New-York tribune., 1905-08-31
both POWERS WRATHFUL
No Praise for VI. Witte-Japan
Silent to EnUOgs.

Portsmouth, N H, Aug 30-The actual work
of drafting the treaty OF Portsmouth" began
to-day. II is being done by NJ. de Martens anu
Mr.. Denrison, legal advisers for the respective
sides While the bases OF peace have peefl ao-
cepted by the pienipotentiaries. consldefaoie ue
tail remains 10 be worked out in the eianora non
OF the articles of the treaty. This is especiSIiS
true in regard the sections deahhg win inc
Chinese Eastern Railway, and the surrender OF
She leases Of the Liao-Tllng Peninsula and Port
Arthur and Dalny. NJ. Pokotilof, the Russian
Minister to Peking who was formerly manager OK
the Russo-Chinese bank at Peking. and who has
intimate knowledge of all the details relating TO
those matters is assisting NJ. de Martens
The peace plenipotentiaries in a very
auomolous position while the outside world ap-
rlauds. in Japan there is evidently great disap-
pointrnent in the terms. and in Russia, where II
would seem that there should be universal re-
3oicing over the great diplomatic victory NJ
witte has won the government seems 10 have
received it coldIy. With the people it will make
NJ witte great and popular figure and add to
his larrels but at court. evidently, the very
victory NJ witte has achieved makes it all the
more bitterly resented.
It is an open secret that the military party
hates and fears Witte. and that when the En-
peror appointed him chief penipotentiary they
expected him 10 fail They did not want peace,
and il MAS freely predicted In St Petersburg
when NJ witte left there, that an impossible
mission had been given TO him. and he had been
sent TO America to break his neck" They ex-
pected him TO fail il the negotiation or to make
q bad peace" and either would have spelled
political ruin Instead upon the very terms
upon which the Emperor told Mr.. Meyer he
would make peace and upon which the military
party did not believe it possible for peace to be
negotiated N. Witte succeeded in securing
treaty honorable and. under the circumstances.
favorable to Russia.
This has evidently only exasperated his enc
mics the more. and intrigue is again at work 70
discredit him. Since Japan was in a conciliatory
mood. they now say he made mistake IN
rendering half of Saghalien- Yet he did so by
the Cars orders, and himself insists that pey-
sonay he would have stuck TO the end TO his
original declaration not TO cede territory or give
Indemnity.
In Japan the situation is reversed. The gov
eminent recognized the advisability of conclud-
ing peace. even if all demand for indemnity had
10 be Withdrawn. But the people We're incensed
at even the suggestion Of the division Of Sagha-
lien. That evident from the expressions in
the japanese press yesterday, and that was
before there suggestion of waving de-
mand for any indemnity whatever. To-day
Toxic Is silent. Not word or line about the
receipt Of the news has come out of Japan
The government has its hand on every wire
and among those who best know Japan here il
Is ominous OF the popular wrath the receipt of
the terms Of peace has raised. and they recall
with a shudder past tragedies when ministers
have been unpopular
In view OF the situation both at Toxic and
St Petersburg, alarmists are inclined to make
much Of the fact that the minutes OF yester-
days fatefu meeting have not been signed by
the plenipotentiaries Of the two powers 1t is
pointed out that either side could still repudiate
the agreement, but both plenipotentiaries refuse
10 admit the possibility OF such a thing
happening
The following statement Of the japanese ar
gument which governed their decision to waive
the question OF indemnity can be accepted as
authoritative:
Japan realized fully that she was making a
sacrifice for peace, but she looking to the
future. II not question OF whether the
could be successfully continued, but of
whether peace was not now more advantage
70 Japan.
Japan had already gained all she fought for.
II only the "spOils OF war" that remained
and, having achieved the real objects of the war,
she could afford TO forego the spoils rather than
be placed I'm the position Of fighting for money.
While Japan believed that she was entitled to
the spois, she felt that her position so
strong. her successes so complete. that she could
yield without detracting from the force of her
victory.