Arizona republican., 1905-08-30

the article relating to that portion of
the railroad running through north
ern Manchuria including the policing
of the railroad by China and not by
Russia; fishing rights on the Sibe-
rian coast north of Vladivostok to the
Behring sea; providing for the limita-
ton of Russia's naval power in the
far east, and for the surrender OF the
Russian ships interned in far eastern
waters.
The article relating to the cession of
the Chinese road was later agreed to
but according to the terms Of the
peace as finally agreed upon yesterday
Russia retains control of the road in
that part of Manchuria now occupied
by Russian troops. That applies
not only to the Trans-Siberian lire
Port Arthur road.
Japan quite early in the conference
signifed a willingness to abandon the
article relating to the limitation of
Russia's far eastern naval power as
we'll as the article concerning the in
termed ships. The discussion thus
narrowed down to the question of in
demnity and the cessiOn of Sakhalin.
Japan might properly have declined
to discuss the latter article at all for
beside her possession of it by right of
conquest she had an ancient claim
upon the island. 1t was thought pos
sible that the Sakhalin article would
e,
days preceding yesterday Russia made
it clear that indemnity in no guise
would be paid.
President Roosevelt and the Japan
csc were no doubt convinced of tie
hopelessness of obtaining peace on
basis of indemnify They perhaps
questioned if Russia could ever be
brought to concede that she had lost
in d military struggle to the point of
making ii necessary for her to pay
costs. Russia is not organized in
manner to be sensitive to cOnsidera-
tions of fair play or of equity-she is
not even organized in a manner to lie
sensible of such considerations. This
Observation-Disclosures. as to all those
elements that make up the conception
of justice in public policy, has been
confirmed to the Russians by the eX-
perience with Napoleon Bonaparte.
What a military genius could do lac
did, yet the SHOWS and winds Of the
wide plains of Russia drove him out
of that country helpless and crippled.
That happened nearly a century ago;
and during all the ninety odd years
intervening the Russian mind has &C
cepted his experience as absolute proof
that God has made Russia invulnera-
BILE to all outside attacks. Russia,
therefore, TO the Slav mind, is the one
country on earth that can make wars,
and lose them. and yet remain uncon-
quered. Russia can always say to any
and every opponent, Come on, if you
dare" and a country that can so say,
with fair confidence that the climate
and the great distances will do all
the rest, cannot lose a suit at war in
any manner that requires it to pay the
costs of it.
But if the japanese were Influenced
ed points by this consideration of
Russia's invulnerable position, it de-
tracts nothing from their example Of
magnanimity. They could easily have
harassed the enemy and pursued their
conquests far into Siberia Vladivo-
stok was within their grasp and SAX
halin was already theirs.
The conferees had reached the limit
of their instructions when the nego-
tiations were removed from Ports
mouth to Toxic and st. Petersburg.
Russia yielded nothing of the most
stubbornly disputed points. What
pressure, if any, was exerted on To-
kio to surrender half the island Of
Sakhalin, and forego the indemnity is
one of the secrets of diplomacy which
will not be disclosed until some his
torian makes a record of the Ports
mouth peace conference.