Milford chronicle., 1905-08-18

u rev 6ayos
Portsmouth, N. H., Aug. 16. = The
crisis in the peace negotiations, upon
which the eyes Of the world are fas-
tened, is approaching rapidly and the
end of this week or the first OF next
at the latest, should witness the dead
lock and the end, if the conference is
to go to pieces. Two more OF the IL
articles, numbers four and six, were
disposed of. Article four consists or
mutual pledges to observe the integ-
ritv of China and the policy OF the
''open door" for the commerce OF all
nations. and article six covers the sur
render of the Russian leases to the
Liaotung peninsula Port Arthur,
Dalny and the Blonde and Elliott
Islands. To article four both parties
gave ready assent, and the official
statement Of the adoption Of that ar
ticle took care to state that it was
agreed to unanimously"
Real Struggle to Come.
Article five, the consideration OF
which was postponed until later, pro-
vides for the cession of the Island OF
Sakhalin. Discussion appearing use
less at this stage on account OF the
firm negative given in the Russian
reply, it was decided on the motion
of the Japanese to defer its discussion
thus revealing the Japanese intention
of postponing to the end the life and
death struggle. This is the usual pro
cedure followed in diplomatic negotia-
tions. enabling the negOtiators to come
to an accord upon all possible points
before tackling the crucial issues, and
the fact that the Russians acquiesced
in the proposition shows that they TOO
are as careful and as anxious as are
the Japanese that the world should
not accuse them of being responsible
for precipitating the break, if break
there is to be, and wrecking the con-
ference. This in itself is a hopeful
sign. Besides. by postpOning the burn
ing questions to the end the psycho-
logical moment for bargain and COM
nromise arrives. Then hurriedly the
last trump cards and the game is done.
And there is growing hope OF COM
promise. To the closest observers the
final solution begins to crystalline
quite naturally-the Russians yielding
the cession of Sakhalin, Japan fore
going "the cost of the war" but taking
compensation in the money to be re-
funded to Japan by China on account
of the transfer to her Of the Chinese
Eastern railroad, which Russia con-
tends belongs to a private corporation,
and therefore uncomfortable by Japan,
the Russian government property in
Port Arthur and Dalny, and remun-
Grafton for the maintenance OF the
lOO, 900 Russian prisoners in Japan.
According to the Russian view, Japan
has already secured all and more than
she dreamed of claiming before the
war. To insist upon foe who has
still half a million men confronting
her in the field footing the bill for the
cost Of the war as the price of peace
would, the Russians say, change the
character of the military struggle
henceforth from one for certain princi-
pies to one for the exactiOn Of blood
money" All questions relating to
Korea and Manchuria except the ces-
sion OF the Chinese Eastern railroad
and the main Siberian line running
through Northern Manchuria from the
station Manchuria, on the Amur, via |
Hardin to VladiVostolI, are settled in
the five articles already adopted |
Some confusion has arisen about those
articles, and the following resume can
be accepted as absolutely accurate:
The Articles Agreed On.
1-Recognition of Japan's "prepon-
derating influence" in Korea, etc.
Mutual obligation to evacuate
Manchuria. Russia to retrOcede to
China all special privileges, etc.
Japanese obligation to restore
the sovereignty and administration of
China in Manchuria
Mutual obligation to respect the
territorial and administrative integrity
of China and. the principle Of the
''open door"
leases to the Liaotung peninsula, in
cluding Port Arthur, Dalny and the
Blonde and Elliott Islands.
The remaining seven articles mot
given in numerical order) are:
The cession Of Sakhalin; reimburse
ment for the cost of the war; the ces-
sion to China of the Chinese Eastern
the article relating to that
portion of the main line of the Siber-
Ian railroad running through Northern
which includes provision
for policing Of the country by China
and not by Russia; fishing rights on
the Siberian coast north of Vladivos
tok to the Bering Sea; the article
fecting Russia's naval power in the
Far East, and that providing for the ]
of the Russian warships in
termed in Far Eastern waters. To all (
Of these Russia has more or less OBJ
lection.
Will Oppose Surrender Of Warships. {
Besides indemnity and Sakhalin,
Mr. Witte will strenuously oppose the
surrender Of the interned warships.
he limitation upon Russias naval
power and the cession Of the Chinese
Eastern railroad to China The article