THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1745, 16 August 1905, Page 31

THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR

PEACE PROSPECT®: HE MIKADO'S TERMS. DEMAND FOR INDEMNITY REJECTEDLONDON, August 12. Reuter’s Agency at Portsmouth. (New Hampshire), where the Peace Conference is sitting, has _ ascertained that Mv de Witte is returning with. a reply of “non possumus,” the demands for indemnity, and for the cession of Saghalien Island, hut accepts as a basis for discussion the other points in the Japanese proposals. These include the following: The cession of the Russian leases of the Liaotung peninsula. The evacuation of Manchuria. Retrocession to- China of any Russian privileges in Manchuria, and recognition of the “open door” principle. The cession to . Japan of. the.- Chinese Eastern Railway below Harping, the main line through northern Manchuria to Yladivostock remaining Russian. Recognition of a- Japanese protect orate over Korea. The granting of fishing rights to Japan in the waters of the Siberian littoral northward of Vladivostock to the Behring Sea. Relinquishment to Japan of Russian warships now interned in neutral ports. Limit at i. n of Russia's naval, strength in; the Far - East. The St. Petersburg correspondent of “Tibet- Times” says- the general opinion: in the Russi. n capital is that a-rgeement is impossible. Other advices state that the Russians accept with quiet resignation the' prospect of a prolonged war. Many are convinced that the disclosure cvf Japan’s terms is bound to make the idea of war. more palatable to the country: THE REJECTED CONDITIONS. M. DE WITTE’S REPLY. RUSSIA NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WAR. WASxLxivU-'IUiN, August 14. The' Peace worn me nee met at 9.30 o’clock on outiuuay mOiiiing.. ivi.: ne V>,itce oui/uneu uie terms of Russia s written repiy to the Japanese proposals ; anu lie mere upon delivered to- Caron Jvoin ura tne- written reply, with an inaicat.ua mat ne expected the Japanese pienipotentiacie-v- to copy Russian expedition rn repaying. in rejecting tne clauses in the Japanese conditions tor peace respecting the payment or indemnity; and the cession of Saghalien island, lit. ae Witte urged that Russia's unprepareaness before the war coinmenceaj was proof that she did not intend war. rvussia, he said, was not responsible for the w-ar, hence she was not responsible tor the expenditure incurred by Japan. On the same, grounds, M. de Witte resists the cession of territory. Though she nas suffered reverses, adds M. d© Witte, Russia is not vanquished, and is able, if necessary, to continue the struggle. She desires peace now, as she uid before the war, but peace must be honourable. After the receipt of M. de Witte’s reply the Conference adjourned. Baron Komura- and his colleagues debated privately; on the Russ.an reply till 3 o’clock in the afternoon when the Conference resumed, and continued sitting till. 7 o’clock in the evening. At that hour an adjournment was made. The Conference agreed to meet at 3 o’clock yesterday, but subsequently the resumption of negotiations was postponed until to-day. MODE OF PROCEDURE. WASHINGTON, August 14. Japan’s peace conditions are being' discussed seriatim, despite Russia’s reply rejecting the demands lor payment of indemnity and the cession of Saghalien Island. The discussion of the clauses seriatim was due to Baron Komura’s initiative. His imperturbable tactics 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. Though M. de Witte’s reply is framed with the intention of leaving the door open for discussion, the Russian diplomatists yesterday morning were threatening the likelihood of failure with the intention of laying the blame on Japan, but the impressive reserve of the Japanese plenipotentiaiies and the length of the afternoon conference renders the outlook much more hopeful. REPORTS OF FRESH JAPANESE INSTRUCTIONS. LONDON, August' 14. The New York correspondent of “The Times” says that as Baron Komura’s and M. Taka hi ra’s powers Are. less comprehensive than M. d© Witte’s and Baron von Rosen’s, it is supposed the

: Japanese- representatives are keeping the conference alive until they receive fresh instructions from Tokio. PARIS, August 14. 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 proposals. SIGNIFICANT REMARKS BY TOKIO NEWSPAPERS: TOKIO, August 14. The newspapers of Tokio are not hopeful as regards the peace prospects. They advise the nation to turn its eyes from Portsmouth to Manchuria. LONDON, August 14. The plans of Marshal Oyama are pei'feeted, and he is awaiting the signal of the rupture of peace negotiations to launch an attack. ST. PETERSBURG NEWSPAPERS UNANIMOUS. ST. PETERSBURG, August 13. The St. Petersburg press is unanimous in rejecting the Japanese proposals. The comments of Liberals prove that a Representative Assembly would also reject the proposals. WHAT “ THE TIMES ” SAYS. LONDON, August 14. “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 a 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. A FRENCH VIEW. PARIS, August 13. The journal “Le Temps” says the Japanese terms are hard, but offer an acceptable basis of peace. They will entail on Russia, sacrifices chafing to her "“amour prop re, ’ but Russia’s greatness will be undiminished if the defeat teaches her methods of regeneration. PARIS, August 14. The “Echo de Paris” learns that one of the determining causes of the recent interview between the Kaiser and the Czar was that it was reported there were prospects of the Japanese bombarding Russia’s Baltic ports unless the peace conditions were signed. SURRENDER OF RUSSIANS. LONDON, August 12. It is officially stated at Tokio- that 118 Russian officers and men at Naioro, Saghalien, surrendered on the 18th ins l, 1 A combined naval and military force then started to expel the Russians from Yunaicha, twenty miles east of Korsalcovsk. Pinnaces, carrying guns, entered an inlet 'near Yunaicha last Wednesday, and the troops worked round the eastern shore. After two hours’ cannonading 125 Russians surrendered. The Japanese Government is inviting competitive tenders for the Saghalien fisheries until the end of 190 b.