The Ladysmith news and Ingram news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1905-1906, 1905-08-19
CRISIS NEAR IN
PEACE CONFAb
IF CONFERENCE is TO GO TO
PIECES IT WILL SOON BE
KNOWN.
TWO MORE ARTICLES SETTLED
INTEGRITY OF CHINA AND SUR
RENDER OF LiAOTUNG Pc
NINSULA.
HOPE OF COMPROMISE GROWS
RUSSIANS MAY YIELD SAkRALlN
AND JAPANESE FOREGO IN
CEMNtTY.

Portsmouth, N. H., Aug. II. = The
crisis in the peace negotiations upon
which the eyes of the world are
fastened is approaching rapidly, and
the end of this week or the first of
next at the latest, should witness the
deadlock and the end, if the confer
ence is to go to pieces. Two more of
the twelve articles, numbers four and
six, were disposed OF yesterday Ar
ticle four consists of mutual pledges
to observe the integrity of China and
the policy of the open door for the
commerce of all nations, and article
six covers the surrender of the Rus
sian leases to the Liaotung peninsula,
Port Arthur, Dalny and the Blonde
and Elliott islands To article four
both parties
Gave Ready Assent,
and the official statement Of the adOp-
ton OF that article took care to state
that it was agreed to unanimously"
Article five the consideration of
which was postponed until later, pro-
vides for the cession of the island of
Sakhalin. Discussion appearing use
less at this stage on account Of the
firm negative given in the Russian re-
ply, it was decided upon the motion Of
the Japanese to defer it's discussion,
thus revealing the japanese intention
of postponing to the end the life and
death struggle. This is the usual pro-
cedure followed in diplomatic negOtia-
tions, enabling the negOtiatOrs to
come to an accord upon all possible
points before tackling the crucial is
sues, and the fact that the
Russians Acquiesced
in the proposition shows that they,
too, are as CAREFUL and as anxious as
are the japanese that the world
should not accuse them of being re-
sponsible for precipitating the break,
if break there is to be, and wrecking
the conference. This in itself is a
hopeful sign. Besides, by postponing
the burning questions to the end, the
psychological moment for bargain and
compromise arrives. Then hurriedly
the last trump cards and the game is
done. And there is growing hope of
compromise To the closest observers
the final solution begins to crystalline
quite naturally-the Russians yield
ing the cession of Sakhalin, Japan for
getting the cost of the war;" but
Taking Compensation
in the money to be refunded to Jap
an by China on account Of the trans
fer to her Of the Chinese Eastern rail-
to a private corporation, therefore
uncomfortable by Japan, the Russian
government property in Port Arthur
and Dalny. and remuneration for the
maintenance of the 100000 Russian
prisoners in Japan. According to the
Russian view, Japan has already Sc
cured all and more than she
dreamed of claiming before the war
To insist upon a foe who has still half
a million men confronting her in the
field footing the bill for the cost Of the
war as the price of peace, would, the
Russians say, change the character of
the military struggle henceforth from
one for certain principles to enc for
the
Exaction OF "BIood Money"
All questions relating to Korea and
Manchuria except the cession of the
Chinese Eastern railroad and the
main Siberian line running through
Northern Manchuria from the station
"Manchuria,' on the Amur, via Har-
bin to Vladivostok, are settled in the
five articles already adopted.
The only jar in the sessions of the
conference yesterday occurred at the
morning session, when rather spir-
tied controversy occurred over the
question of the publicity of the pro-
ceedings Each side manifested a dis
position to charge the other with be
ing responsible for the leaks, and it
was settled by renewed pledges to OBJ
serve the strictest secrecy henceforth
regarding the proceedings. AS re-
suit the correspondents last night ex-
perienced additional difficulty in Sc
curing information.
The discussion on Sallhalin went
far enough to demonstrate the deter
mined opposition of Russia to its ces
sion, and there had not been the
slightest sign of yielding when the
agreement was reached to reserve a
decision on the article until later
Competent Japanese authority, how
ever, still insist that Japan will never
abandon this point. They declare,
however that Baron Komura and Mr..
Takahira will go to the extreme limit
to secure the bases Of the treaty Of
Washington. They do not pretend to
saw that they are assured the treaty
will be signed. They do not even say
/, that they are hopeful.