The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-08-09
PEACE ENJOYS
HOLD MEETM ING
Russia and Japan Discuss
Terms At Portamouth--
Secrecy the Rule.
9TH unpE flr pEaeE
STILL HOPE or PEACE
JAPAN MAY INSIST ON SPEEDY
DEcTsIoN-RUssIA's MINISTER
TO CHINA ATTENDS CONFER
ENCE.

!
The conference between the enEoys Of
Japan and Russia to end the war in the
! Far East bgan this morning in the Kit
| terry Point Navy Yard. The time set
for the first meeting was 10 o'clock.
! 1t is understood that the presentation
| of credentials and the mater Of settling
! the method and form of the diplomatic
discussion will first be taken up. The
first important event of the conference
will. of course be the presentation of
Japan's demands to Russia. 1t is to
! that that everyone is new looking with
acute interest; but it is hardly likely
that this will oeur today, though. the
envoys might rush the preliminaries to
! the point where the demands could be
| announced.
| TERMS TO BE KEPT SECRET.
Mr.. Sato was seen this morning and
made one Interesting statement regard
ing the Japanese terms, which there is
/ SO much desire to know. The question
was asked: "When will the japanese
terms be announcedY'
81 do not think they vii be announced
until the treaty is signed" replied Mr..
! Sato smiling, unless, of course, they
| leak out"
Only Witte. Rosen. Komura and TAX
! ahira, with their secretaries, went to
/ the conference today.
Predictions by the score, some sent out
with claim for authority. continue to
go forth from Portsmouth; but they are
today as they have been for week,
| guesswork, and some of them absurd
guesswork at that. Wftte is silent
! Komura is silent The issue at take are
teo great for thegp to talk. Even the
i polite and veluble Sato sealed his lips
sinee he has been here, and ivan Ker-
ostovetz, the spokesman of the Russian
Commission, win @iscu only the weather.
The conferences in the Kittery Point
Navy Yard viii be conducted with the
/ grea test secrecy. Once the automobiles
cross the bridge that divides the Point
from the mainland all communication
with the yard will be cut off A heavy
guard of marines Will be posted at all
/ possible entrances. A strong guard will
be around the General Store building.
where the diplomats work. and even
workmen in the yard are to be restricted
in their movements from point to point
What comes from the conference will be
given to the public in formal statements
from the two secretaries.
| OPTIMISM AS CONFERENCE
/ OPENS.
Sincest the two, ,enveys with their suites
have arrived hexe there has been evident
4 more hopful telling as regards the
j chances Of peace. The optimism might
be said to come from the air. but it does
exist. 1t is thought that both ENJOYS
are desireus of peace and will do their
best to bring it about
i Again, the belief prevails thato the con-
ference will proceed rapidly. The jap
anese want to have it over so as to know
4 whether they are to push the war in
MaRchuria or have relief from the tre-
mendous strain under which they have
been laboring. Time fights for Russia.
The advantage Of dilatery diplomatic tao
ties would be hers, and Baron Konura
is likely to insist that the negotiations
j proceed with all possible speed.
So, if the outcome Of the fret few days
work warrants the continuing of the ne
gotiations it is likely that long sessions
will be held daily, and the conference
/ pushed to speedy conclusion
4 The present situation Of the ENJOYS
and their suites, leaving aside the ques-
/ ton of peace entirely IL likely tn make
them desirous of getting through with
! their work, for their quarters here are
not the most comfortable in the world,
1tnor are the delights of an American sum-
iner hotel likely to appeal to them.
A weil-known German correspondent
recently cabled his paper that the peace
4 prospects were poor unless the Russians
brought their own cooks, for he argued
4 that the pampered stomach of the distin-
i guished Russian might not understand
our simple New England food
An addition to the Russian commission
is the Minister to Picking Mr.. Pokotiieff
who arrived last night, accompanied by
+. Mr.. Rojestpensky. the second secretary
Of the Legation, and a gorgeous Chinese
servant Mr.. Pokotilof has of course an
intimate knowledge of affairs in the
i East. and his journey here to join forces
i with Mr.. Witte in his battle with the Dip
lomats of Japan is taken as further evil
dence of the good faith of the Russians
i III the conference.
4 In the diplomatic discussions it Is un-
derstood that there will be at the table
"A over which the debates are held only Mr.
Wittee and Baron Rosen for Russia, and
4 Baron Komura and Mr.. Takahira for
Japan. Each commission will have its
lssecretary present Rooms for the rest
of the suites adjoin the large conference
room, and luncheon will be served them
Fin the dining hall that has been fitted up
for them.
The members of both commissions were
about early this morning. Mr.. Witte
and Baron osen. Baron Komura and his
confrere, all had breakfast in theil
rooms but the members of their suites
wandered into the general dining room
lsef the hotel one by one. Both Russian
and Japanese are conducting themselves
{ most demoasatically. and wander freely
about the hotel. II had been expected
that they would dine in their own apart
ments: but last night they dined with ths
rest Of the hotel guests.