus far has been as nearly directly as
possible with the emperors OF the bel
concluded represent their personal
views as well as his own
The reference to the president by
an important st. Petersburg newspaper
as broker is regarded here as
most unhappy. although it is known in
Washington that il does not reflect the
sentiments Of the ST. Petersburg gov
erment. Such condiments sereve, how
ever. to accentuate the desire of the
president and Of the powers generally
TO avert, if possible another serious
engagement On the Nanchurian battle
field. lest the conciliatOry efforts here
tofore made may be rendered fruit
less through the utterances of the Rus
sian press. backed, as they may be,
with the power sof the war party in
the empire.