The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-27
RUSSIAN REFUSAL NO BLUFE'
REAL DESIRE At ST. PETERSBUl no.
THAT THE WAR GO ON.
With Half . Miliion Men In the Field ~
Car Dare Not BUY Pesce--sakhalla I
Proposai Could Only Ne AcOsptea y
Accompanied BY an Alliance with JapAns


Proposal Could Only Ne Accspted n !
Accompanied BY an Alliance with Japan Z
Special Cable Despatch 10 ran Sun.
ST. PETERSBURG, Aug. ss.--st seems ~
most useless to reiterato that Russia Will
not accept Japan's latest terms. which aroi
described as her ,ultimatum kilograms {
from abroad indicate that q belief still ex-t
ists In certain quarters that Russia VIII Z
sive way at the last moment. II II evea I
telegraphed that q denial has been giv0a \
to Foreign Minister Lamsdorff's emphsti0A
statement that Russia will never pay = 1
war contribution or code territory. This
denial IL technical one only. The state
ment was officially given out at the Foreigns
Office by Count Lamsdorir's representative
as originally csbled TO The Sun. It ropresi
sented and still represents Russia's in.f
flexible decision. W.
The sooner 1t IL recognized that the real 4
desire Of the Russian Government 10 that y
the war shall continue, the sooner the world +
will understand the situation from q Rus-t|
sian point Of view. The Car feels that 4
with half million men In the field TO give
battle he cannot buy peace. 1t - not \
pride alone that impels him to this cotirs0. h
The penalty for yielding to Japanese pres.ss
sure would be far more tangible than tho
ssnse OF disgrace and dishonor. He darO
not make peace, even II he desired to do 90.
The idea Of Russian bluh should finally
be dismissed from consideration. II Il
existed it would, Of course, be accompaniedt
by the belief that Japan would finally
moderate her terms. No such hope or ex-..ss
pectation exists here. Everybody here
now expects the war to 70 on
The possibilities Of the usefulness Of the
Portsmouth conference are regarded -
so completely exhausted that expressions
Of impotence are beginning to be heard
for its definite closure. These come chisdy
from influential quarters which were most
active in framing the terms Of the national
assembly manifesto and which have for . Z
policy the rsllying Of the orthodox peasantry
to the throne. Their task may seem to
be q herculean one under existing CON-
ditions but whatever course they adopt &
II has this significance, that it represents
the minds Of those who guide the Cxar.
They declare bluntly that the maximum
that could be achieved by last attempt
to hold the conference together could only
be that temporary patched up peace which
both sides desire to avoid.
1t is notable that the only circumstance
In which they will consent to the loss Of
Sakhnlin are II it is accompanied by Q II
Russo-Japanese alliance. To buy it back
would be q mere deception. One Of The
most influential members Of this party
writes to-day as follows:
Either after this war Russia and Japan q
will be allies or the present war will only u
be prelude to an inoomparably greater u
struggle. II an alliance ID secured then the 4
Japanese cannon at Sakhalin facing the
mouth Of the Amur would not be dangerous 3
to/us, but II these cannon are hostile than 2.
We must fight on to final settlement. The
compromise now offered Of buying back
Sakhaln is nothing but a plaster covering
q sore which would grow deeper and deeper
under 1t. The Russian nation not having
sought the Manchurian adventure will not
Aooept a rotten peace. 8
The Emperor's rescript issued to-day 4
thanking Grand Duke Vladimir for the oon-
dition Of the troops at Krasnoe-Selo, which,
he recently reviewed, is a return to tbs
Cars habit during the first stages Of thos
war Of periodically issuing thanks and eu-s
enlargement to commanding officers for
their zeal In eifecting mobilization Of thu
troops.
an indemnity by Russia would be cons
fession that she had lost all confidence in tn Y
Russian forces and would signify abandon-
ment Of the hope Of victory. The Russ
adds: Russia has not yet fallen to The
level of Byzantium, that she Is forced ~
pay ransom" &.