Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-07-14
WITTE COMING
TO WASHINGTON
Will be Named by the Gear as One
OF the ENJOYS to Negotiate for
Peace.
MURAvIEFF HAS BEEN DROPPED
Emperor Yields to Pressure-New ia.
panese Loan is Over-Subscribed-
Russia Fears Another Mutiny.

st. Petersburg, July 13.-M. Murray.
Jeff has resigned his position as chief
plenipOtentiary.
1t may be regarded as practically
certain that he will be replaced by
NJ. Witte, president of the committee
OF ministers, who all along has been
considered the Russian statesman pre-
eminently qualified to undertake the
difficult task of negotiating peace
with Japan.
Though the emperor on two previous
occasions has fatty declined to accept
M. Witte, he has now indicated his
readiness to make the appointment.
The commission, however, will not be
actually signed until Foreign Minister
Lamsdorff, who throughout has been
M. Whites warm supporter, has had
an audience with the emperor. To
that extent only the matter may be
regarded as settled, nothing being cer-
tain in Russia, as prominent diplO-
mat remarked last night, until the
emperor's signature has been affixed.
:. Witte's selection undoubtedly
will be hailed as practical assur-
ance of peace. While it would be a
mistake to denominate him as a
peace at any price" man, NJ. Witte
earnestly believes that the struggle
should be ended, and should be sue
ceeded by an understanding between
Russia and Japan which would insure
peace in the far east for half a CEN
tury. Indeed, he is personally believ-
ed to be in favor of a Russo-Japan-
ese alliance.
The conduct of negotiations by M.
Witte, is felt by the peace party here.
would inspire instant confidence in
Japan.
The only handicap under which M.
Witte labors is his lack of familiarity
with the English language, as the on
ly foreign language he speaks are Ger
man and French.
NJ. Muravieff'S retirement, Ostensi-
bly, owing to reasons of i'll health, is
in reality due to the fact that the en-
peror became convinced that the ne
gotiations might be jeopardized if he
went to Washington. M. Muravieff
himself, upon consideration, quite
frankly recognized his lack of diplo.
matte training and his want of &C.
quaintance with the questions involv.
ed, and with equal frankness express
S0 ooCAoAoSIAOA CudC AS UScu IS-
lieved.
Neither the Washington or Toxic
governments has yet been officially
advised of M. Muravieffs withdrawal,
the foreign office probably preferring
to announce the name of his successor
at the same time. The cnange in the
chief of the plenipotentiaries does not
involve any postponement of the date
of the calling of the peace commission
at Washington.
The Russian newspapers, whose
| criticism compelled M. Muravieff to
relinquish the portfolio of justice, have
attacked him with great savageness
as being utterly unqualified to con.
| duct such important negotiations as
those involved in the Washington
meeting, and the foreign office has
all along been supposed to share a
similar view. The peace party at
court has done it's utmost to secure
the suppression of M. Muravieff, un.
der the belief that his conduct of the
negotiations would be sure to lead to
unfortunate complications, if not to
complete wreck of hopes of peace.