Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-30
Admiralty Admits Great
Blow Has Fallen
Friends of Peace Already
Reproach War Party
Censorship Prohibits Publication Of
News of Disaster, but Tidings of
Defeat Spread Like Wildhre
Throughout the Rus
sian Capital
BY Associated P-Ass,

BY Associated P-hss
ST. PETERSBURG, May 9O.-After
waiting vainly all day and evening for
direct news from the scattered rem
nants of Vice Admiral Rojestvensky's
destroyed and beaten fleet, the admir-
atty at midnight no longer attempted
to hold out against the Overwhelming
evidence pouring in from all directions
that the fleet, on which all their hopes
were centered, had suffered greater
disaster than did the combined French
and Spanish fleets at Trafalgar.
More bitter even than defeat is the
japanese claim of virtual annihilation
of the Russian fleet with practically no
losses on their side, and many officers
cling doggedly to the belief that Vice
Admiral Togo might have suffered
heavily.
With every ship of Rear Admiral
Nebogatoff's reinforcing division either
sent to the bottom or forced to strike
it's flag, and only six of Rojestvensky's
original sixteen fighting ships absent
from the line of vessels sunk or cap
tured and with the Japanese pursuit
still continuing, no naval authority has
the temerity to dream that Russia can
again attempt to wrest the mastery of
the sea from Japan in the present war.
The captured warships alone will fur
nish Japan with ready made reinforce
ments which will be more than match
about to sail from Cronstadt.
The emperor was completely pros
trated by the news, and according to
reports, he broke down and wept.
"PEACE AT ANY PRICE"
CRY WILL SURELY BE
RAISED IN RUSSIA
The effect of the disaster will be
terrible blow to the government. The
futility of trying to struggle on on land
is everywhere recognized, and the cry
for peace at any price" is sure to be
raised. This time, it is believed, the
government cannot resist the cry. In
deed, the radical liberals are openly re-
joicing in this hour of their country's
humiliation. They declare that the dis
aster means peace and constitution,
and that the deaths of thousands of their
fellow countrymen and the loss of over
500 0O0 900 worth of warships is not too
big a price to pay.
The friends of peace in the govern
ment are already reproaching the war
party with forcing the issue between
Togo and Rojestvensky. When the fleet
appeared in the straits of Malacca they
tried vainly to persuade the emperor
that the time was opportune for the
opening of peace negotiations. but the
war party convinced his majesty, and
Rojestvensky, for the honor of the navy,
insisted that the fleet should be given
a chance to retrieve the disasters suf-
fered on land.
Diplomatists entertain no doubt that
the belligerent factions will continue to
urge that the war be fought to the Bit
ter end, but the friends of Russia
abroad, especially France, are now
bringing overwhelming arguments to
Bear in favor of peace.
RUSSIA WILL TURN
TO DELCAssE FOR
AID TOWARD PEACE
The Associated Press has excellent
reason to believe that the Russian gov
ernment in this crisis will turn to M.
Delcasse, the French foreign minister,
in whose ability and in whose loyalty
as Russia's friend the emperor and his
ministers have implicit confidence.
Some time ago it appeared likely that
President Roosevelt would play a big
role in the peace negotiations but now
his share is apt to be determined by
M. Delcasse's decision. The latter may
of course consider it wise to place the
negotiations in President Roosevelt's s
hands.
The war party, however will insist
now as they did after the battle of
Mukden that peace is impossible On
the heels of defeat. The members OF
this faction are already proclaiming
the latest disaster in nowise alters the
situation on land. General Linevitch
having prepared his plans as If the fleet
did not exist.
The censorship is taking the position