The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-06-17
WITTE SEES NO
RAY OF LIGHT
General Trepoff Said to Be the Real
Ruler of Russia.
FOREIGN OFFICE DOCUMENT
PUBLIC INFORMED OF THE PROG
REss TOWARD PEACE.
FOREIGN OFFICE DOCUMENT

St. Petersburg. June Il. 1-45 a m
Although in the absence of official adj
vices the Russian government is not
yet able to announce the definite con-
cIusion Of arrangements for the meet
ing Of the Russian and Japanese pleDi-
potentiaries, the foreign office last night
said the negotiations to that end were
progressing rapidly and issued state
1nent for publication in this morning :
newspap ers acquaintiHE the public with
the speedy progress toward the opening
of the conference
Count CassinTs report of the selection
of Washington from the cities favored
by Russia has not yet arrived. but II IS
thought the ambassador is waiting for
the fixing of the date Of meeting, which
again will depend on the travelling ar
Hangements Marquis Ito, president of
the japanese pTivy council and Nj.
NelidOff Russian ambassador at PARIS,
will make necessary to perform the
journey. After final arrangements
have been made the foreign office. ii IS
expected. will issue another OiiIcial
note announcing the successful compile
ton Of steps preliminary to the confer
ence and naming RuSsia's representa-
tive or representatives
Foreign Office Statement.
The communication of the foreign Of
fee is as follows:
According to advices from Washing
ton. Immediately after the receipt OF the
Russian note responding to the propo-
sitiOn Of President Roosevelt negotla-
lions rs to the place and the tme1 OF
meeting commenced These negotla-
tions are proceeding speedily, Out are
not yet actually finished
PeSsiuiStfc chauVinistS are building
mountains out of the wording of the
Associated Press dispatch from Wash
ington announcing that Great Britain
was unwilling to use her influence with
Japan to moderate her ally'S terms. de-
cIaring that if it meant that Great
Britain had sounded Japan and found
her i'm a mood to insist on a heavy IN
demnity and other humiHatlug de
mands il also meant the indefinite pro-
lOngatiOn Of the war The general dis
position. however. Is to suspend Judg-
ment until Japan reveals her terms ana
in diplomatic circles there Is a hope
full feeling that these terms VIII form
the basis Of possible agreement
Talk With Witte.
In conversation yesterday with a
friend NJ White. president of the coun-
Gil of ministers. declared himself along
the lines of the Interview with hlIn
printed i'm the SIovo Wednesday morn
ing. which was filled with the gloomiest
forebodings. a. related i'm these dis
patches, and in. which NJ White declared
that he would not serve as one OF the
plenipotentiaries for three reasons, the
last of them being that he should do
everything to avoid it
Even if the rumOr of LamSdoTff :
resignation is true. which insist IS not
the case" said NJ White in the Slovo
interview. the main situation would
not be changed. and the first and third
reasons would hold for me.
As the Associated Press stated. while
M Whites name was not mentioned IN
the interview, the vein of his identity
could be easily pierced
Gives Unique Reason
Tn the CONVERSATION yesterday NJ
Witte confirmed the statement that II
was utterly impossible that he could
participate in the peace negotiations
supplementiuC DC ON other grounds with
the unique reason that he had been
educated to consider the japanese a.
inferior race and would therefore be
unable to discuss with them peace dur
ing a war wherein Russia was not d
victor Far from being entrusted with
the responsibility of conducting nego-
tiations. he declared bitterly that he
was not even consulted regarding the
affairs of his own department
II. Witte manifested keen feeling
over the rise of General Trepon as min.
lister of the interior. saying
Il knew nothing of what is being
done either for peace OF for reform
Tel me what Trepoff advises and I vii
toll YOU what the ear viii do. Ire
poff is the real ruler of Russia
General KIeiCeIs. governor general o.
EieT has arrived iu st PETERSBURG
and gossip Is connecting his name witt
the governor geueralship of st. Peters
burg as an assistant to General Ire
1-pHf