Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-20
FEELING IN RUSSIA
Over Status of the Peace Con-
ference.
CZAR FIRMLY RESOLVED
AGAINST INDEMNITY AND CES-
SION OF SAGHALIN.
Excessive Demands Of japan Regarded
as Terms for Humiliating Empire
Before the World.

ST. PETERSBURG, August 10, 11:5s pm
AS the time approaches for the playing OF
the last cards at Portsmouth there is mani
tested here among certain high officials and
by the press and the public the unmistak
able conviction that Russia will not yield
on the points of paying an indemnity as
such, of absolutely ceding Sakhalin to
the japanese.
The Associated Press can state authori
tatively that Emperor Nicholas the day
preceding the announcement of the new
tional assembly was firmly resolved that he
would not accede to the Japanese demand
on either of these points, and furt hermore
that the reception by the people of the as
sembly project has done much to strengthen
him in that resolution.
1t is not felt here that the questions of the
transfer to Japan of all interned warShlpS
and the limitation of Russia's naval force
in the Pacific will be crucial points in the
final settlement. They are regarded as
terms inserted in the demands by the Jap
anese for the purpose of humiliating Rus
sia before the world and for no very serious
purpose of negotiation. They are also
roundly declared to be unacceptable, but
are not vested with the Importance of the
other two unsettled questions.
Impossible of Acceptance.
Today, at the beginning of the Ports
mouth negotiations the conditions relative
to the cession of Sakhalin and indemnity
are universally declared to be impossible of
acceptance. The emperor has received tur-
ther addresses from the country begging
him to neither cede territory nor pay in
demnity, and expressing the readiness of
the Senders to make further sacrifices if
necessary.
In the emperors known state of mind
these communications certainly have their
effect.
Two things were particularly notcea bic
here today. One was the determination not
to pay an indemnity, as such, or to cede
Sakhaiin absolutely; the other was the fact
that the promulgation of the national as
sembly at this time was a clever and able
move, that has done more to make an issue
of the war, its continuance or the signing
of a peace treaty at Portsmouth a question
of the people than has any other event
since the beginning of hostilties.
New Factor in Situation
The calling into being of the national
assembly is ii new factor in the situation.
If peace does not result from the Ports
mouth negotiations the war bids fair to
be national one, supported by a popu-
lar sentiment, serving in great measure
to unite the distracted country on ma
ttonal and popular issues The war is to
be carried on in future by the people in
stead of being a war in which the hearts
and interests of the people do not enter.
The PRONUNCIATION OF the national as
sembly, coupled with the ten days con-
sideratfon, study and discussion of the
japanese terms, have given the first evil
dences of what may become a wave of
more or less popular feeling. The actu-
ality of the national assembly has in
creased among the people their personal
interests in the Japanese demands and
has resulted in strong expressions from
practically all classes of society. except
ing the extreme radicals, that the Rus
sian people should not pay an indemnity
nor cede Saghalin.
An immense majority of the Russian
people do not recognize the Japanese
Nictors and argue that Russia already
has conceded Japan even more than she
demanded at the outbreak of the war,
and declare that the payment now of
indemnity as such, would spell political
death for Russia 1t can be stated au-
thoritatively that the United States is not
attempting to exercise influence upon
Russia through St Petersburg.