The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-22

 Portsmouth, the best opinion Is that an agreement will be reached and that the Russo Japanese conflict will come to an end in the near future. Japan may force another battle north q Mukaen' but that is highly improbable. Inter ests on every hand counsel an adjust ment It is absolutely known in Wash anEton, l have private adyices. that King Edward is etraining every nerve to Induce Japan to meet Russia half way Our Government is spurring Min lister Griscom to the uttermost.
 It would be nothing short of a na- 4ionai calamity to this country to have the Portsmouth conference break up in e row.
 Some tentative basis of a settlement must be reached President Roosevelt fs too resourceful . man to abate his Rrdor until every possible means has been tried to effect an understanding. Even if a final agreement be impossi- bIe there Is one recourse still open. It will be within the scope of President Roosevelt to suggest a Congress of the Powers to pass upon the four demands of Japan still In dispute M Witte has authorized the statement that he has yielded all but four of the Japanese de- mands and thus gives much encourage ment to the optimtsts who hope for peace.
 The first Of the rejected demands (Ar- ticae 51 relates to Sakhalin Island. Ja-
 
 This is likely to be conceded, if Japan Iwill give ample guarantees that the sccmmerce of viadtvostok shall not be ;, zntapfered with. The fishing rights on the Siberian and Sakhaiin coasts can he arranged. To a certainty, they will iramaiu as a trouhle-maiker for both lcountries--5ust as have the French rights on the Newfoundland coast and British rights in our own Alasksn wa tara But such troubles do not lead to <An Galxha1Au nff0tr a not on unsurmountah1e point of diverg- ;snce The Island belonged to Japan originally and was taken from her by trick.
 One Hates to Pay the Piper.
 Next, the grave question of indemnity as reached Article o.b There is great deal to be said on both sides of that subseek. There are many ways Of pay Ing c forfeit when one ts at a disad- vantage, without calling the price an s.iudemnity." The European precedents of the past fifty years are limited te the three wars that have occurred since 1866. The prussians exaeted a territo-a rial indemnity from Austria and were Justified an the claim, because they had whipped their enemy to standstih Again, ia ae7i, the Chancellor of 'Unat- cd Germauys--aithough Prussia had be- gun the war--eKacted the cessaon of the two Rhenish provinces of A1sace and Lorraine from France, and the pay meat of a heavy indemnity. This was conceded, because German armies had occupied the French capital, had cap tused the French Emperor and had de- stroyea the fighting strength of the na- 4ion that had made war In the Russo- Turkish conflict of 1877-7s. Russia was given a small part of Bessarabia and the great citadel of Kars in Asia Minor. True, she was despofled of the real fruits of her victorious war by the nzwo2axRr diplomacy of BeaeonsAeld, who N Hxarn robbed Turkey of Cyprus; but the indemnity principle was conceded, because of the advance of the Russian armies to San stefano, within sight of Consfantinop1e.
 Now, what Is the exact situation in Nanchnrta? have before me the off, Giai map of Manehuria, issued by the Second Division, General Stan. CWash- ington. April 1se5) and highly in- Strnctive study it Is. The HaFbin Rail- road skirts the western foothills of the Manchurian mountains, leaving the im- poFtant city of KiFin more than sixty miles to the eastward. It shows that the most advanced Japanese outposts of Marshal Oyamn are fully 400 miles from Harbinl In other words, coneed- ing the strategic conquest of Manchu- ria. the Japanese invasion of Russian territory is as far off as from New York to Rochester.
 vladiwostok or the retaking of the big tsland at the top of the Japan Sea can hardly he described as an invasion of Rnssian territory. Manchuria is chi- nese territory, according to the Japan esq e0ntention. and by every token of good faith, Japan is merely fighting China's battles for her as we fought those of Cuba. What Japan will do with the railroad from Port Arthur to Harbin remains to be seen; but, by her own argument. she must turn 1t over to the ChineSe at once or show evidences of bad faith. The example set for her by Russia Is not calculated to inspire a hope that she will do so.
 But we were talking about 6akhalin Island. The Statements Year Book gives its area as 2s.33s English square miles. or about the same as our State of Maine. This is quite a large piece lof territory, but while Maine has pep ulaklen of 690.000, the long strip of land osF the sLberian coast has only 2s,ooe anhabitants, probably estimated. This is less than one human being to each Square mile. When we are told that there isn't q harboF on the island and that It's coast Is iee-bound for seven months in the year, we can under stand that it isn't much of an acaui- eition or much of a concession.
 Therefore, Sakhalin will not stand In the way of an agreement
 The Strength of Inaular Positions.
 Recurring, therefore, to the tndem- nifty question, we see that Japan really hasn't any logical basis upon which to set up a claim Tor money indem- nifty. She began the war. Russia did not invade her territory. It Is fair to say that this Is due to her insuiar po- Esifion. The same fact has protected England time and again from invasion and, right here. wouldn't 1t be a won- derfui historical incident if the great powers of the future were to be in- suiaF ones. protected by mighty fleets and by feFtIlcations that could not be reduced by any modern guns2 Such a conclusion would strike the knell for Germany, France, Austria, Russia and the United States.
 Seriously. the position of Japan is now impregnable! She couldn't be con quered today by the combined naval forces of the world, A second John Paul Jones might make landing upon her shores--as cur national sea-hero did on the coast of England--but he couldn't stay there
 Rusaia's capital is 6,000 miles distant from the seat of war. If Japan would exact an indemnity in the true sense she must menace St. Petersburg! There is nothing to prevent her from doing SO She has the ships and officers with the tFne martial splrit--men who will ldaFe anything to win! Why hasn't she act out for the NeVa? An! that is an- tothex story" as Kipling is credited with sayang. She would have to expose her sally. Great Britain. The route is too long to rely upon cOlliers. Japan would have to compromise England as Russia