Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-17
MORE ARTICLES ARE AGREED UPON
UssA RETAINS THE MAIN LINE
Link Passing Through Northern Man.
churia to Be Commercial Road Only.
REAL CRISIS WILL CONE MONDAY
Report that Pressure ts BeinR
BrouRht TO Bear Upon Japan
90 ForeEO Indemnity
Demand.

Demand.
PORTSMOUTH, n H., Aug. l6,-Ths
prospects of peace are distinctly brighter
tonight. The plenlpotentiaries are labor
ing with a seriousness and earnestness
which leave not the slightest doubt that
both are anxious TO conclude a treaty.
Though the main points remain to be con-
tested and the plenipotentiaries Of each
side speak as though the conference would
go to pieces, unless the other side gave
way, the spirit Of compromise is in the
air. When he returned TO the hotel to-
night, NJ Witte who was tired out with
his hard days work. said:
I am doing all I can for peace or the
have yielded seven. No other statesman
in nl Russia would have dared to do so
upon my own responsibility
Crisis Comes Monday.
From an authoritative source It is now
possible to forecast with fair degree OF
accuracy that the crisis will come on next
Monday. Articles vii and viii dealing with
the fate of the Chinese Eastern railroad
having been disposed OF today. there remains
in addition to the cesson OF Sakhalin.
which was passed over. the question OF in
demnity, which comes up tomorrow as
article tx, the Limitation OF Russias sea
power in the far east, the surrender Of the
interned warships and the grant to Japan
Of fishing rights on the littoral north OF
Vladlvostok.
To all except the last to which Russia
will agree, negative answer has been
returned. absolute In the case of indemnity
and Sakhalin Perhaps both the others
may be modified and accepted by NJ. Witte,
in order to strengthen his position in in
sisting upon a concession from japan re-
garding its demands OF an indemnity and
the cession of Sakhalin. Before yielding
on either of the matters, 1t can be re-
garded practically certain that NJ. witte
will consult the emperor. The exchange
of views of the five remaining articles is
expected to be completed on Friday or
Saturday morning at the latest. The pleni-
potentiaries will then adjourn until Mon
! day and the interim will probably be used
| by the penpotentiaries 10 consult their
respective governments. when they meet
| upon Monday their last cards will be
! thrown upon the table. II there is to be
bargaining It will come then, and suddenly
the conference will be over or peace will
| be assured.
| Two Articles Disposed OF.
Articles and vii were disposed OF today,
the former "in principle" the latter 'unani-
/ mously" according to official bulletins.
! Article vii provides for the cession 70 China
of the branch of the Chinese Eastern rail-
/ road running south from Hardin to Port
Arthur and Dalny, and with a branch line
connecting at New Chwang with the Shan
! Hal Kwan Tien Tsin railroad.
| Article wifi provides for the retention by
Russia OF the line through northern Man
! churia which forms the connecting link
! of the main line of the trans-Slberian and
the Usurri railroad with its termini at
| Vladivostok and Harborovsk
| From both sides the Associated Press Is
informed that the acceptance ION the
! principle" of article vli only means that GER
tain points remain TO be elaborated, not
that a dispute still exists. But this may
/ possibly be only a convenient method OF
postponing until the final struggle the ac-
! ceptance of article which could be used
in the ultimate compromise.
what Russia Sacrifices.
/ Russia, by the acceptance OF these two arti-
cles I'm connection with articles Il, III, iv
and vi surrenders every vestige of its am
bition In Manchuria. Russia closes the door
to the warm water. ice free port of Dalny
/ upon which it lavished its millions and
retains only a commercial road the
railroad link connecting It's European pos
sessions with the maritime provinces upon
/ the Pacific The right to police It with
| Russian troops or railroad guards is given
up and its protection will become the duty
of China. The Chinese eastern road is
T-shaped. The stem runs from Hardin
south. The top runs from the station In
| Manchuria on the Amur river to Nikolskoje.
where it connects with the government
owned Usurri road to the coast. 1t was
this cutoff which more than anything
else paved the way for what is known as
the 'Manchurian adventure" changing the
whole plan Of NJ. Witte while minister OF
finance His object had been only 10 make
OF Talienwan or "Dalny" a commercial
entry port for foreign trade, but with the
strategic railroad behind them the war
party's' aggressive policy began. The
original intention had been TO build the
trans Siberian road entirely in Russian
territory north OF the Amur river, which
makes a great curve northward, formin8
the Manchurian boundary. When the con-
cession of the "cut-on' was obtained from
China, through Ii Hung Chang, the Chi
nese Eastern Railroad company was formed
by NJ Witte, then minister OF finance, TO
build II, and later another concession was
obtained 10 connect II with Port Arthur
and Dalny. The shares OF the Chinese East
ern company consist OF $4,000, which, in
the form OF a single certificate, are held
In the Golfers OF the Russo Chinese bank
|
from time TO time for its construction we're
guaranteed by the Russian government
and amount TO over {200,OOO,OOO
! The bonds as far as possible were sold
TO bankers and the public These were
listed on the stock exchanges in Russia
/ Berlin and Paris and are now selling at be-
i tween 81 and 50.
Russia Pays the Bill.
The Russian minister Of hnaRce has an
nually paid not only the interest on the
bonds, but the deficits In the operating
expenses OF the road. which have been
heavy As about half OF this money went
into the Port Arthur branch, the Russian
' ! treasury is out OF pocket about half the
total outlay. Its only hope Of saving any
thing is 10 arrange with China. Japan, too,
will have its claim against the Picking gov
ernment for the restoration OF the road
, after IL was destroyed by the Russian army.
the rebuilding Of the bridges and the
\ change In the gauge. II is believed thAt