The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-08-11


sum Not Mentioned but is Left Tor
Mutual Adjustment-Sudden Rupture
Seems Precluded by japanese EnVOys'
Diplomatic Way of Presenting Claims
Others substantially What the
World Expected.
Portsmouth, N. H, Aug. 1O-Reim-
bursement for the expenses sustained
in the prosecution of the war and the
cession of the Island of Sakhalin con-
stitute the main features of the peace
conditions handed by Baron Komura to
Mr.. Witte at the conclusion of the
morning session of the plenipotentiaries
in the general stores building of the
Portsmouth navy yard. The word ''in-
demnity' is carefully avoided, the term
employed being Reimbursement" for
the cost of the war. No sum is fixed,
the amount being left for mutual ad-
justment between the two countries
after the Japanese expenditure has
been ascertained.
These are the two all-important con-
ditions and those which the Russian
plenipotentiaries find absolutely unac-
| ceptable. Unacceptable as they are,
however, it can be stated that these
| two principal conditions did not come
as surprise to the Russian plenipoten-
| tiaries. The friendly fashion in which
Baron Komura explained the conditions
before handing them to Mr.. Witte and
the avoidance of the use of the word
indemnity in the presentation of ia
pans bill for the cost of the war, with
out fixing sum, leaves the way open
for negotiation and constitutes the
main hope that a final agreement is not
impossible. Certainly the danger of a
sudden rupture, no matter what the
| ultimate result may be, is precluded by
to-day's developments. The other terms
are substantially what the world ex-
pected, and, with one or perhaps two
exceptions, could probably be entertain
ed as bases of negotiation. They in
clude the following: r
The cession of the Russian leases to-
the Liaotung peninsula, comprising
Port Arthur and Dalny; the evacuation
of the entire province of Manchuria;
the retrocession to China of any PRIV
ileges Ressua may have in the province
and the recognition by Russia of the
| principle of the ''open door," the ces-
sion to Japan of the Chinese eastern
railroad Eelow Harbin, the main .sne
through northern Manchuria to Vladf-
vostok to remain Russian property; the
/ recognition of the Japanese protector
| ate ovsr Korea; the grant of fishing
rights to Japan in the waters of the
Siberian htoral northward from Vladi-
vostok to the Behring Sea-, the relin-
quishment to Japan of the Russian
warships interned In neutral ports, and,
finally, limitation upon the naval
strength of Russia in Far Eastern wa
ters ..f
AS whole, the terms are regarded
as exceedingly hard by the Russians.
In addition to the two principal condi-
tons, which cannot be accepted under
Mr.. Whites instructions, those relating
to the limiting of Russia's naval power
in the Far East and the granting of
fishing rights upon the Russian litoral
are considered particularly offensive to
the amour propre of their country and
of such a hhmiliating character as to
be irfadmissible.
The japanese, on the contrary, as
Baron Komura announced al lA,. ,.,..-
ference to-day, consider them moderata
contending that they only represent a
fair compensation for the expenses, of
4 the war and the victories they have
achieved on land and sea, their sole
purpose being to attain the objects for
which they have fought, the spoils
claimed being only such as they are
legitimately entitled to as the result oil
their military and naval successes. The
Russian plenipotentiaIies, as soon as
the Japanese terms were in their hands,
called in the five expert delegates at
tached t.. the mission and spent the
whole afternoon In the consideration OF
the terms. Meantime the conditions
had besn placed in cipher and cabled
to Emperor Nicholas, with Mr.. Witte's
personal recommendations.
1t is hoped that a reply will be re-
ceived from the emperor Tomorrow in
which case Mr.. Witte expects to have
the Russian response ready by Satur-
day, but it is not unlikely that Satur-
day being the first anniversary of the
birth of the czarevitch the presentation
of the reply will be deferred until
Monday, Meantime the plenipotentia-
ries will not meet unless some unex-
pected necessity for a conference should
arise. The Japanese plenipotentiaries
manifest not the slightest annoyance
at the prospect of few days delay
They realize how serious the issue is
and are perfectly willing to give their
Russian colleagues ample time for con.
sideration.