The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-04
People Demand VindicatiOn Of
COuntys Honor
EMPEROR ARRIVES TODAY
Suggestion of Roosevelt's rendering
His Good Offices Arouses Friendly
Feeling, But Acceptance Is Ex-
tremely improbable.

ST. Petersburg January 4-t2A a. MI
The flood of kilograms from abroad
bringing talk of peace arouses only resent
ment in official circles here and even
many liberals who are urgently pressing
the government for reforms, declare en-
phaticaIly against any cessation of hos
tilties until Russia's honor Is Vindicated
by victory in Manchuria.
Equal resentment Is aroused by foreign
criticism of General Stossel for blowing
up the ships in the h@rbor, and destroy
ing the town of Port Arthur when he
could no longer defend them Reports
from Port Arthur of the straits to which
the garrison was reduced before 1t sur
rendered, are unexampled. II is quite true
that some explosives We're left where
with the ships and some houses We're
destroyed. but the ammunition of many
OF the forts was absolutely exhausted.
Some had not fired a shot for two days
before the negotiations opened. The men
had been living solely on rice for some
months, and many were suffering from
scurvy
Even the effective soldiers were nearly
all wounded and dropped asleep amidst
the Japanese bompardment beside their
own useless guns. One midshipman who
had passed through the siege has turned
a white-haired prematurely aged man.
Admiration Mingled With Wonder.
Admiration here for the heroic defense
Is mingled with wonder how General
Stoessel continued to hide the true con-
dition from the world. Emperor Nicho-
las has already granted General Stoesseps
request that his officers be allowed to
give their parole.
In Russia, for the moment, the people
seemed to have forgotten all their diff
ferences In the common grief. The rev.
outionists. who had intended to mark the
event with demonstrations, evidently
found the moment inopportune, and no
disturbance is reported anywhere in
Russia today. Nevertheless that the
revolutionists intend to make every use
of the fall of the fortress later is not
doubted.
The governments position is a diff
cult one. 1t has enemies ready to take
advantage of whatever course it adopts,
and peace under present conditions prob
ably would compromise the dynasty more
than the determination to continue the
war to the bitter end.
Emperor Arrives Today.
The Emperor will arrive here today
and council of his advisers will likely
be held Immediately. Much as the situa-
tion is complicated by agitation at home,
the war seems still completely in the
ascendant and the Indications are that
the Emperors advisors are practically
unanimous that Russia's prestige abroad
and the security of the dynasty at home
make it impossible for Russia to accept
humiliating peace dictated by Japan
as the conqueror. Still there is every evil
dence that Japan would proffer moderate
terms, and 1t is possible an offer of gem
erous terms would make good impress
sion and pave the way for the reception
of proposals in a concilatory spirit.
While the general impression is that
peace at this stage is impossible, there
always is the possibility in autocratic
government that the unexpected may
happen. The suggestion that President
Roosevelt would be willing to tender the
good Offices of the American government
in case Russia intimated that 1t would
be acceptable, has aroused a most friend
Iy feeling; but from official sources the
Associated Press Is informed that Rus
sia can give no such intimaton and will
continue to refuse anything except direct
proposals from Japan.