The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-24

seeking some verbal subterfuge to make
peace with their enemy upon terms dictated
by Japan.
There had been disposition to believe,
on the part o: those who have watched the
situation closely, that the Japanese would
offer concessions II they saw that the Rus
SLAMS were determined to refuse TO grant
any more OF Japans demands. The action
Of Baron Komura and Mr.. Takahira to-day
confirmed this forecast and also the opinion
that Japan was quite as anxious for peace
as Russia was.
WHITES STAND.
Mr.. WHITE has frankly avowed that Rus
STA regarded an ending Of the war as neces-
sary to her we'll being and he has expressed
his personal wish that q treaty should result
from the current exchanges, but he has at
the same time insisted that there would
be no hope of an adjustment Is long as
Japan persisted in her claim toremuneration
for the money she had spent in prosecuting
the Far Eastern conflict.
It has come to be we'll understood among
those who have obtained some insight into
Mr.. Whites character through personal
contact with him that he possesses q sterling
honesty that cannot DO shaken. He has
remained consistent to all that he has said
with reference to the position Of Russia,
and the belief has become conviction in
most quarters in Portsmouth that he will
not swerve from the attitude which he
has assumed in regard to the questions Of
indemnity and oession Of territory.
Taking for granted this estimate OF the
rugged emissary OF the Car, it is apparent
that Japan must make more substantial
concessions In order to win from the Russian
ENJOYS a consent to the conclusion Of the
treaty Of peace.
Whether Japan will do this is problemsti-
cal, but there is enough Of hope in the
change proposed by Baron Komura and
Mr.. Takahira in the conditions originally
presented by them, virtually in the form Of
demands, to suggest that thslTokio Govern
fnent is now willing TO meet Russia half
way In the efforts Of both to adjust their
differences.
RoosEvRLT's INFLUENCE.
To what extent President Roosevelt's
influence was responsible for bringing
about what may be termed q more concil-
iatory attitude on the part Of Japan has
not been disclosed, but the evidence at
hand indicates that while q moral effect
may have been produced by the knowledge
that he was working to save the Ports
mouth conference from dissolution, the
proposal made by the Japanese to-day
was not directly due to tue Presidents
endeavors.
In the fact Of the silence maintained
by the japanese the understanding Is that
Mr.: Roosevelt confined his work for peace
to the Russian ENJOYS. II he made any
representations to Baron Komura and Mr..
Takahira or the Government at Toxic
nothing has yet appeared to indicate it. .
His efforts to prevent the conference from
ending futlely were seemingly directed
personally to Mr.. Witte and Baron Komura,
who, Of course, transmitted the Presidents
suggestion to st. Petersburg. How 1t was
received there may be gathered from the
instructions telegraphed to the Russian
ENJOYS at Portsmouth by the Cars direc-
ton to decline to recede from their refusal
to grant the indemnity and territorial
cession demands OF the Japanese.
1t Is fair to explain that the President
did not submit any specific proposal to the
Cars plenipotentiaries. Mr.. White b au-'
thority for this statement, which confirms
the view that however anxious the Prcsi-
dent may be to zee the negotiations beer
fruit, he has been alive to the proprieties
that neutral chief Of state must observe
in dealing with q subject that docs not
actually concern any nations other than
Russia and Japan. The Presidents pro-
posal was tender OF good offices, and in
subsequent communications he has backed
up his original offer to do his utmost TO
bring the belligerent governments together.
He has by no means given UP hope Of
accomplishing the end which he has In mind,
for to-day he was in constant communion
ton by telegraph with Assistant Secretary
H. H. D. Peirce Of the State Department,
his representative here, who is the medium
OF transmission between Mr.. Roosevelt
and the Russian ENJOYS. There have been
statements that the President sent no mes
sage to Mr.. Wltte by Baron Rosen, who
went to Oyster Bay last Friday on the
Presidents invitation. These, however,
are erroneous. Baron Rosen was sent for
expressly to receive . communication
intended for Mr.. Witte, and he did receive
1t and duly delivered It to his fellow pleni-
potentiary.
JAPANESE DISAPPOINTED.
The Japaneee representatives here arc