The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-28
HANGING BY THREAD.
Idfe of Portsmouth Peace Conference a, in the Balance.

life of Portsmouth Peace Conference 4e in the Balance.
 Portsmouth, N. H., Aug. 27.-The life 7 of the peace conference today seems to hang by a thread, but the thread will not be broken tomorrow.
 At 10 o'clock tonight after a confer ence lasting three-quarters of an hour between Mr. Takahira and Mir. Witte, in the latter's room in the hotel annex, the announcement of a postponement was made. M Witte explained to the Associated Press that Mir. Takahira had told him that no new instructions had reached him from Tokio and fearing none might be received before the meeting scheduled for tomorrow after noon, he had urged the propriety of postponing the meeting until Tuesday. To this M. Witte said he had readily asented. MT. Takahira made the fol- lowing statement to the Associated Press:
 "Inasmuch as this conference was in- stiated by the friendly offices of your President. after consultation we felt that we should be cautious about term mating its labors."
 Pressed as to whether he regarded the situation as hopeless, MT. Takahira said:
 NO. not hopeless, but almost hope yess.'
 This in itself from one who has spoken almost always in the most guarded fashion is sufficient to show the desperateness of the situation. The real crisis in the negotiations is at hand. It is very acute, but if 1t can be tided ever for q few days without a rupture a basis of peace acceptable to both sides may come very suddenly.
 But to save the situation now Japan must speak. If on Tuesday she has nothing to offer, all Is over. M. Witte. q he TaNWfA Nr Q new step. His hands are tied He now occupies the role of an imperial messenger who transmits his masters orders to Baron Komura, and Baron komura turns them over to Tokio for the response. -..-~.-
 The conference room has ceased to be place for negotiations It is sim ply the place where the emperors of the warning countries exchange their communications by the hands of their envoys. .4"
 The Final Word.
 And upon the point of indemnity or reimbursement of "frais de guerre" un- der any disguise, Emperor Nicholas has given the Japanese emperor his last word. M. Witte accepts 1t as final and in writing yesterday informed the Jap anese plenipotentiaries that Russia would have nothing further to say upon this subject; Russia would cede half of
 
 maintenance of the Russian prisoners, but that was all Emperor Nicholas had given the same response to the | fresident through Ambassador Meyer |
 The Russians generally seem not dis | pleased with the situation They | DeheVe Japan has been automatically | maneuVred into a corner from which if | she now persist in her attempt to exact tribute with the alternative of a con | ttnuance of the war, she cannot extri- | cate herself before the public oninion | of the world. Japan here and in Flu rope. they say, appealed for sympathy on the ground that Russia had compelI- | ed her to take up arms to protect her life. The fortunes of war had gone In her favor and Russia. recognizing that | she had been beaten and preferrinR | peace to the continuance of the war | had agreed to cede every point involved | in the quarrel She was willing to al- | low full sway in Korea, she was willing | to get out of Manchuria, bag and bag | gage, and commit herself to the recoR- l hilton of China's integrity and the pol | tcy of the "open door," but Japan insist | cd upon tribute and. because Russia | refused, prolongs the carnage. In that | act, they contend, Japan would change | the purpose and character of the war, | which would cease to be longer one of | principle and degenerate into war for | the exaction of money.
 There Is no doubt that the Japanese | are worried over this aspect of the sit i uatton and they do not propose to be | placed in this position If 1t can be help ed. With the sentiment existing In l Japan demanding reimbursement for | the expenses of the war, a money pay nent beyond what would be obtained | for the maintenance of Russian priso- ners and the Chinese Eastern Railroad | could not he foregone. but If redemp- | tion by Russia could be placed upon purely a commercial basis Russia might , agree to 1t. Logic points In this direc- ton for the ultimate compromise If there is to be one,
 The Presidents Efforts.
 whether the President has renewed His former suggestion for a cOmpro- mise failed. He made his appeal simul- | taneously to both the Czar and the Elm peror of Japan. He proposed the in demnity- -Sakhalin" combination but not in the form in which 1t was presented | by Baron Komura at Wedn esday's meeting instead of setting the price 1,200 00O, ,000 yen. the estimated cost of the war.) he suggested that if nn agree ment could not be reached the fixing of the price should be left to a board of commission; but Japan inissted upon inserting the sum and thus made 1t im- possible, fin view of the Russian decla- ration, to accept 1t. Emperor Nicholas refused to go farther. in addition to concessions already made. than to agree to the cession of half of Sakhalin
 According to a high Russian author ity who has been in position to see President Roosevelt's communication o~R,. HlnAFa