The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-26
But the Crack Admits
Little Light.
TALK, TALK, NO DEEDS
None at Portsmouth, But Strenuous
Gentleman at Oyster Bay is Keep.
ina the Ocean Hot With De-
termined Efforts to Bring
About Peace.
About Peace.
(By the Associated Press. }

Portsmouth, N H., Aug. 24.-The
prospects of peace seem desperate,
but they are not hopeless despite the
prevailing pessimism. There is still
a chance and the forces working for
peace are continuing their labors. The
Presidetn failed twice but he is fight
ing on. -"
The result of Ambassador Mey-
Meyers audience at Peterhof yeSter-
day was unsatisfactory but at least it
was not a rebuff. 1t left the door
open and within a few hours after
the receipt a oyster Bay of Mr.. Mey-
er's account of his audience the Pres
ident has sent new appeal through
Mr.. White, who received it from Mr..
PIERCE about 3 o'clock this morning.
The Emperor had already in effect
declined the proposed compromise Of
fered by the Japanese. He had refus-
ed it because under disguise Japan
offered to withdraw the article asking
remuneration for the cost of the war
on condition that Russia re-purchase
from the military possession of Japan
the northern part of Sakhalin at a
fixed price of 1900, 100000 yen the
estimated "frais de guerre." Every
message received from Peterhof. in
Guiding those that came early today,
was inflexible upon that point.
Had Japan not inserted the sum,
had that been left for future adjust
ment, the proposition would undOubt-
edly have proved more palatable. And
the Associated Press is in position
to state that the divergence in the
compromise as suggested by the PreSi-
dent as offered by the Japanese at
the conference which was mentioned
i'm these dispatches last night touched
this very ~oint. The President did
not suggest any price or the fixing OF
a price, and it is believed, although
this cannot be affirmed, that his latest
effort is to secure the consent of the
Emperor to agree to accept the Japa-
nese proposition with the amount sub
ject to future adjustment by an arbi-
tration board or otherwise. Accord
inc to the Japanese, Mr. White has al
ready offered to divide Sakhalin, II
the re-purchase of Sakhalin was placed
upon a purely business basis. The fol-
lowing few lines from the authorized
statement of the Russian position
given to the Associated Press last
night should be borne in mind:
"AIl that Japan does is to join the
question of Sakhalin with that of a
cash payment and to insist upon war
costs under the name of purchase
money. The transaction is fictitious
and the Technology is misleading. If
what is proposed be in truth pur-
chase and sale. it should be treated
as such; and therefore, should Russia
decline to buy the territory Japan
should keep it and conclude peace on
the basis of the concessions already
made"
Japan Would Strain Point.
Japan, it is believed. would make
the further concession suggested If
Emperor Nicholas would commit him.
self to this solution. This statement is
based upon the words of the Japa-
nese authority most competent to
speak When asked if it was correct
as reported that the japanese had
said their last word and that all hope
was over, he replied:
NO we have not declared our
proposition of Wednesday was ou1
irreducible minimum. We are not as
Stunning a threatening attitude. This
is not the way to make peace.
But the plenipotentiaries themselves
no longer control on either side. The
negotiations have passed from THEN
hands to their principals at PeterhOfl
and Toxic.
Most persistently the report con-
tinueS to be circulated here that En-
peror William has been one of the
main obstacles to peace, that while
ostensibly in sympathy with the Presl-
dents efforts he is advising Emperor
Nicholas not to yield. The foundation
for this belief is the fact which APP
pears fully confirmed. that Mr.. Witte's
instructions were made more impera-
tive upon the question of indemnity
and cession of territory after the kai-
ser's interview with the Russian En-
peror in the Gulf of Finland. Beyond
this no evidence is offered. 1t is sig
nificant that Mr.. Witte made it point
tonight to express his disbelief in the
report from st. Petersburg which
caused considerable CONSERVATION here
that Count Lamsdorff had authorized
Reuters agent to declare that Russia
under no circumstances would pay q
contribution either direct or indirect
or make a cession of territory what
ever, Mr.. Witte said he could moi
imagine that Gov La'>~~.'~"r~ coulC
have authorized such a statement with
out informing him (Witte).
Better Fight it Out Now.
According to competent japanese
authority Baron Komura and Mr.
1akahira are opposed to the waving
OF Japans demand for reimburse
ment of war expenses. This authority
said:
I'm the conference the japanese
contention was that in conceding the
ante-bellum demands of Japan, Rus
STA admitted either that she was beat
en- or that her attitude prior to th'
war was unjustified and in either case