The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-08-17
PEACE ENJOYS
MAKE PROGRESS
First Three Articles Of Japan's
Terms Agreed To.
THE CRISIS STILL TO COME

The CRISIS y Ill "
Nikado's Preponderatine Influence In
Korea Conceded and Railroad From
Hardin South to Be Coded to China
Whose Territorial Integrity Is Re-
speeted, and the open Door" to Be
Maintained.
Portsmouth. n. IL, Aug. 10. - Al
though very rapid progress was made
with the peace negotiations. three oil
the u articles which constitute the
Japanese conditions of peace having
been agreed to By Mr. Wlttc and
Baron Roson on behalf OF Russia.
neither OF the two articles 70 when
Mr.. Witte in his reply returned an alb
solute negative was reached. The
crisis. therefore. is still to come. II
may be reached today. as the ccssion
OF Sakhalin comes NTH in the list. The
three articles as they are officially
designated in the brief cOmmunica-
tons authorized to be given 90 the
press. which were disposed OF are in
substance as follows:
-Russia's recognition Of ia
pans "preponderating influence and
special position i'm Korea. which Rus
STA henceforth agrees is outside of her
sphere of influence Japan binding her
self To recognize the suzerainty Of tho
rcigning family. but with the right 70
give advice and assistance 90 improve
the civil administration of the empire.
Second Mutual obligation TO eyacu-
ate Manchuria each 10 surrender all
special privileges in that province
mutual obligation 10 respect the ter
ri;orial integrity" of China and 10
maintain the principle Of equal oppor-
tunitv for the commerce and industry
Of all nations in that province topen
door,.
Third-The cession TO China of the
Chinese Eastern railroad from Hardin
southwark.
Acceptance of Article Was Assured.
There never was any question about
the acceptance on the part OF Mr..
Wltte of these articles. the first two
covering in more emphatic form the
contentious OF Japan in the diplomatic
struggle which preceded hostilities.
The third is a natural consequence o.
the result of war The cession of the
railroad. the building Of which cost
Russia an immense sum. estimated by
some at between Sl00.000000 and
5000 600 600. is TO be coded to China.
japan and China therefore. will ar
range between themselves the method
by which the former is 10 be remun-
Grated. and through this financial OPP
Grafton Japan might have very con
siderable portion of her claim for the
expenses Of the war liquidated. The
railroad is ostensibly the property OF
the Russo Chinese bank, although
built by government money advanced
through the bank. and since It's com
Dletion operated. managed and po-
Iced by the Russian government. ia
pan cannot take the railroad herself.
To place herself in Russia's shoes re-
garding the railroad would be mill
tarily 70 control the destinies OF the
three provinces of Manchuria which
she has promised to return to China.
But Japan is entitled TO reimburse
ment for the expense TO which she
has been put in restoring the railroad
below the present position Of Line
vitchs army. rebuilding the bridges
and narrow ng the gauge. II China
could not fud the money some other
power or powers might do so. and the
road would become hypothetical to
the powers which advanced the
money. as other Chinese roads are to
those which advanced the money for
their construction.
Today in the ordinary course OF pro
ceedings the first great stumbling
block to a treaty Of peace should be
reached. as after Port Arthur and the
leases of Lao Tung. which are in
cluded in article four and which Mr..
Witte is undoubtedly prepared. with
slight notifications. to accept. comes
article fve-the cession of Sakhalin.
But It is by no means certain that
when this obstacle is reached II will
not be postponed until all the articles
upOn which agreement is easy or pos
sible are disposed of. If this course
Is followed. and the Associated Press
has high authority for the opinion that
it will be- It will indicate a disposition
to put off the real struggle to the very
last. and the longer the conference
endures the brighter the prospects OF
a treaty are likely to become. Every
day they sit said very high au-
thority, increases the chances for
peace"
The language Of the three articles
adopted will form practically the text
Of the treaty of Washington" II one
is signed. subject, Of course, to final
revision. Each side has agreed to the
dTllCleS anu tuSg dit lhSiuu1h III tHD
protocols of each days session which
are officially signed by the plenipoten-
tiaries the next morning
Russia Won a Victory.
In addition to the minutes kept by
each side, there is an abbrevited rec
ord of the discussions giving the argu-
ments made on each side of every
point which are daily attested. so that
when the conference is ended the rec
ord Of the proceedings will be com
plete. OF course the agreement article
by article does not bind either Russia
or apan until a final agreement is
reached and the treaty is signed.
It is. however, significant that Mr.
Sato. while specifically stating that he
did not speak officially. gave 1t as his
opinion that each power had now
bound itself to the articles agreed to.
In the discussion of the second ar