Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-23
Which, Added to Railroad Cession
and Maintenance Of Prisoners.
Will Equal Cost Of War.

Portsmouth, y. H., Aug. 22-The As
sociated Press is now in position 10
reveal substantially the suggestion of
President Roosevelt for Lreakingf the
existing deadlock in the peace negotia-
tons and rescuing thu conference from
failure. His solution would ingeniously
permit the satisfaction of the japanese
demands for the reimbursement of the
cost of the war and 1T the same time
enable Russia to facr the world with
the declaration that she had not ceded
a foot of territory n paid a copeck of
was tribute to the victor. The solution
is the one which has hitheI tofore been
described in The Associated Press dis
patches rs the naturl IL and logical COM
promise.
Tersely stated it consists in an agree
ment by Russia to repurcEase posses
sion of either all Or half of the island
of Sakhalin now in the military occupa-
tion Of Japan for Il sum the amount of
which if the two countries cannot agree
shall be decided by some method of ar
bitration hereafter to be determined.
The purchase money together with the
sum Japan would obtain from the
ce:sion Of the Chinese Eastern Rail-
road and the maintenance of the Rus
sian prisoners in Japan as her bill of
the cost of the war. Practically. there
fore. the solution offered by the Pres
iIcnt involves recession by Japan upon
Article :. Uh.. ccssion Of Sakhalin) and
recession by Russia upon Article ..
INDEMNIFY.
Il Sc, ms practically certain. though
this cannot be affirmed positively, that
the President today. WAS able To give
N. Witte substantial assurance that
Japan would be willing to accept such
Il compromise. This is apparently sup
ported by the authoritative Japanese
statement made to The Associated
Press. tonight, in reply to Il question as
10 whether japan had not decided to
make substantial concessions. at all
depends upon Russia" 1t was the
Presidents message TO NJ. White. 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, had been postponed until
tomorrow at go O'Clock
the public reason assigned was that
the protocols for submission at the sit
ting had not been completed. But a few
hours later, the true reason leaked ont.
j. l.. McGreW, one of the stenographers
attached to the executive offices at
Oyster Bay, had arrived with a COM
munication from the President for the
Russian plenipotentiaries. M. Witte
and Baron Rosen had left the lrstel os-
tensibly for a ride in an auto car to
York Beach, bur instead, had quietly
slipped over to the conference building
at the navy yard to receive the mes
sage from Assistant Secretary PIERCE.
The most elaborate precautions had
been taken to insure secrecy, but it
leaked out through n "tip" from New
York, which reached The Associated
Press. From 1880 until 1.10 NJ. White
and Baron Rosen remained at the con-
ference building with Mr.. PIERCE. All
those present decline to make any
statements regarding what TRANSFERRED
at the navy yard. even refusing to adj
NIT that any Importance is attached
to the matter.