The Washington times., 1905-08-22
NO INDEMNITY.
DECLARES NITTE
Japs Want Money to Pre-
pare for War.
RECALLS CHINA'S PAYMENT
Says Millions Thus Secured Helped
Put Mikado in Position to Wage
Battle.
RECALLS CHINA'S PAYMENT

PORTSMOUTH, " IL. Aug. EN-.
Witte. the senior Russian envoy. in an
interview here, declared that Russia
will not pay Japan an Indemnity and
that she Will cede no territory to Japan.
He says thai Japap's demand for The
surrender OF interned warshiPs and the
limitation of Russian naval strength in
the Pacific were not made with sinces-
ity He declines to conjecture as 10 the
outcome of the negotiations. but feels
no hesitancy IN saying that whatever
may be The result the meeting of the en-
voys has not been in vain
For, says he, 'in the midst of this
struggle. when war is sti1 going on. a
new force. the force of President Roose-
Veit, comes to the front and is power
full enough TO call a halt e~5 to lead
both sides TO meet at the conference
table and discuss the question in dis
pute This is a great thing for human
ity, a great inspiration, u great hope for
the future.
Much Has Been Gained.
If nothing comes out of this confer
ence,' he continued, and about that 1
say rothing, # viii make It easier waen
we meet again. We have gained great
deal"
Upon the question of an indemnity,
NJ. Witte says:
We cannot pay Japan an indemnity.
1t is impossible. If Japan would use
the money to BUY diamonds, clothes or
other good things for her people, it
would be one thing but Japan will use
our money to buy" NJ Witte hesI-
tated a moment and added Ships
and other things.
Japan could not have made this
war If she had not obtained an in
demnity of about 100000 600 If she
gets an indemnity from US she will use
II as she used the indemnity from China.
In twenty-five years she viii make
war with some other country
Speaking as The envoy Of the Car
and the Cars PlenipOtentiary TO the
peace conference. with all the sincerity
and emphasis Of force of language at
ny command, Russia viii not pay
Japan an indemnity. Let me repeat,
Russia viii not pay an indemnity 1
cannot express that declaration in any
stronger terms.
Must Be Ordered by Gar.
But the hope of a settlement OF the
dispute Is net absolutely extinguished.
for N Wite, so as to make his posi-
ton perfectly plain. continues:
4 will not pay an indemnity until
1 am ordered to by my imperial master,
the Gar My own views are not con-
trolling / am the envoy Of his majes-
". the Gar; it is the will of the Czar
that is controlling
NJ Witte declares that Japan has not
yet set foot on Russian oil What lit
tie she has gained we do not call Rus
sia," is the way he explains it.
This is a colonial war, struggle that
the country Russia, knows little about, ,"
he continued. Our people have not felt
the war, many thousands do not know
that it exists To pay an indemnity un-
der such circumstances Is impossible
OF Sakhalin. he says:
His ma jeSty wants peace but peace
that can be made with honor. The army
does not want peace, and although his
that If peace were TO be made by the
surrender of Sakhalin. it would be OBJ
jected to by the army"
Question of Limited Navy.
OF two other Of the Japanese demands
he suggests international insincerity. He
says:
Any person with even n slight knowl-
edge of international law knows that
Japan can lay no claim to the vessels
iuterned ia neutral ports.
The Japanese demand that Russia
shall limit her naval force in the Far
Last has no practical meaning. The
world knows that Russia has no navy,
that il Will be twenty-five years before
she can have a navy in tne Pacific equal
tC that Of Japan. For Japan to <equire
row, under these circumstances, that
Russia shall limit her navy is not Il
very serious question For her to
withdraw that demand as II concession
il merely 10 attempt TO impose upon
tho intelligence of the world
NJ. NVitte has great faith il the abiI-
lily of his country TO continue the war.
Russia is able to prolong the cam
Taisn" he declares, We have ample
resources. We have 1900 versts zone
and a half veTStS are the equivalent of
one milcD of government railways that
are not mortgaged; the liquor MONOPOLY
produces a revenue of $lS0,ee0, 600 a year:
the customs and the liquor monopoIy
together aggregate $500, 000.OOU yearly
- here are the forest lands; there ara
many other productive sources in addt-
uon. Russia need not fear. Russia can
1nd money if the war j. continued. The
Couma IS the seed from which viii
sIrins the unificdtiOn of the people
Moses August Floor Covering Sale
Carpets, rugs. mattlngs. etc. bargaineC