The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-18
But the Spirit Of Com
promise Reigns.
LAB0RING FOR PEACE
Will the Question Of indemnify Which
Comes Up Today Embitter the En-
voys? Will Japan Listen to Out
side Suggestion to Forego
This Demand?
(By the Associated Press.)

Portsmouth, N. H., Aug. 16.-The
prospects of peace are distinctly
brighter tonight. The plenipotentiaries
are laboring with seriousness and
earnestness which leave not the slight
est doubt that both are anxious to
conclude a treaty. Though the main
points remain to be contested and the
plenipotentiaries of each side speak
as though the conference would go to
pieces. unless the other side gives way.
the spirit of compromise is in the air.
When he returned to the hotel tonight,
Mr. White, who was tired out with
his hard days work, said:
II am doing all can do for peace
OF the eight articles we have already
considered l have yielded seven. No
other statesman in Russia would have
dared to do so much. and 1 have done
what l have done upon my own re-
.sponsibility.'
From an authoritative source it is
now possible to forecast with a fair
degree of accuracy that 11e crisis will
come on next Monday. Articles and
dealing with the fate of Chinese
Eastern Railroad having been dis
posed of today, there remains in addi-
ton to the cession of Sakhalin, which
was passed over the question of in
demnity which comes up tomorrow as
article 8, the limitation of Russia's sea
power in the Far East, the surrender
of the interned warships, and the
grant to Japan of fishing rights on the
littoral north of Vladivostock.
To all except the latter, to which
Russia will agree, a negative answer
has been returned, absolute in the
case of indemnity and Sakhalin. Per-
haps both the others may be modified
and accepted by Mr. White in order to
strengthen his position in insisting
upon a concession from Japan re-
garding it's demands of an indemnity
and Sakhalin.
Before yielding on either Of the lat
ter 1t can be regarded as practically
certain that Mr.. White would consult
the Emperor.
The exchange of views on the five
remaining articles is expected to be
completed on Friday or Saturday
morning at the latest. The plenipO-
tentiaries will then adjourn until
Monday and the interim will probably
be used by the plenipotentiaries to
consult their respective governments.
When they meet on Monday the last
cards will be thrown upon the table.
If there is to be bargaining it will
come then and suddenly the confer
ence will be over or peace will be as
sured.
Articles Agreed On.
Articles and were disposed of to-
day, he former sin principle he lat
ter unanimously according to the
official bulletins. Article provides
for the ceSsion to China of the branch
of the Chinese Eastern Railroad run
ming south from Hardin to Port Ar
thur and Dalny and with branch line
connecting at New Chwang with the
Shan Hal Kwan-Tien Tsin Road.
Article 8 provides for the retention
by Russia of the line through north
ern Manchuria, which forms the con-
meeting link of the main line of the
trans-Siberian and the Usurri with it's
terminal at Vladivostock and Har-
borOvsk.
From both sides the Associated
Press is informed that the acceptance
Tin principle" of article only means
that certain points remain to be elab-
GRATED, not that dispute still exists.
But this may possible be only a con-
venient method of pOstponing until
the final struggle, the acceptance of
an article which could be used in the
ultimate compromise.
Russia by the acceptance of these
two articles in connection with arti-
Giles 2. 3. b and g. surrenders every.
vestige of her ambition in Manchuria.
She closes the door to the warm
weather. ice-free port of Dalny, upon
which she lavished her millions and
millions and retains only as a COM
mercial road the link Of the railroad
connecting her European possessions
with the maritime provinces upon the
Pacific. The right to police it with