Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-18
LITTLE HOPE FOR PEACE
PREDICTED AT PORTSMOUTH,
MONDAY TO END CONFERENCE.

It was predicted at Portsmouth, N H.
last night that the peace conference today
would be adjourned until Monday TO give
the Russian and the Japanese ENJOYS an
opportunity to communicate with their
governments.
Judged by yesterdays developments and
an expected repetition today. Mondays
meeting will bring matters to head and
the world will probably soon know whether
there is to be peace a continuation OF
the war in the far east. Both sides have
refused to compromise on the matter of
indemnity, the one great stumbling block
to a successful termination of the negotia-
tons Other points of difference exist also,
but on the subject of Japans demand that
she be remunerated by Russia for the costs
of the there is hard and fast dead
lock. In that lies the danger of absolute
failure, and from all outward appearances
the prospects of a happy ending not
the best.
Gossips Say It's All Over.
Last night the gossip in the lobby, the
ball room and the corridors of the Went
worth Hotel, where the peace plenipoten-
tiaries and their suites are stopping, was
that the whole thing is over. 1t is main
tanned that the Russian commissioners
came there fully determined not to make
an agreement. They are accused of having
played the game merely to ascertain Japans
conditions. 1t Is maintained that If the
President of the United States had not In
sisted upon it they would not have come
at all.
NJ. White is telling his friends that the
outlook Is hopeless. lie sees not the slight
est chance for an understanding.
In the consideration of the indemnity
proposition, no specific amount of money
was mentioned, the discussion proceeding
along general lines relating mostly to the
reasons advanced by the Japanese ENJOYS
for claiming remuneration and those of the
Russians for holding that they would not
pay The Japanese were obdurate, exhibit
ing an uncompromising attitude, and 10
this more than to anything else Is at
tributed the confident feeling among the
Russians that the negotiations have prac-
tically come to a futile end.
Japanese Will Never Recede.
1--WE might as well have talked to stone
walls as to the Japanese said one promi-
| nent member of the Russian mission to-
| night
Those who profess to know the temper
| of the Japanese ENJOYS and the reasons
| that underlie their demands assert that
| Japan will never recede from her indem-
nifty proposition. But 1t may be properly
| asked who really does know the Japanese
! plans? Only a few men at Tokyo, the
| ENJOYS themselves and their immediate
! confidential assistants. Yet none of these
|
Sato And all that Mr.. Sato says Is:
1.-The prospects for peace are as good as
| ever"
| Abandoning the field of speculation, for
| speculation is dangerous thing in these
critical hours when the peace of a con-
| siderable portion OF the world seems to
| hang in the balance, there is enough of
| fact at hand to give some intelligent idea
| of the situation.
Beginning of the Crisis.
Yesterdays developments marked the be-
| ginning of the crisis in the negotiations.
The main point discussed was the remu-
neration proposal Of Japan. Each side
chung tenaciously to its position, and it be-
came apparent that there was nothing to
| be gained by further discussion at this time.
| Then came the question of Japan's de-
/ mand for the possession of the Russian
ships informed at American and Chinese
ports but there was such a divergence Of
views that the ENJOYS decided to lay 1t
aside temporarily without recording that
| they were unable to agree.
! There was some discussion OF Japan's In