The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-08-22
PEACE CONfEREES
CAN'T MAKE PEACE

1t is Believed in Portsmouth Ses-
siOns Ended in Failure.
ADJOURNED UNTIL TUESDAY
Either Russia Or Japan Must Yield On
Indemnity and sakhain - Outside
Influences Exerting Pressure at
Toxic and ST. Petersburg 49, Cars
Manifesto Creating Assembly a New
Factor In Negotiations.
Portsmouth. y. H., Aug. 19.-Black
rcssimism reigns at Portsmouth. The
prevailing view is thu me fate Of the
peace conference is .oady sealed
that II has ended in failure and that
all that now remains is for the pleni-
potentiaries to meet on Tuesday, to
which day they adjourned upon com
pleting the seriatim consideration OF
the Japanese terms, sign the final pro
tocol. 20 through the conventions ana
hid each other farewell. In other
words. that the meeting Tuesday will
be what diplomacy calls the "seance
d'adieu." But there is still room for
hone of compromise. Neither Presi-
dent Roosevelt nor the powers Will see
the chance OF peace shipWrecked
without final effort. and that pres
sure is being eXerted. especially at
Toxic to induce Japan To moderate
her terms. is beyond question just
what is being done or is to be done
has not transpired. King Edward Is
understood to be now lending help
ing hand. and the financiers ot the
world are known to be eNertlns All
their influences. At Toxic and 81
Petersburg tine final issue VIII De de-
cided. The japanese have been I'M
placable throughout the sixdays sit
tings They have listened and eX-
planned. but they have yielded not an
iota of the substance of their original
demands. Mr.. Witte accepted outright
seven of the II Japanese conditions,
one in principle and four including
the main indemnity and SAX
halin-he rejected. The other two
limitation Of naval power and the sur
render OF interned warships, might
have been arranged had there been
any prospect of agreement on the two
points upon which the divergence
seemed irreconcilable.
In the oral discussion of the terms
Mr.. Witte yielded upon two articles
but substantially the result of the Is
sittings of the plenipOtentiaries has
only been to emphasize the position
taken by Mir. White in the written
reply he presented last Saturday to
the japanese terms. And now both
sides turn to home for the last word
before the cards are thrown face up
ward upon the table next Tuesday. for
the impasse reached by the plenipo-
tentiaries is recognized to be only
diplomatic fiction. If in the Interim
fresh instructions are received by
either side compromise Is yet posi-
BILE. But the chances are recognized TO
be slim SO far as the Russian plenl-
potentiaries are concerned there never
was a chance Of their yielding both in
demnity and Sakhalin.
The cession of Sakhalin without in
demnity was. according TO the best
inside information. the extreme limit
to which Mr. Witte would ever con
sent to go. and the emperor has not
vet given the word even to concede
that. And suddenly a new factor has
beeen introduced which in the opinion
of those most competent TO judge les
sens materi lily the chances that he
might do SO. namely. the issuance OF
his manifesto granting a popular rep
resentative body to his subjects. The
bearings of this historic document
as Mr.. Witte described it few days
ago. upon the issue are easily compre-
hensible Ii is bound to ameliOrate the
internal situation in Russia. 1t is the
entering wedge for the realization Of
the century-old dream of the Russian
people.
1T will create enthusiasm at home.
said one of the most prominent mem
bers of the Russian mission, because
all thinking men realize that it means
eventually a great change in the com
position Of the Russian state. 1t will
be followed by a true parliament. a
responsible ministry, a premier, and
Russia will become a constitutional
monarchy"
II is pointed out that the manifesto
is timed Ike what the French call a
coup de foudre. and that its signifi-
canoe is too plain to be questioned. 1t
was to have been issued last Saturday
when the Russian reply was present
ed, but II was held over until the con-
clusiOn of the oral consideration OF
the japanese terms Meantime the
terms had been published everywhere
throughout Russia.
The manifesto is Emperor Nicholas
answer to the japanese demand for
the payment Of a war tribute. The
grant of this broad reform is regarded
as virtually an appeal to the Russian
people for support to resist It.
At Toxic II is impossible to tell what
view will be taken. Peace probably
can be even now secured by the sac.
rifice of the indemnity. Vague intima-
tons come from the japanese side
that "the demand for the cost Of the
war" might be moderated. but Mr.
Whites reply is that he will pay lib
orally for the maintenance of the Rus
sian prisoners in Japan. but mot a
cOpeck for tribute"