The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1905-08-10
Russian [ayoy Makes Light Of the
Peteat Japaaese Victories
BELATED ARRIVAL IN new YORK
Eussia's Chief Plenipotentiary De-
clares That the japanese Would
Have ia Advance Four Times az
Much as They have Done in Order
to Reach Russia Proper. and That
the Country's Power Of Resistance
Remains Great.

New York, Specialize Kaiser
Wilhelm der Grease, with Mr.. Hefgius
Witte, the senior Russian peace en-
voy. arrived In quarantine Wednesday
afternoon. Mr.. Witte was in good
health. The ship had a good passage,
the sea being smooth, except on Sat
urday and Montay, when it was a lit.
tie rough.
On shipboard, Mr.. Witte was gen.
orally reticent when the subject of his
mission was mentioned. However, to
a correspondent who accompanied him
from Cherbourg, Mr.. Witte said:
Almost everywhere in Europe, as
well as in America, rot only Russia,
her forces, her resources and her
but the people are even mistaken
about the true results Of the war. The
Russians have had reverses, but this
does not signify that they have lost
the power which was known to the
Muscovite empire before the war; it
does not mean tha. Russia has become
a negligible quantity nor that the
japanese have acquired by the result
of the recent victories such a suprem-
acy as to make the Russian emptrS
consider them truly redonbtahie enc
my"
Mr. Willie recognizes the good quail
tiles of the Japanese military. naval
and administrative organizations and
does no. believe any other European
nation would have been able to resist
Japan as Russia has done.
All the foreign officers of the Euro
rean armies, he said, who followed
the war, were unanimous in affirming
that the Russian troops, both soldiers
and officers, fought with truly admir-.
able bravery, but they had to with.
draw on account of a combination OF
circumstances with which their per
sonal valor could not contend. On the
sea the Russians found themselves
constantly in inferior conditions. The
squadron of RojestyeHsky was sent
against Japan, not because the Rus
slams had much confidence in it's sue.
cess. but because they could not re-
nounce from a military and moral
point of view any chance, no matter
how uncertain. of obtaining even a
iRt Inv l. A.
clared, had not made such progress
as was generally believed; in fact
they would have to advance four dimes
as much as they have done in the last
year and a half to reach Russia prop
er, in which case alone they might
consider themselves in a position tC
| impose the conditions of peace. Ac
cording to the Russian plenipotentiary
| those who do not know Russia well
| oppose to the reasons the spectre
of the internal conditions of the EN-
| pire, imagining all kinds of cataclysms
but even about this, he said, they
were mistaken. Mr.. Witte did not wish
| to discuss at this time the events in
Russia, affirming, however, that they
have not the character nor the gray
ity attributed to them.
Mr.. Witte indicated, nOtwlthstand
ing these views, that he does not
mean to say that he will not make
every possible effort towards the con
clusion of peace, adding that he is ia
vorable to peace as Russian ani
as a man, having always worked tC
prevent war and understanding thai
at present nearly the entire world de
| Sires the end of the conflict. He re
peated that he will honestly do all that
his conscience may suggest to bring
about if possible, an agreement which
may be equally satisfactory to the in
terests Of Russia and Japan. Aftel
having done this, no matter what the
results may be. Mr.. Witte feels that he
will have accomplished his duty. He
emphatically denied having said thai
| Japan's peace terms were intolerable
| He also denied positively that he haC
predicted that the conference would
break up in week.