Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-08-18
Y FOR COST OF WAR TAKEN UP FIRST
Neither Side Would Make Any Concession
and Issue is Passed Over.
EEPEsT PEssIWIsM AGAIN PREVAILS
Each Side Seems to Think it Gan Yiel
Nothing More,
WILL PROBABLY ADJOURN UNTIL MONDAY
Envoys in Meantime VIII Consult
Their Governments About
the Two vital
Points.

Points
PORTSMOUTH. N H. Aug. 1.-THE
crisis In the peace conference has been
reached and pessimism is again the note
But the darkest hour Is Just before the
dawn and there is still hope Predictions
Of a final rupture tomorrow certainly will
not be justified unless Baron Komura
hguratively picks up his hat and announces
that II is useless to proceed farther. M
witte at least will not be precipitate. Al
tomorrow's session after article II (the
Limitation of Russia's sea power In the
far easD and article xii (fishing right on
the iittoroaD are disposed of he will favor
an adjournment until Monday to hear the
last word from st. Petersburg.
Pessimism tonight is based on the fact
that no progress was made today. The
exchange of views at the morning session
on article TX remuneration for the cost
of the war; showed at once that the
plenipotentiares were as far apart as the
poles, and it was passed over. Article
the surrender Of the interned Russian
warshipsl was also passed, not in the
opinion of one of the present plenipotenti-
aries when the Associated Press corre-
spondent saw him tonight. because it could
not have been arranged, but because within
the shadow of the two main points in dis
pute hanging over the conference both
sides were cautious and preferred to post
pone II to the end.
Article ii Limitation of sea power is also
adjustable after modification and article xii
will present no difficulties. So that tonight
the situation was practically where 1t was
when M. Witte last Saturday presented the
Russian reply with It's non possuimus on
articles and tx (Sakhalin and indemnity
TNt,o is
Russia to yield Sakhalin and Japan in
demnity Neither will yield both and per-
| haps Japan at the final showing of hands
will yield neither. NJ. Witte, under the
! imperial instructions given him before he
J left st. Petersburg, can agree neither to
| pay war tribute nor cede a foot Of Russian
! territory. ST. Petersburg therefore In the
! last resort remains to be heard from
! Doubtless this is the reason why he prefers
postponement tomorrow over Sunday.
Baron Komura probably will welcome an
adjournment of two days in order that he
also may lay the situation before his gov
| ernment before it's final decision
Both sides PessImIstic.
The sudden revival of deep pessimism to-
night was induced by the dispatches given
out when the plenipotentiaries returned to
the hotel that no progress had been made
| today But to those on the inside that
was not surprising. Things had gone
smoothly enough only the impasse had
been reached-there had been the CLINT of
cold steel in the conference chamber. And
the few words NJ Witte said to the foreign
newspaper correspondents was as usual
not encouraging. He looked tired and said
nothing had been accomplished
Tomorrow" he said. I'VE will finish ar
ticles xi and xiD' I
What them" he was asked
Then we will go TO dinner" he replied
as he excused himself to go to dinner at
Assistant Secretary Peirces. No very great
hope was vouchsafed in the Japanese camp.
I'VE are not buffers" said Mr.. Sato,
and from authoritative source the As
ISOLATED Press correspondent received a
distinctively bad impression regarding the
outlook. 1t was coupled however, with an
expression of the hope that II it developed
that the conference was going to pieces.
President Roosevelt might again step in.
1--WE have heard that the president hav-
ing brought us together. has washed his
hands Of further responsibility. But he is
resourcerul. He might do something"
'What?"
THAT 1 cannot say"
The Japanese view was thus explained;
I'VE came asking only what we wanted.
our terms were moderate. The world thinks
so 1t looks bad I say so. l believe 30.
But the conference may yet be saved from
shipwreck NJ. Witte has been gracious.
He has done what he can. but he has q
future at home to consider"
A very important conference occurred IN
Mr.. Whites rooms shortly before midnight
2 in which was present Baron de Rosen, the
other Russian plenipotentiaries and M. DE
) Martins. and General Yermaleh. NJ. Poko-
! aW.Np. IL.
r five Russian delegates II Is the first time
e full meeting of plenipotentiartes had beer
held since the conference began. The pre-
liminary discussion Of the japanese condi
I tions is already virtually ended. II Is NOD
improbable that the final report and recon-
mendations OF the Russian plenipotentiaris'
] was passed upon ard transmitted tonight Il
the emperor at Peterhof.
: II can be stated that the individual View
of the members Of the Russian mission diff
fer as to what point should be yielded II
compromise is to be offered. Some favor th'
surrender Of Sakhaln, others an indemnity
: None are ready to give up both points.
i The Associated Press learns at midnigh
= that during the conferences the Japanes'
q Observation-Disclosures several times manifested
a sort of desire 20 couple the consideration
OF the disputed points This might indicate
2 a willingness 10 bargain at the end.
!. The Russians watched these moves will
o great interest, waiting for their adversarie
Il to press them, but without showing thei
u hands.
Il Mr. Sato is quoted as saying that tn
japanese will tomorrow propose taking ul
, the articles which have been passed over. I
), that is the case the Japanese may have de
:, cided to openly propose joint consideration
u Japan Advised to Hedge.
n LONDON, Aug. ls.-The morning news
papers continue to be pessimistic regarding
u the prospects for peace. although in som
n notable Instances there is evidence Of a de
! sire to hedge on the uncompromising atti
i tude assumed IN the earlier stages OF IN
Portsmouth conference. The most notAbl
N Of these this morning Is the Daily News
n, one OF the oldest London papers which &
e. closing a lengthy editorial on the peace ne
gotiations says:
Our desire that Japan should waive