Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-16
TIL. PLEDGED TO OPEN DOOR POLICY
Mutual Pledges Made to Respect the
Integrity Of China.
aUSCoWTES SURRENDER ALL LEASES
Port Arthur, Dalny, Blonde and Elliot
Islands Go to Japan.
REAL CRISIS WILL CONE SOON
Russians stand Firm on CessiOn of
sakhaIin Island and Question
f. Passed for the
Present.

FEeaemNs
PORTSMOUTH, N. H., Aug. 15.-The
crisis in the peace negotiations. upon which
the eyes Of the world are fastened, Is ap-
preaching rapidly and the end OF this week
the first of next at the latest, should
witness the deadlock and the end, II the
conference is to go to pieces. Two more
OF the twelve articles, numbers 4 and G,
we're disposed of today. Article I consists
Of mutual pledges to observe the integrity
OF China and the policy of the open door"
for the commerce of all nations, and
article covers the surrender OF the Rus
sian leases to the Lao Tung peninsula,
Port Arthur. Dalny and the Blonde and
Elliott islands.
vital Point Passed over.
To article both parties gave ready as
sent and the official statement of the
adoption of that article took care to state
that It was agreed to unanimously. Article
g. the consideration of which was post
poned until later, provides for the cession
Of the island of sakhalin Discussion ap.
pearing useless at this stage on account Of
the firm negative given in the Russian
reply, it was decided upon a motion OF
the japanese to defer its discussion, thus
revealing the Japanese intention of post.
poning to the end the life and death strug-
gle.
Both Spar for Position.
This is the usual procedure followed in
diplomatic negotiations. enabling the nego-
tiations 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, II break there Is
to be, and wrecking the conference This
in itself is a hopeful sign. Besides, by
postponing the burning question to the
end the psychological moment for bargain
and compromise arrives. Then hurriedly
the last trump cards are played and the
game is done And there is growing hope
of compromise.
One Possible Solution.
To the closest observers, the anal solution
begins to crystaIize quite naturally, the
Russians yielding the cession Of Sakhalin.
Japan foregoing the "cost OF the war;" but
taking compensation in the money to be
refunded to Japan by China on account of
the transfer to 1t OF the Chinese Eastern
railroad which Russia contends belongs to
a private corporation and is therefore un-
confscable by Japan; the Russian govern
ment property in Port Arthur and Dalny
and remunerat ton for the maintenance OF
the 10000 Russian prisoners in Japan.
According to the Russian view, Japan
has already secured all and more than II
dreamed Of claiming before the war. To
insist upon a foe who has still 100000 men
confronting 1t in the field footing the bill
for the cost of the war as the price OF
- cha
character of the military struggle hence
forth from one for certain principles to
one for the exaction of blood money"
All questions relating TO Corea and Man
ohuria, except the cession OF the Chinese
Eastern railroad and the main Siberian line
running through northern Manchuria, from
the station "Manchuria," on the Amur via
Harbin TO Vladvostok, are settled In the
five articles already considered.
Questions settled.
Some confusion has arisen about these
articles and the following resume can be
accented as absolutely accurate:
Recognition of Japans ''preponderating
3 Mutual obligation to evacuAte Man.
churia, Russia to retrocede TO China all
special privileges. etc. -. -
& Japanese obligation to Iehtore sover-
eighty and administration of China In Man
Mutual obligations to respect the terri
torial and administrative integrity or China
< The surrender OF the Russian leases to
the Lao Tung peninsula, including Port
| Arthur, Dalny and the BLONDE ana Elllott
Questions Yet Open.
The remaining seven articles mot given
in numerical order) are:
The cession of sakhalin; reimbursement
| for the cost of war; the cesslon 70 Chlna
OF the Chinese Eastern railroad: the arti-
| Gle relating TO that portion OF the main
| line OF the Siberian railroad running
! through northeastern Manchurla, which in
! cIudes provision for policing the road by
! China and not by Russia; fishing rights on
| the Siberian coast north Of Nladlvoetok
| TO the Behring sea; the article affecting
| Russia's naval power IN the far east and
| that proyiding for the surrender of the
| Russian warships interned In far eastern
/ waters.
To all Of these Russia has more or less
objection. Besides indemnity and sakhalin,
NJ. witte will strenuously oppose the sur
render Of the interned warships. the limita-
! tion Of Russias naval power and the ces-
sion of the Chinese Eastern railroad TO
! China.
Program for Today.
! The article relating TO the Chinese East
ern railroad is No Z, and comes up at the
session tomorrow morning. The Russians
are prepared with documentary evidence II
the article Is not passed over TO show that
the railroad is private corporation owned
by the Russo Chinese bank. M Pokoulon.
one OF the Russian delegates. was manager
OF the bank in St Petersburg until a few
months ago, when he was sent TO Peking
| as minister.
Mr. Berger. the attorney OF the bank,
is also here, and the fight upon this arti-
Gle is sure to prove extremely interest
ing and possibly prolonged. as Russia will
contest the japanese contention that the
Russian government is the real owner Of
the railroad and that Il was built 70
purely strategic purposes.
The only jar in the sessions OF the con-
ference today occurred at the morning ses-
sion, when a rather spirited controversy
I .....--.a ,,.ar tho Question NJ he uttbItcffy