The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-09-02

In Japan There Is Great DisaPPoint'
ment. and Russian Government
Seems to Coldly Receive Peace.
kinqs and Emperors Laud Roosevelt.
Portsmouth. \. H.. Aug. 3l-Actual
work of DRAFTING the treaty OF Ports
mouth" is now under way. Ii is being
done by Mir. De Martens and Mr.. Den
nison. acting as legal advisers for the
respective Sides While the bases
of peace have been accepted by the
Observation-Disclosures. considerable detail
remains to De worked out in the olabo-
ration of the articles of the treaty.
This is especially true in regard 10
the articles dealing with the Chinese
Eastern railway and the surrender OF
the leases of the liaOtung peninsula
and Port Arthur and Talienwan (Dal-
N.Y.. Mr.. Pokoulon. the Russian min
lister to Pekin. who was formerly man
ager of the Russo-Chinese bank at Pc
kin. and who has intimate knowledge
of all the details relating to those mat
ters. is assisting Mr.. De Martens.
\ very anomalous situation exists as
70 the impression created NJ the con
clusion of peace While the outside
world applauds. in Japan there IS evil
IDENTIFY great disappointment in the
terms: and in Russia. where 1t would
seem that there should be universal re-
ioicing over the great diplomatic vie
tory Mr.. Witte has won. the govern
ment seems to have received il cOldly.
With the people il will make Mr..
Witte a great and popular figure AMI
add to his laurels. but at court evident
~ the very victory Mr.. Witte has
achieved makes it all the more bitterly
resented. Il is an open secret that
when the en~eror appointed Mr.. Witte
chief pleniuotentiary. the military
marty" expected him ~ fail. They did
not want peace. and II was freely pre-
dirted I'm ST Petersburg when Mr.Witte
left that he had been given an impos-
sihle mission. They expected him 10
fail In the negotiations or 70 make
bad peace" and either would have
spelled political ruin. Instead. upon the
very terms upon which the emperor
told Mr. Meyer he would make peace
and upon which the military party did
not believe it possible for peace TO be
NEGOTIATED. Mr.. Witte succeeded in Sc
curing treaty honorable and under
the circumstances favorable TO Russia.
Not a word or line about the receipt
Of the news comes out of Japan. In
view of the situation both at Toxic and
ST Petersburg. alarmists are inclined
TO make much of the facts that the
minutes of the fateful meeting have not
been signed by the plenipotentiaries OF
the two powers. II is pointed ont that
either side could still repudiate the
agreement. but both plenipotentaries
refuse to admit even the possibility OF
such a happening.
The following statement OF the Jap
anese argument which governed their
decision to waive the question Of in
demnity can be accepted as authori-
tatiye:
Japan realized fully she was making
a sacrifice for peace. but she was look
ing to the future. It was not a question
of whether the war could be success
fully continued but of whether peace
was not now more advantageous to
japan. Japan had already gained all
D L. tferr.fl &
of war" that remained. and having
achieved the real objects of the war
she could afford to forego the spells
rather than be placed in the position
of fighting for money While Japan
believed she was entitled to the spoils,
she felt that her position was so
strong. her successes 50 complete that
she could yield without detracting
from the force Of her victory.