Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-29

tenance Of the Russian prisoners, and that
involved in the cession Of the Chinese East
ern railway, he considered that he had full
authority to reject it fatty, without refer
ence to ST. Petersburg.
M. Witte considered that the emperor had
fguratively burned his bridges behind him In
the replies he had given to the head Of the
American republic. His superior having
thus committed himself, M. Witte felt him
self tied hand and foot. Unless the Japa
nese proposal this morning, therefore, came
strictly within his instructions he would, ac-
cording to his views, not only be justified
in refusing, but be compelled to refuse it.
Dplomatically he would, according to the
Russian counsel, have that right.
Whites Position.
To proud man like Witte the position
was insufferahle. He was playing dogs
comedy he s,d to a friend.
But he is a man of passion, a man who
acts sometimes upon sudden impulses, and
he is quite capable at the critical moment
of disregarding the letter of his instructions
and laying them at the feet of his majesty
and thus in the face of the world forcing
the emperor to take the responsibility. But
there are motives that might impel him in
the other direction. None knows as well
as he the hostility which exists at court
against him. None knows as we'll as he
that the emperor's advisors are trying to
h5S W. nd pcf
None knows well as he that the mill
tary party is demanding a continuation Of
the war and that if he disobeys the letter
Of his instructions he will be accused of
temporizing.
He will be charged with being willing to
make peace at any price. No plenipoten-
tiary at such a crisis was ever placed in
difficult a position. Court intrigue, the
curse of Russia, is again In play.
Even the members of his encourage could
not fathom his intentions when he went
to the conference today. One of them said:
IF you want my opinion 1t is ninety-five
chances out of one hundred that M. Witte
will not even consider the japanese pro-
posals."
Question of Indemnity.
II cannot believe that they will abso-
lutely waive indemnity and not substitute
something in lieu thereof which will In
volve money payment by Russia.
And if they offer a proposition which again
arrays indemnity in any amount in new
dress, NJ. Witte, 1 am satisfied will not
even consider It. He goes to the confer
ence to listen to what they have to say. He
will take his place at the conference and
sit silent until they have finished That will
be the psychological moment. Then he
will reply. Perhaps he did not himself know
when he left the hotel this morning what
reply he would give"
Just before the conference met the Asso-
ciated Press received an intimation that
Baron Komura held a strong card in re-
serve which would make 1t almost impos-
sible for M White, no matter how he
viewed his instructions, to reject the second
proposal without submitting it to his en-
peror.
Should the first proposal be refused, the
information of the Associated Press is that
trump-a wholesale proposal to arbitrate
all unadjusted propositions before the con-
ference.
Would Not Dare Refuse.
1t is hardly conceivable that NJ Witte
would dare to refuse to place before the
author of The Hague tribunal such a prop
osition. To do so would be for him to
court both for himself and his government
an universal outburst of denunciatfon
The departure of the envoys for the con-
than usual and the hotel guests when thew
came down to see them off were plainly
disappointed to find that they had already
gone. The weather was superb.
The Russians were first off. NJ Witte and
Baron de Rosen, accompanied by Mr. No
boukoff, left shortly before o'clock, and
Baron Komura. Mr.. Takahra and Mr. Sato
about fifteen minutes later. Both parties
were whirled away in auto cars. The sec
retaries of each side had preceded their
principals in launches The japanese, it
was noticed, were loaded down with dress
suit cases, evidently containing papers and
documents, while NJ. Plancon carried sin
gle "dossier" case.
Witte Quite Overcome.
The Associated Press correspondent ac-
companied M. Witte to his room He had
been quite overcome by the great ovation
he had received and the intense strain he
had been under. He threw himself into
his arm chair and after few minutes to
pull himself together" he began to speak,
slowly and deliberately-almost as if he
were talking to himself
TT seems incredible he said. II do not
believe any other man in my place would
have dared to hope for the possibility of
peace on the conditions to which we have