Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-23

! PORTSMOUTH, Aug. /9.-2 a. NIT 10
stated that Baron Komura has agreed to
offer at the session at $3.50 this morning
the presidents compromise proposition A
high authority believes 1t impossible that a
final rupture can come today. no matter
what the character of the emperors final
instructions to NJ. witte may be-
If the negotiations can be prolonged into
next week." he said. so much pressure
will be brought to bear upon the emperor
that he will not be able to resist"
| PORTSMOUTH Aug. ga long cable
message from st. Petersburg which is be-
| lieved to be the Russian reply arrived
! about 10 o'clock tonight and NJ. Whites
| secretaries, NJ Nabukoff and NJ. Plancon
! Immediately began decphering II.
! Considerable excitement was apparent in
the annex where the Russian headquarters
are located Sheet by sheet the transla-
! tion was taken 10 NJ Whites room. The
rumor is that 1t is a refusal-a non possi-
/ mus-a reiteration of the Russian position
that it has given ample proof OF its de-
sires for peace in the articles already ac-
| cepted and more 1t could not accept with
| dignity and honor.
No confirmation Of the rumor that Rus
| sia's reply is q negative one can be OBJ
tained and it must be accepted with all
reserve The lights in the rooms of NJ
Witte and Baron Rosen were burning long
after midnight.
Proposal of the President.
! The Associated Press is now in a posi-
! ton to reveal substantially the suggestion
| of President Roosevelt for breaking the
| existing deadlock in the peace negotia-
! tions and rescuing the conference from
| failure. His solution would ingeniously
! permit the satisfaction OF the Japanese
demands for reimbursement for the cost
! of the war and at the same time enable
Russia to face the world with the declara-
tion that It had not ceded a foot of terri
tory or paid kopec of war tribute to
| the victor. The solution Is the one which
has heretofore been described in the AS
ISOLATED Press dispatches as the natural
and logical compromise. Tersely stated II
consists in an agreement by Russia to
repurchase possession of either all or half
of the island Of Sakhaln, now in the mill .
tary occupation of Japan, for a sum- the
amount OF which IL the two countries
cannot agree, shall be decided by some
method of arbitration hereafter to be de-
termined. The purchase money. together
with the sum Japan would obtain from
the ceslon of the Chinese Eastern rail-
road and the maintenance OF the Russian
prisoners in Japan, would, II is estimated,
about equal the amount claimed by Japan
as it's bill for the cost OF the war. POSI-
bly,, therefore the solution offered by the
president involves recession by Japan upon
article v 0he cession of Sakhalin) and re-
cession by Russia upon article TX dn-
demnity) 1t seems practically certain,
though this cannot be affirmed positively.
that the president was able to give NJ
nbsta tfal
would be willing TO accept such a COM
promise This is apparently supported by
the authoritative japanese statement made
to the Associated Press tonight as to
whether Japan had decided to make sub
stantial concessions:
1T all depends upon Russia"
Meeting IN Postponed.
II was the presidents message to NJ
Witte which caused the sensation of the
day Early in the morning had come the
official announcement that the meeting of
the conference, which was to have been
held today, was postponed until tomorrow
at $3.50 O'Clock. To the public. the reason
assigned was that the protocols for the
meeting had not been completed. But a
few hours later the true reason leaked
out. ]. l.. McGrew. one OF the stenog-
raphers attached 10 the executive Offices
at Oyster Bay had arrived with a com
munication from the president for the Rus
sian plenipotentiaries. NJ. Witte and
Baron de Rosen had left the hotel osten-
sibly for a ride In autocar to York
Beach. but instead had quietly slipped over
to the conference building at the navy
yard TO receive the message from As
sistant Secretary Peirce. The most
elaborate precautions had been taken to
insure secrecy, but 1t leaked out through
tg,,ft fy.yv Ayavuy Wnr
Associated Press
From 1890 until 1920 NJ witte and Baron
de Rosen remained at the conference
building with NJ. Peirce All those present
decline to make any statement regarding
what transpired at the navy yard even
refusing 20 admit that any Importance at
tached 10 the matter NJ Witte would
only admit that he had gone 70 the build
ing Ito send a message" and Baron de
Rosen and NJ Peirce absolutely refused
10 make any statements
Mr.. McGrew took the 8:5 train to Boston.
He carried a dress suit case which probably
contained the reply to the president This
reply 1t is believed, was prepared by NJ
Witte and Baron de Rosen after Mr.. Peirce
had delivered TO them the presidents mes
sage. A suggestion Is made that during the
stay al the navy yard the Russian pleni-'
potentiaries were in direct communication
with the president by telegraph, but there
is nothing TO substantiate this and under
the circumstance Il appears unlikely
President Sees KanekO
Mr. Roosevelts message to 81. Witte and
Baron de Rosen is believed TO have been
the result OF his interview yesterday at
oyster Bay with Baron Kaneko one OF
Marquis Itos close friends who has acted
as the presidents medium OF communica-
tion with the Toxic government
II is asserted that In addition 10 the
presidents communication 70 NJ Wiue
through Baron de Rosen last Sunday and
by messenger today. messages directly TO
Emperor Nicholas have been delivered by
Ambassador Meyer al St Petersburg. but
no Official confirmation Is obtainabls. Ths-