The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-06-16
FOR HUMANITY SAKE.

for himself and the United States that
will live forever. He deplores war and
for humanity's sake has asked for a
cessation of hostilities TO the end that
peace may be restored, His courageous
and humane action is endorsed by every
man. woman and child in Astoria. in
Oregon and throughout the civilized
world,
President Roosevelt, with the aid OF
France. Great Britain. Germany and
Italy, has succeeded in his preliminary
negotiations looking toward peace be-
tween Russia and Japan. He has pre-
pared the way. and the ear and the
mikado have signited to him their will.
ingness to begin direct negotiations with
each other. 1t was a delicate and diff
cult task. and Mr. Roosevelt was de.
prived of Secretary Hays aid in approach
ing it, yet he did not finch from the or.
deal, even though the Russian ambassa.
dor was unwilling to forward the move.
ment and he has succeeded when most
other men would have failed. At first
Russia, fearing Japan's claims would be
too exhorbitant in the flush of her great
naval victory, was quite naturally reluc.
tant to accept the suggestion of an i'm
mediate cessation of hostilities, but the
president, using Ambassador Meyer as
his medium of communication, instead of
the sulky and reactionary Count Cassini,
persisted in assuring the ear that his
advisors might have an exaggerated no.
tion of what the mikado's terms would
be, representation that was fully war
ranted by his confidential conferences
with the japanese ambassador. Mean
while, friendly pressure was brought to
bear upon Emperor Nicholas through
France and Germany, and upon the mi
kado through Great Britain and Italy.
yet a single mistake, one false step
would have brought a sudden end to all
these preliminary soundings.
The substance of the communication
is that the Russian and japanese gov
ernments, not only for their own sakes
but in the interests of the whole civil.
lied world, shall open direct negotia-
tions for peace with one another" and
that these peace negotiations be conduct
ed directly and exclusively between the
belligerents; in other words, that there
may be a meeting of Russian and Japan
ese plenipotentiaries or delegates with
out any intermediary, in order to see it
it is not possible for these representa-
tiyes of the two powers to agree to terms
of peace" In the short space OF three
days acceptances of President Roosevelt
suggestion have been received from both
st. Petersburg and Toxic, and the next
news will probably be the declaration OF
an armisticc. 1t depends however, upon
the belligerents alone to arrange salts
factory terms; Intervention from outside
powers will not be tolerated by Japan.
1t would be short sighted policy to
make Russia an implacable and ever
lasting foe by too humiliating conditions
Far wiser would it be to secure what
Japan has won by lasting peace, found
ed on simple justice rather than revenge
and to make the muscovites friends. il
possible, by magnanimous terms. FOR
Russia will not always be an autocracy
and when the people shall be the strong
er in that misgoverned country Japan
will have no cause to fear those it has
treated generously in the hour OF ad-
versity.