The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-01-06
Considerable Anxiety Is
Caused by Hitch in the
Negotiations.
FINAL SETTLEMENT OF CUES
TON LEFT TO GOOD WILL AND
GOOD SENSE OF BOTH GOVERN
MENTs BY PORTSMOUTH
TREATY NOT PROGRESSING AS
SMOOTHLY AS DESIRABLE.
BY AdeIbert Thomas.

SOuaJlOnS began at. St petersburg
apparently under favorable auspices,
each party processing desire to deal
with outstanding questions in the spirit
of give and take. Mooted questions
were those which the Portsmouth
treaty had referred to the good sense
and the good will of both governments
more particularly the conclusion of a
commercial treaty and the definition
Of the fishing rights to be conferred
upon Japanese subjects on the Pacific
coast of Russia. The Russian govern
ment tackled the unpleasant task in
the spirit of a self-respecting sports
man who having lost a certain sum
regards ii as a debt of honor. and
proceeds to pay every penny, but nat
urally expects his obligations to eX-
tend no further than the debt incur
red. Hence the negotiations opened
we'll Korea's international status
being among the first topics dealt
with Russia evinced most liberal at
titude, foregoing her right to question
Japan's interpretations, the deduc
tons and the practical consequences
Of which were animated by desire
of profiting by technical arguments in
lCl ldhOi- J1ti u1OllNCS NGlS l1S
sire Of establishing a lasting peace
and cultivating neighbOrly terms with
her recent adversary. FOR the same
reasons further eXorbitant claims
which the Mikado's government adj
Vanced were regarded as mere desires
not as practical proposals, still less
as irreduciable demands.
This spirit it is claimed has not
been appreciated 1t is claimed that
Japan insists upon unacceptable
terms, the refusal of which by Russia
may be arbitrarily interpreted as d
refusal to observe the Portsmouth
treaty while their acceptance would
transform the peace between the two
empires into the meTest armistice-
That is the present position and it is
claimed that it deserves the attention
Of all of the sincere friends of peace.
In the first place then it appears
that Japan requires the rivers Sun
gari and Amur to be opened to inter
national navigation. Russia asking
wherefore receives the answer: Be
cause the third clause of the Ports
mouth treaty involves this act of self
denial and arrOgates ipsO factO Aigun
treaty by which China in 1888 confer
red upon Russia the right of navigat-
ing those rivers. and also because last
year Japan concluded treaty with
China by which the latter state throws
open TO her trade all commercial
centers in the Amur and Sungari
Basin.
Here the Cars jurist cOnsults Join
Issue with the japanese pointing oat
that the Portsmouth treaty neither
implies nor involves Russia'5 Teuun-
citation of special rights On the rivers
aforesaid, and cannot possibly he TAX
en- to abTOgaje the treaty concluded
by China ard Russia because inter
national t-e2r;e5 are arnuned in a diff
feraut way L The third clause of
the Portsmouth treaty the Russian
government declares that she BOSS
sesses in Manchuria no territorial
privileges or preferential or exception
al concessions calculated In infringe
upcr China's Sovereign OF inCompati-
bic with The principle OF equality of
rights. Nov the authorization to nav
;Sate the AmU= and the Sungari riv
Srs Is not incIaded By that declara-
ton beCa.se I is not mining, rail
way or 2grairia privilege, neither does
it encr2e2h rHcR China's sovereign
rights airy more than the navigation
Of the Pruss;an stretch Of the River
FictU!2 b. Russian steamers would
be a violation o. the king of Prussia's
sovereign rights RiveTain peoples
are accustomed to accord each other
navigating privileges on the river sys-
tens that traverse both countries.
These rights are the outcome Of ge-
ographical situation and are bestow-
ed only. by neigh bors up on each
other. As the Portsmouth treaty
could net ahTogate the Aigun treaty
neither could last years agreement
between China and Japan dbTogate
1t, and in neither document is the
Aigun treaty mentioned. The first
clause cf the China-Japanese treaty
provides for the opening Of various
ManchUrjan centeTs TO international
commerce TO this Russia has offered
no objection, although the time for
the evacuation has not yet expired.
Nor does it affect the river naviga
ton
The complaints which are being ut
7-ed that Russia is slow 10 evacuate
1t2nchuria and that the foreign pow
rs are indifferent 10 her procrasti-
adtion are deeply 10 be regretted be-
cause being utterly groundless they
0etray spirit which would not be
conducive to such relations between
the two countries as would guarantee
lasting peace in the Far East The
truth is that il is conceded quite gen.
orally that Russia has withdrawn her
troops with commendible promptitude
and so much more quickly than ia
pan that al present her military es-
Enlistment there is numerically less,
much less. than that Of her neigh
Dor; indeed J2pans has about twice
as many soldiers as Russia there
The dissatisfaction at Russia's at
titude on the question OF the Sagha-
lien fisheries is equally unfounded.
So scrupulously has the Russian gov
eminent acted in this matter and so
anxious has she been not TO prejudge /
any ostentatious point that even where |