The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1905-08-25
SPIRIT OF ALL ADviCES PRE-
CLUDEs HOPE OF eleventh
HOUR CHANGE.
ONLY HOPE is SEEN IN DELAY
PRESIDENTS OBJECT IT Is DE.
cLARED is TO PRoLoNG NE
GOTIATIONS.

suit of President Roosevelt's efforts
to save the peace conference from
failure remains in suspense. No di-
rect reply to the presidents PROPOSE
ton communicated by Mr.. Witte Sun
day has yet come from Emperor Mich
olas, but other advices received from
st. Petersburg indicate that the en-
peror and his councillors are un-
shaken in their determination neither
to cede territory nor pay war tributes.
What the president is doing on the
Japanese side remains as deep mys-
terry as ever. Little light is shed
upon the visits of Baron Kaneko to
Oyster Bay The Japanese go no fur
ther than to reiterate that Mr..
Roosevelt Understands
their position and that they have the
fullest confidence in him. They show
not the slightest indication that they
have in any wise changed their posi-
ton or are prepared to yield more
than they were last Friday when the
plenipotentiaries adjourned until
Tuesday.
If Mr.. Witte does not receive fresh
instructions before 3 o'clock to-day
when the conference is resumed, the
situation will be exactly what it was
to1r
Friday.
Both sides will present their pro-
tocols for signature. One side or the
other must then make move or all
that will be left will be brief final
protocol certifying that they have
reached the parting of the ways and
to bid farewell. But such an
Abrupt Termination
Is hardly anticipated. Baron Komura
If Mr.. Witte has nothing to propose,
might present Japan's irreducible min
imum, embodying the final concession
sha is prepared to make, if she is pre-
pared to make any, or formally pro-
pose collective consideration of all
the articles still in dispute. Any move
on either side would involve another
adjournment or such an adjournment
might be frankly proposed by Mr..
Witte, as he would not be guilty Of the
discourtesy of allowing the conference
to go to pieces before receiving re-
ply to President Roosevelt's PROPOSE
tiOl.
It is safe to assume, therefore, that
in the absence of such a reply the
conference will be prolonged beyond
to-day, and every delay, in the opinion
of the presidents friends, means
Hope, Faint Though It May Be.
Mr.. Roosevelt's object was officially
described yesterday as being to "pro-
long the negotiations"
There is warrant for the statement
that Mr.. Witte personally sympathizes
with the presidents proposition, no
matter how it may be regarded by his
imperial master and the latter's ad-
visors.
The spirit of all the advices re-
ceived has been such as almost to
preclude hope of an eleventh hour
change. The general belief here is
that President Roosevelt. while he
has the moral support of one of the
neutral powers, has not received the
active aid he expected. England's
declination to offer advice to Japan is
disappointing. though the
Motives That Actuate Her
in refusing to do anything that might
be construed as an attempt to exercise
pressure upon her ally tending to rob
her of the fruits of her victory are
fully appreciated.
There are evidences here that CO
operation by Great Britain would have
been resented by Japan.
Among the Japanese no note OF hope
is sounded. With genuine reluctance
they seem almost resigned to the ship
wreck of the conference. They de-
clare that their position is unchanged,
and they speak Of renewing their war
with snap of their black eyes which
speaks volumes for their confidence
in the success of Oyama when the
word Is given to lvance.