The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-06-25
HALT IN THE NEGOTIATIONS LamsdOrff's Illness the
 Cause of Delay. DIPLOMATS APPREHENSlvE May Have Bad Effect oll
 Japan.
DIPLOMATS APPREHENSlvE
Suggestions ReEarding Armistice Not Being Received Very Enthusi- astieany by Either of the
 Two BeIIigerents.

Washington, June 24-Peace neko- tiations between Russia and Japan nave come to dead halt on account ol .ne illness of Count Lamsdorff, the Russian Minister for foreign affairs. It Is ex- piained oficially that nothing in the form Of a hitch has occurred. put fno negotiations merely have heen sus- pended temporarily.
 Count Cassini, the Russian Ampas- sador. had a brief interview with President Roosevelt today. but he had no additional important advices from his Government to communicate. t3e called merely to pay his respects 70 the President prior to the latter's aepar-' ture next Monday afternoon for the summer They discussed informally the peace situation, the President sx- pressing his earnest hope that sfnother general engagement on the bagtiehelo of Manchuria might be avoided by the negotiations for permanent peace now pending.
 It is learned that up to this time suggestions for an armistice have hot been received with absolute favor by either Russia or Japan. Quite natur- ally, each Government is seeking an advantage over tho 0the- in the dip- Ionlatic sparring that is going on now and. among those in touch with the situation, it is regarded as unlikely that definite arrangements for an armistiee will be concluded. even # they are concluded at all. before ths formal meeting of the plenipotentiaries of the two powers.
 Great Battle Probable.
 As heretofore noted there is serious apprehension that unless temporary suspension of iostilities be arranged. . great battle may be precipitated. the result of which might wreck completes ly the pending negotiations.
 It was expected confidently that an announcement of the names of the efs- voys of the two powers to the Wash ington conference could be made rx the end of this week. but as matter of fact the negotiations have not prp- 1 gressed in the least since Tuesday, I That both Russia and Japan have der
 cided upon their representatives is quite certain, bat each Government. for reasons of it's own, declines to make formal announcernent of hem. It seems scarcely probable at tiafa moment that President Roosevelt will be in a position to authorize further official statement of the status Of she present negotiations before he goes to Oyster Bay for the summer. While both Russia and Japan have indicated that they may be ready to open the conference about the first Of August. the belief ill well informed quarters now is that the converting of the pleni- potentiaries is likely to be delayed and that they may not get together until the middle or latter part of August.
 In diplomatic circles Russia's delay in announcing her peace pfrnip0teu- tiaries has aroused a feeling ok ap- prehension. There Is no lack of con fidence on the part of the President in Russia's sincerity but this delay in the preliminary negotiations. 1t fs re- alized. may have an exceedingly bad effect upon public opinion .If JaneN..
 So far as an armistice is cop5sr0es these negotiations must neceesa S Rte postponed until the plentpoteEE9 have been announced. E1 HW
 In view of the fact that the I7sSgo- tiations thus far for the most part have < been directly with the Emperor, Count ' Lamsdorff having been consulted about details rather than principles. membersl of the diplomatic corps are at iossl to understand why the illness of the' Minister for Foreign Affairs should block the selection of the pIenipoten-S tiaries. The European Ambassadors and Ministers at St, Petersburg, as a result of the feeling of anxiety in Washington tonight, are being put on the outlook for developments there which may explain the delay.