The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-08-24
IFsor Looks Agreement Ca
Terms Will Be Impossible
AN ADJOURNMENT UNTIL TUESDAY
Fate of the Peace Conference is Re-
garded by Most at Portsmouth as
Virtually Sealed, and it is Expected
That the Adjournment Taken to
Tuesday Means Merely an Ex-
change of Farewells.

Portsmouth, n. H., Special.-Black
pessimism reigns at Portsmouth. The
prevailing view is that the fate OF the
peace conference is already sealed,
that it has ended in failure and that
all that now remains is for the pleI-
ipotentiaries to meet Tuesday, TO
which day they adjourned Friday al
teInoon upon completing the seriatim
consideration Of the Japanese terms,
sign the final protocol, go through the
conventions and bid each other fare
well. In other words, that the meet
ing Tuesday will be what diplomacy
calls the "seance d'adieu." But there
is still room for hope Of compromise.
Neither Roosevelt nor the powers
will see the chance Of peace SHIP
wrecked without a final effort, and that
pr4sure is being eXerted, especially
afTokio, to induce Japan to moderate
her terms, is beyond question. Just
what Is being done or is to be cone,
has not transpired. King Edward is
understood to be now lending 4 nclp-
ing hand the financiers of the world are
known to be exerting all their intiu-
ences. At Toxic and st. Petersburg
the final issue will be decided. The
Japanese have been implacable
throughout the six days sittings. They
have listened and explained. but they
have yielded not an iota Of the SUP
stance of their original demands. Mr.
Witte accepted outright seven of the
twelve Japanese conditions, one in
principle and four, including the main
issues, indemnity and Sakhalin. he 'c-
jected. The other two, limitation OF
naval power and the surrender Of the
interned warships, might have been
arranged had there been any prospect
of agreement on the two points upon
which the digergence seemed irrecon'
cilable.
In the oral discussion Of the terms,
Mr.. Witte yielded upon two articles
but substantially the result OF the
thirteen sittings Of the ENJOYS has
only been to emphasize the position
taken by Mr.. Witte in the written
reply he presented last Saturday to
the Japanese terms. And now Dotn
sides turn to home for the last Word
before the cards are thrown face up
kard upon the table next Tuesday, for
the impasse reached Friday by the
ao On paZIu9ooeI 81 saIIgpu9lod!usId
only q diplomatic fiction. II In the
interim istructions are received by
either side compromise is yet possible
But the chances are recognized to be
slim. So far as the Russian plenipo-
tentiaries are concerned there never
was a chance Of their yielding both in
demnity and Sakhalin. The cession OF
| Sakhalin without indemnity was, ac-
cording to the best inside information
the extreme limit to which Mr.. Witte
would ever consent to go and the En-
peror has not yet given the word even
| to concede that. And suddenly new
| factor has been introduced which, In the
| opinion of those most competent TO
| Judge. lessons materially the chances
| that he might do so, namely, the 1ssu-
ance of his manifesto granting popu-
lar representative body Of his subjects.
| The bearings Of this historic docu-
ment. as Mr.. Witte described 1t few
days ago, upon the issue are easily com
prehensible. 1t is bound to ameliorate
the internal situation in Russia.
The manifesto is Emperor Nicholas
answer to the Japanese demand for the
payment of war tribute. The grant
of this broad reform is regarded as vir-
tually an appeal to the Russian peo-
| pie for support to resist 1t.
At Toxic it is impossible to tell what
view will be taken. Peace probably
can be even now secured by the sacri-
! flee of the indemnity Vague intimations
| tonight come from the japanese SIDE
! that 1.-The demand for the cost OF the
war; might be moderated, but Mr.
| Whites reply is that he will pay lid
orally for the maintenance OF the Rus
sian prisoners in Japan, but mot CO.
peck for tribute"
Tonight the situation can be summed
up in single seatence-prompt ana
heroic action by outside influence alone
can save the conference.
Portsmouth, n. H., Special.-The
prospects for peace are distinctly
brighter. The plenipotentiarics are
| laboring with a seriousness and ear
restness which leaves not the slight
! est doubt that both are ANXIOUS 70
conclude a treaty. Though the main
POINTS remain to be contested and the
pienipotentiaries Of each side speak as
though the conference would go to
pieces unless the other side gives way
the spArit of compromise is in the air
When he returned to the hotel We'd
nesday night, Mr.. Witte, who was
tired out with his hard days work
said:
81 am doing all can for peace. OF
The eight articles we have already con
yidered. | have yielded seven. Nc
ether statesman in Russia would have
| dared to do so much. and have done
what | have on my own responsible
| ity."