Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1905-06-13
Jap and Russia Will Immediately
Make Terms of Peace Probably
In Paris.
PLtNlPOTENTlARES DISCUSS TERM
Prospects For Settlement Of the
Great Struggle in Far East Now
Seem avOrdble.

Washington, June 10.-Japan's ac-
ceDtance of the presidents offer of
good will has reached the state depart
ment in q cablegram from Mr.. Girls
com. Russia's reply followed later, but
not in time to decipher tonight. 1t is
expected that it will be made public
tomorrow
Japan's reply reached the state de-
partment several hours ahead of Rus
sia's reply Had the cablegram from
Ambassador reached here before the
department closed, there is a strong
probability that both would have been
made public today. No word regarding
their character can be obtained except
the fact that both are acceptances, and
both express the gratitude Of the re-
spective governments for the presi-
dents offer of good will.
An interesting fact regarding the ne
gotiations of the last week is the pow
erful influence brought to bear upon
Russia by France to accept the offer
of the president and appoint plenipo-
tentiaries to discuss pease with repre-
sentatives of Japan. M. Jusserand, the
French ambassador, was informed by
the president of every move, and he
kept Paris thoroughly in touch with
the presidents activity. Loyal sup
port from Paris has been given to the
presidents efforts from the first.
st. Petersburg, June II, 1880 a. m.-
Paris is Russias choice for the open
ing Of peace negotiations. If Japan in
- rrk~
Russia doubtless will agree, but Paris
is preferred; and the emperor already
is prepared to issue instructions to M.
Nehdoff, the Russian ambassador to
France, to act as plenipotentiary to re-
ceive the Japanese conditions.
The Russian government has COM
municated to the administration at
Washington it's consent to the publica-
tion of Russia's reply to President
Roosevelt's appeal, at the same time
thanking the president warmly for the
friendly and lofty spirit in which it
was conceived.
The Associated Press is now able to
give some interesting details of the ex-
traordinary council presided over by
the emperor, which met recently at
Tsarskoe-Selo and at which, the prac-
tical, although not the final decision
was taken to terminate the war if the
conditions were not too onerous.
Besides the older military members
of the principal family, all of the cabi-
net ministers were present NJ Manu-
khin, minister of justice; General Fred
ericks, master of ceremonies; Prince
Dolgoruki, Count Solosky. Baron Besse
and members of the imperial entour-
age, General Bragomiroff and Vice Ad-
miral Dubassoff were there as strateg-
ic experts of the army and navy.
With Grand Duke Vladimir and
Alexander Michaelovitch as leaders, all
the members of the imperial family,
except Nicholas Nicholaevitch, favored
an attempt to conclude peace. Only
General Sakheroff, the minister of war
and General Lobko. from among the
minister's held out for the prosecution
of the war. The former displayed
telegram from General Linevitch, re-
porting the strategetic position of the
army as good and expressing not only
confidence in his ability to defeat the
enemy, but even to assume the offens-
i've. General Sakheroff's argument,
however was easily outweighed by the
ministers, especially as the emperor
from the beginning manifested a
strong disposition to end the struggle |
if honorable terms We're procurable.
There was wide divergency of opin-
ion as to whether Japan would attempt
to impose impossible terms. but the
concensus of opinion is that Japan is
too wise to desire now TO humble it's
gigantic neighbor and force eonces-
sions which would forever rankle in
the breast of Russia and only make
neace an armed truce until the Rus
sian empire could make further prepa-
rations. An enduring peace. it was
agreed. was impossible if Japan tried |
to force upon Russia humiliating terms
ment Of Valdivostok, and absolute lim-
itation of Russia's naval strength in
the Pacific.
The ground, therefore. already was
prepared for the reception of Presi-
dent Roosevelt's message. which was
conveyed to the emperor by Ambassa-
dor Meyer personally the following day
especially as the president had taken |
pains to disabuse his majesty of any
idea that the United States was un-
friendly to Russia, or desired to see her |
destroyed as power in the Pacific.
A formal truce is expected to be pro-
claimed Immediately. when the place |
of meeting Of the plenipotentiaries has !