Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-11
RUSSIAN REPLY READY
Witte Prepared Document
During Last Night.
BRIEF PAUSE IN FARLEY
TO BE DELIVERED TO JAPANESE
THIS AFTERNOON.
The Feeling Among the Russians is
That the Demand Is Absolutely
Unentertainable.

PORTSMOUTH, August 1.-THE Russian
| reply is already practically completed, and
will be handed by M Wltte to Baron
Komurs at $50 o'clock tomorrow morning.
NJ Witte has officially notified Baron ko-
nura of this fact, and the official call for a
meeting of the conference at that hour has
been issued.
M. Witte this morning explained to the
Associated Press correspondent that he had
written the reply during the night in Rus
sian and that the secretaries were now en-
gagged in translatirg into French and Eng
lish The revised document he said. would
D, bably be ready by o'clock this after
neon, and 1t might be possible to deliver it
to tine Japanese plenipotentiaries at .
o'clock, but III order to cover unexpected
contingencies he had notified Baron no
rura that It would be ready tomorrow
morning.
NJ. Witte took occasion to deny the cur
rem: report that the answer had been die
tsted in st. Petersburg. He explained that
his powers were such that 1t was not neces-
sary for him to await instructions from st.
Petersburg or Peterhof. Naturally the
chief Russian plenipotentiary has been in
communica ton with his imperial master,
bus NJ Witte has himself written the reply.
There is reason to believe that the views of
the japanese conditions communicated by
NJ. Witte to the emperor were shared by
his majesty.
Witte in Command.
NJ Witte was at work early, and with
his secretaries was busily engaged in de-
ciphering kilograms from st. Petersburg be-
fore o'clock All the threads are in his
hands He controls and directs everything
on the Russian side. His colleague. Baron
Rosen, accompanied by NJ. Pokotiloff, tour
ed into Portsmouth with an automobile to
do some shopping.
Baron Komura and his encourage are
content to give the other side all the time
required. At the meeting yesterday M.
Witte promised to give a response at the
earliest possible moment. They read
lily accepted this answer and did not even
suggest fixing time limit Among them
feeling of relief seems to be manifested that
the events of yesterday are already history.
They have patience and know how to wait.
Among the Russians 1t Is already appar
ent that the Japanese terms, especially those
asking Russia to foot the bill for the cost
of the war, ceSsion of territory and to put
limitation upon their naval forces in the far
east, are considered absolutely unentertain-
able. On these points the Russian answer
Is sure TO be a non possimus. 80
Witte DESTROYS of Peace.
NJ. Witte is sincerely deslrous of making
peace, and the Russian reply, plainly stat
ing what points can and what points can
not be accepted as base of negotiation. will
leave the way open for further proposals
and counter proposals.
The Russians would doubtless like to
proceed by a process of elimination agree
Ing TO some and rejecting or making coun-
ter proposals to others. But the Japanese
are not expected to agree to enter upoo
the diplomatic game of give and take until
after the general principles are accepted.
Their rejoinder to the Russian reply is
expected to be practically an ultima atum-
a statement of their irreducible minimum,
which they will ask the Russians to take
or leave. AS far the cost of the war
is concerned while the Japanese have men
toned no sum, 1t is known that they esti-
mate the cost 10 date at about $3.50, COG, go
The advantage from this point of view OF
not naming a fixed sum. is that 1t makes
clear that the principle of money compen-
sation which they have adopted is the cost
OF the war. which will continue at the rate
of about 100000 day as long as the
war
News Caused a Furry.
The publication of the Associated Press
dispatches giving the Japanese conditions
created great furry at the hotel among
the guests and the newspaper correspond
ents, who had only been able to guess at
the terms.
Among the Russian newspaper CORE
spondents they were regarded as impossi-
BILE and the opinion was expressed that
they would be received with resentment py
the Russian people. The PRONUNCIATION Of
the scheme for a national assembly in the
imperial manifesto tomorrow, according 10
their opinion, would come opportunely TO
strengthen the hands of the Russian pleF
ipotentiaries by relieving the internal sit
uation and arousing a sentiment against
national humiliation, which the people
would now have an opportunity to voice.
In their opinion, the answer OF the Rus
! sian people of all classes, barring, of
course, the radical revolutionists, would be
against cession of territory and the pay
ment of immense war indemnity