The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-08-22
No Hs't Of Hope is Sounded
BY Japanese
ONE SIDE MUST YIELD IOuAY
Result of Presidents Efforts Is Still In
Doubt-He Is Still Confident That
His Efforts VIII Prove
of Avail.

Portsmouth, n. H., August M.-The re-
suit of President Roosevelt's effort to
save the peace conference from failure
remains In suspense. No direct reply to
the Presidents proposition. communicat-
ed by M Witte yesterday, has come from
Emperor Nicholas tonight. but other adj
vices received from st. Petersburg indi-
cate that the Emperor and his councillors
are unshaken in their determination
neither to cede territory nor pay war
tributes.
What the President is doing on the
Japanese side remains as deep mystery
l 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 communication with
the President. They go no further than
to reiterate that Mr.. Roosevelt UNDER
stands their position. and that they have
the fullest confidence in him. They show
not the slightest indication that they
have in anywise changed their position
or are prepared to tender more than
they were last Friday, when the pleni-
notentiaries adjourned until tomorrow.
If M. Witte does not receive instruc-
when the conference L. resumed, the situ-
alton will be exactly what it was when
the adjournment was taken on Friday.
One Side Must Give Way.
Both sides will present their protocols
for signature One side or the other must
then make a move or all that will be left
viii be a brief final protocol certifying
that they have reached the parting OF
the ways and to bid a farewell. Any move
On either STRIDE would involve another ad-
iournment or such an adjournment must
be frankly proposed by M. Witte ana ne
would not be guilty Of the discourtesy OF
allowing the conference to go to pieces be-
fore receiving a reply to President Rose
,alt.s nrouosition 1t is safe to assume,
therefore that in the absence of such
reply the conference will be prolonged
beyond tomorrow and every delay in the
opinion of the President $ friends means
hope, faint though it may be. Mr.. Roose-
vclt's object was officially described today
as being this:
''Prolong the negotiations
sympathizes With President.
There is warrant for the statement that
M. Witte personally sympathlzes with
the Presidents proposition, no matter
how it may be regarded by his imperial
master and the latters advisers It Is
n,fftake to suppose that in considering
such proposition the Emperor consults
n regularly ordained council. Through
ont the conference he has been calling In
council such advisers as he deemed WISE
some of his relatives, the grand dukes
members of the court and certain chosen
ministers The Grand Duke Nicholas
N;cholaiyitch, one of the most powerful
a.. tr lr hntA
ly opposed to doing an iota beyond what
M. Witte has already conceded.
AS an alternative he favored the contin-
uaton of the war. The spirit or all the
advices received has been such as almost
to preclude hope of an eleventh hour
change The general belief here Is that
President Roosevelt, while he has the
moral support of one of the neutral pow
ers. has not received the active aid he
expected from another. England's declna-
tion to offer advice to Japan Is dlsap-
pointing although the motives that act
uate her in refusing to do anything tnat
might be construed as an attempt TO ex-
ercise pressure upon her ally tending to
nrevent her from securing the fruits of
her victory are fully appreciated. There
are evidences here that cooperation by
Great Britain would have been resented
by Japan.
No Note of Hope Sounded.
Among the Japanese tonight no note of
hope is sounded. With genuine reluctance
they seemed almost resigned to the snip
wreck of the conference They declare
that their position is unchanged, and
they sneak of renewing the war with
snap of their black eyes, which speaks
volumes for the confidence in the success
of Oyama, when the word was given to
advance.
I'VE have fought for lasting peace.
rln IN he
chiefs. I'VE have been victorious. II RUSSIA
came to Portsmouth unprepared to pay
the price of defeat all Is over. we DO
not believe that the President thinks
our terms unreasonable. He knows Ja-
pans position as accurately as does either
OF the Japanese plenipotentiaries' we 90
not believe he will even ask us TO weaken
at the last moment even to save the ne
gotations.
Heartily as the world desires peace,
Jsran believes the neutral powers would
prefer that war should continue Tor
year or even two wears longer rather
than that Japan for the sake of immediate
peace. should make concessions now, and
be forced a decade hence to reopen hos
tiities."
Attaches Are Pessimistic.
The plenipotentiaries and members Of
their suites apparently had little to do
today Those of the latter who were not
engaged in completing the final drafts of
the protocols, Joined in the festivities of
this pleasant summer resort But when
the subject OF the negotiations was mem
tioned their answers were almost inya-
riably pessimistic and some of them OPEN
lv predfcted the end would come tomor-
row Baron Komura and Mr.. Takahira
came down stairs this afternoon to sit
for a photograph in group OF newspa-
ner correspendents, and then retired to
be seen no more today. NJ Witte In the
morning, took occasion to show himself
in the lobby of the hotel, as II to con-
tradict the stories that he was ILL., In the
afternoon he and Baron de Rosen went
out for 4 spin in an automobile.
Aae Not Abandoned Hope.
Oyster Bay, L. l., August 21.-President
Roosevelt has not abandoned hope of a
successful issue Of the Washington peace
oonfereuce Neither has he relaxed his ef-