The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-08-22
FATE OF PORTSMOUTH
CONFERENCE IN DOUBT
Little Hope That the Japanese win Abate One Jot
of Their Demands.
EmperOrs Instructions Not Yet in the Hands of M We-Ne-
gOtatiOns May Be Prolonged Through Efforts
of President Roosevelt

PORTSMOUTH. y. H., Aug. 21.-The
result of President Roosevelt's eff
forts to save the peace conference
from failure remains in suspense. No
direct reply to the presidents PROPOSE
ton communicated by NJ. witte yes
terday has come from Emperor Nicho-
tas today. but other advices received
from St Petersburg indicate that the
emperor and his counselOrs are I'M
shaken in their determination neither
to cede territory nor pay war tributes.
What the president is doing on the
Japanese side remains as deep as mys-
terry as ever. Little light is shed upon
the visits of Baron Kaneko to Oyster
Bay The Japanese do not even admit
that he is their medium of communica-
ton with the president. They go no
further than to reiterate that Mr.
Roosevelt understands their position
and that they have the fullest confidence
in him They show not the slightest
indication that they have in any wise
changed their position or are prepared
TO yield more than they were last Fri
day when the plenipOtentiaries ad-
1ourned until Tuesday.
Situation Will Be Unchanged.
If Mr.. White does not receive fresh
instructions before 3 o'clock tomorrow
sumes. therefore, the situation viii be
exactly what it was when the adjourn
ment was taken on Friday.
1t IS safe to assume that in the alb
Sence OF such a reply the conference
viii be prolonged beyond tomorrow and
every delay, in the opinion of the presi-
dents friends. means hope faint
though il may be. President RooseveIt's
object was officially described toGay
as being to -'prOlOng the negotiations
Whites Attitude.
There is warrant for the statement
that NJ. White personally syrnpathizes
with the presidents proposition, no
matter how it may be regarded by his
imperial master and the latter's ad-
Visors- It is a mistake to suppose that
In considering such a proposition the
emperor conSults a regularly ordained
council. Throughout the conference
he has been calling in counsel such ad-
visors as he deemed wise, some of his
relatives, the grand dukes. members of
the court and certain chosen minister's
The Grand Duke Nicholas NicholaeV-
itch, one of the most powerful of his
relatives. IS known 70 be absolutely OPP
posed 10 yielding ga ftE a Beyond syhat
NJ. Witte has alreadv conceded As an
alternative he favors the continuation
OF the war.
England Declined.
The spirit of all the advices received
has been such as to preclude hope of an
eleventh hour change. The general be
lief here is that President Roosevelt,
who has the moral support of one of the
neutral powers, has not received the
active aid he expected. England's
declination to offer advice to Japan is
disappointing, though the motives that
actuate her in refusing to do anything
that might be construed as an attempt
to exercise pressure upon her ally tend
ing to rob her of the fruits OF her vic
tory are fully appreciated.
There are evidences here that coop
GRAFTON by Great Britain would have
been resented by Japan.
Among the Japanese the note of hope
Is not sounded. With general reIuct-
ance they seem almost resigned to the
ShlpWreck Of the conference. They
declare that their position is unchanged
and they speak Of renewing their war
with a snap of their black eyes which
speak volumes for their confidence in
the success of Oyama when the word
is given to advance.