Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-08-09
PRESIDING OFFICER NEEDED
Some Regret Expressed That Presi-
dent Roosevelt Was Not Secured to
Preside; at the Meetinss--Little Pre-
eedent for Procedure at the Confer
snce.

the hour for the conference approaches
Today the japanese and Russians sub
mitted themselves to the demands of
ceremony. but even before the cere-
monies began the ENJOYS began consid-
ering their position.
Even physical difficulties occupy
them. Portsmouth as place of meet
ing has both advantages and disad-
vantages. New Castle where both par
ties live, is at least half hours drive
away, while the island where the con-
ferences will be held is eighty minutes
distant by land and forty by sea. The
Hotel Wentworth, where both live, is
typical American summer hotel, lodg
ing some 500 persons with a certain de-
gree of comfort. Each group of en-
voys has a large staff nicely distribut-
ed, but neither has a large room for
secretarial work or discussion. The
naval stores building, which the gov
eminent supplies and adorns with
many flags, has a large hall for meet
Ing and fairly good rooms for the sec
retaries, but it is on the whole not
quite adequate to the business to. DE
done.
1.-THE difficulties OF procedure may be
much more formidable. Precedents arc
lacking or so far as they exist are not
binding on the Japanese, and perhaps
not on the Russians. There is no
Bismarck to preside and nobody who
can ride the whirlwind and direct the
storm as the iron chancellor did at
Berlin in 1873. More than once have
heard the wish expressed that Prest-
dent Roosevelt could have carried on
his great peacemaking work and pre-
sided over the conference. For want
Of q Bismarck or a Roosevelt every
thing these first days is at skies and
sevens, or seems to be.
IN. de Witte is unfamiliar with
diplomatic procedure. His ideas OF the
method to be followed do not seem to
have crystallized. At any rate, all such
questions appear to be so far as the
. Russians are concerned still in the
open. In what language are these four
ENJOYS to carry on the discussions?
They have no language in common.
Baron Komura and Minister Takahira
speak English, but no French. NJ. Gle
Witte speaks Russian and French, but
no English. Baron Rosen speaks Eng
fish and French. There must, there
fore, In any case be an interpreter,
which must cause delay. Prof. Mar.
tens who sits at the table as coun-
selor, is an accomplished linguist and
speaks fluent English and French. 1t
Is suggested that the democratic rule
may apply and the language which the
greatest number speak will be used
which is English. But IL 1t is used for
oral discussion there is again the Diff
ficulty Of drawing up protocols in Eng
fish, for the Russian foreign Office has
been trained in French.
Questions That Puzzle.
Then how is the conference to open?
Who is to settle the course Of discus
sion? Who is to determine the order
thority to the other. They must agree,
as there is no authority to wnom
credentials can be referred. The Rus
slams and Japanese must each decide
the validity OF the others power. At
the outset question may arise If
Russia shall be found to have limited
her ENJOYS powers as she has limited
her acceptance of the presidents In
vitation to the conference, or as the
Russian foreign office said she did.
Though the Japanese note Of accept
ance is in print in Russia, the note
never has been published.
Japan does not intend to enter into
pourpar1ers with ENJOYS whose powers
are not in the true diplomatic sense
pleins pouvoirs. Suppose the creden-
tials are recipl'ocally accepted, who is
to open the proceedings? It may, I
think be assumed that the Russians and
Japanese are about the council board
Who is to begin? M. de Witte, l
think, has speech ready. It will be
most interesting speech IL delivered,
for he purposes to revert to the origin
OF the war, but IL the Russians ana
Japanese are to debate the circum-
stances which brought on the war till
they are agreed we Shall be here till
next year. The Japanese are not un-
likely to take the view that they arc
here not to pursue historical inquiries
but to see whether the war can be end
ed.
Object to Long Debate.
They may, therefore, politely object
to debate which would be endless,
to which NJ de Witte, who if no diplo-
matist is a tactician, may reply, Pray,
lay your terms on the table at once.
This the Japanese are understood to be
ready to do, but in their own way.
They may state them in the first in
Nance as g. matter of principle. In
other words. before specifying the
amount of indemnity they may desire
to know whether Russia is prepared
to pay any indemnity. Before stating
their views concerning the island of
Sakhalin and Vladivostok they may
ask some assurance that a demand
for the cession of Russian territory or
the commercialization of fortified
port will not be regarded as ending the
negotiations.
Everything an the Air"
.I do not think that any of the pub
lished statements ON either of these
points is authorized or authentic, and
do not care to add one more guess to
the many already in print. My belief
is the Japanese have reflected upon
these first steps towards peace with
not less care than they bestowed OF
the first steps toward war. They can
not prescribe. cannot lay down the law,
cannot enforce code of rules, but they
can, and I think have, weighed several
contingent Or alternative courses.