The Washington times., 1905-03-25
VIII Consent to Peace
Without Indemnity

| LONDON, March 25-Talk Of peace Is
revived here today, and even more in
terest Is manifested in the many rumors
than has been shown in the past
This is largely due to the fact that
there Is a general feeling in all quarters
that the hope for the cessation Of hos
tilities III the Far East has substantial
foundct.on.
| More emphatic assertions are made
now than at any time since the war
| began that the Czar desires to have hos
| ttiities cease. Many men. in well-inform-
ed circles, who hitherto have not beliey-
| ed in the possibility of peace. are now
inclined 10 the view that the matter has
become practically a question of terms.
Indemnity the Obstacle.
| If Japan will forgo any indemnity, it
| is believed Russia will consent to an
| immediate termination of the war On
the other hand, It is felt that IL the
Japanese insist on an idemnity, the Gar
will continue the war to the bitter end
There are no signs that Japan is will
! ing to abandon the pecuniary demand,
and this materially discounts the rfe-
dictiors that hostilities are on the point
| of concluding
| One fact which lends color to the
! peace talk is that the actions and man
ner OF both the japanese and Russian
| diplomats seem to indicate that there
has been some kind of negotiations in
/ progress. The diplomats of both cour-
tries are very cautions in talking TO
newspaper men. but while declining TO
| commit themselves, they give the i'm
preston that there has been some sort
of an exchange of ideas on the subject
| of peace, but that the matter Is still in
| a nebuiouS FORM
| Peace in Sight.
The ST. Petersburg correspondent of
the Telegraph declares that, despite the
seemingly hopeless outlook owing to the
| Cars hitherto firm resolve to persist
in the war, peace at last is in sight.
The correspondent adds that he makes
this statement deliberately and cate
gorically. and not as a probable in
! ference ffs.n the signs and tokens OBJ
servable during the last few days. He
| says.
What has happened is that his ma
i jesty has been convinced. much against
| his will. that further Continuation of
| the war will be disastrous TO Russia
! financially. economically, and politically.
! He is therefore conditionaIly willing to
discontinue it. Condtionally, not abso-
lutely.
Il am not at present in a position to
elucidate the proximate cause of this
sudden change of view / can state.
| however. with certainty. that the mill
| tary advisers OF the Czar are largely
responsible for having heretofore
neutralized the influences tending to
peace. Among the other advocates of
a struggle to the bitter end was General
Sakharoff, minister of war who prob
ably will now be relieved Of EFi func-
| tionS.
Gar Yields ConditiGnally.
Strenuous, persevering, and patriotic
| endeayors have beer made since the
Mukden catastrophe TO shake the Cars
resolve 10 continue the campaign, and
at last they have succeeded, but, as al
| ready stated, his majesty's willingness
is conditional Unless the terms are
such that peace Will be obviously prefer
able to n continuation or war negotia-
tions will he worse than superfluous.
| I'm the present embryonic stage of
| the new relations between the oeiliger-
erts IL would be premature to enumerate e
the conditions Russia would accept, but
II may be affirmed positively that while
she is willing 10 draw far reaching and
practical consequences from ho,- de-
teat and ernhody them In the peace con
ditions III the form of territorial COM