JAPANESE REPRESENTATIVES ATTITUDE. LONDON, 14th August. CABLE NEWS. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.— COPYRIGHT.] THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. REPORTED FRESH INSTRUCTIONS. PARIS, 14th August. FROM PORTSMOUTH TO MANCHURIA. . TOKIO, 14th August. INFATUATION OR BLUFF? COMMENTS BY THE TIMES. LONDON 14th August. A FRENCH JOURNAL'S VIEW. PARIS, 14th August.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 39, 15 August 1905, Page 5

JAPANESE REPRESENTATIVES ATTITUDE. LONDON, 14th August.

CABLE NEWS. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. — COPYRIGHT.]

THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

REPORTED FRESH INSTRUCTIONS. PARIS, 14th August.

FROM PORTSMOUTH TO MANCHURIA. . TOKIO, 14th August.

INFATUATION OR BLUFF? COMMENTS BY THE TIMES. LONDON 14th August.

A FRENCH JOURNAL'S VIEW. PARIS, 14th August.

PROPOSALS BEFORE THE CONFER-

THE INDEMNITY QUESTION.

RUSSIAN ENVOY'S VIEWS.

[press association.]

WASHINGTON, l'4th August,

In rejecting the clauses in the Japanese conditions for peace respecting the payment of indemnity and the cession of Saghalien Island, M. de Witte urged that Russia's unpreparedness before the war commenced was proof that she did not intend war. Russia, he said, was not responsible for the war, hence she was not responsible for the expenditure incurred by Japan.

On the same grounds, M. de Witte resists the cession of territory.

Though she has suffered reverses, add 9M. de^ Witte, Russia is not vanquished, and is able,' if necessary, to continue , the struggle. She desires peace now, as she did before the war, but peace must be honourable.

The Conference agreed to .meet at 3 o'clock yesterday, but subsequently the -■ resumption of negotiations was postponed until to-day. >

Japan's peace conditions are being discussed seriatim, despite Russia's reply rejecting the demands for payment of indemnity and the cession of Saghalien Island.

The discussion of the clauses' seriatim was due to Baron Komura's initiative. His imperturbable taotics puzzled M. de Witte, but the fact that M. de Witte has agreed to discussion is interpreted in Japanese circles to mean that he would never have accepted unless Russia was really prepared to yield Saghalien.

The New York correspondent of The Times says that as Baron Komura's and M. Takahira's powers are less comprehensive than M. de Witte's and Baron yon Rosen's, ifc is supposed the Japanese representatives are keeping the conference alive until they receive fresh instructions from Tokio.

The St. Petersburg correspondent of Le Temps says fresh instructions have been cabled to M. de Witte, and these will serve as the basis of counter-pro-posals.

Tho newspapers of Tokio are not hopeful as regards the peace prospects. They advise the nation to turn its eyes from Portsmouth to Manchuria.

The Times says: — "It is infatuation or calculated/ "bluff" for the Russians to proclaim that the Japanese are mistaken when they imagine their opponents beaten. The Russians may deceive others, but they cannot hope to deceive the ■ Japanese. Commenting- on & statement that M. de Witte complains that the Japanese plenipotentiaries have resolved to maintain secrecy, respecting the proceedings of the conference, while Russia is burning to take the whole world into confidence and make the world the judge, The Times adds: — Japan adheres to the original arrangement which she, at Mr. Roosevelt's suggestion, accepted. Moreover, she insists upon negotiating with Russia, and Russia alone.

Tlie Echo de Parjs learns that one of the determining causes of the recent interview between the Kaiser and the Tsar was that ifc was reported there were prospects of the Japanese bombarding Russia's Baltic ports unless the peace conditions ,were signed.