THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1746, 23 August 1905, Page 31

THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR

DELIBERATIONS OF THE PEACE .- CONFERENCE. WASHINGTON, August 19. The Peace Conference has agreed to _ k Japanese; hsliing. rights froin Vladivostock. to the Behring Sea. A deadlock, has . taken place, regai cling the limitation of the Russian navy in the Ear East. . - ~ The Conference has adjourned until Tuesday to permit the drafting or pae--1 tocois recofamg the business, done. The final struggle on the vital issues opens on Tuesaay. : , Ail the papers report that T hursday's session of tne plenipotentiaries was stormy and embittered. It is stated that M. de Witte declares Russia will reimburse Japan for maintaining the Russian prisoners, but will not. give one kopeck indemnity. LONDON, August 19. Professor M. ue Martens, the celebrated Russian j urist, in the course of ah interview concerning. the p eace negotiations, said there-was no precedent in history where a country whose territory was unoccupied wholly-or partially by an enemy paid a. war. tribute on signing peace. He instanced! Napoleon and the Pbace of Tilsit, and! the Hispano-Ameri-can treaty, wherein America, though victorious, paid Spain twenty million dollars for the Philippines. WASHINGTON, August 20. • Ah President Roosevelt's invitation JBaron von Rosen, one of the Russian peace plenipotentiaries, has arrived at the Presidential residence- at Oyster Bay to. consult, with the President who apparently acted on the suggestion of M. Kaneko, the Japanese Minister. • Opinion at Portsmouth is pessimistic; It is believed Russia will yield Saghalien Island if a promise is made that it will not be fortified, but insistency on an. indemnity by Japan bars progress..

MR ROOSEVELT’S EFFORTS TO STOP THEE; WAR. WASHINGTON,. August 21. It is stated that before inviting Baron •von Rosen, one- of the 'Russian peace plenipotentiaries, to consult with him, President Roosevelt secured the active and’ eordial support of Great Britain, France, and Germany, and communicated with- the Mikado through Mr Griscom, the American Minister at Tokio, and M. Kaneko, the Japanese Minister at Washington. Baron von- Rosen spent an hour with Presidents Roosevelt on Saturday, and three hours with M. de Witte yesterday. A. message, was afterwards despatched to the- Czar. LONDON, August 21. “The Times” correspondent at Portsmouth (U.S.A.) reports that a telegram received there last evening, declares the Russian Council of Ministers held a. meeting under the presidency of the Czar, and were apparently unanimous in deciding that further concessions were impossible. TOKIO, August 21. Cabinet met yesterday,, and afterwards the Prime Minister, Count Katsura, received Sir Claude McDonald, the British Minister, with whom he had. a long interview l . Count Katsura, after an. interview with Six’ Claude McDonald, the Mikado, and prominent Japanese, statesmen,, informed- Dr Morrison,, correspondent, of “The Times,” that when the conditions of peace were drafted,;- Japan brushed aside, proposals trie nation- regarded as essentials; and reduced the terms to the smallest passible limit, and’ the most reasonable and most obvious. It is stated that King Edward. M. Loubet (the French President), and the Kaiser are urging St..- Petersburg and Tokio to avoid the Conference being a failure. There is no sign of a concession regarding the payment of an indemnity. M. de Witte is stated to have remarked that perhaps between now and Tuesday some foreign Power may use its influence. “Talking to the Japanese," he added, “is like talking to graven images.” The Atlantic and Pacific cables are overwhelmed with Conference messages. THE INDEMNITY QUESTION. LONDON, August 20. “The Times” says Professor de Martens, in stating that there was no precedent in history for the payment of a war tribute by a country whose territory was unoccupied by the enemy, overlooks the occupation of Saghalien Island and the huge indemnity which Russia squeezed from China after, the Boxer troubles by manipulating figures for the purpose. LONDON, August 18. Hoping that Admiral Rozhdestvensky would recover command of the sea, the Russians at Port Arthur did not injure the vessels that were, sunk in the Port Arthur harbour. They, merely submerged them, 1 greasing, .d or otherwise protecting the machinery.. Four of the- battleships and two cruisers will shortly’ be serviceable additions to the Japanese fleet. ; - ; TOKIO, August 21. A squadron sent to Kamschatka captured the Russian! transport Australia in the Petropavlovsk harbour.

Japanese newspapers urge the Government, in the event of a rupture in the< peace negotiations, to seize the maritime province of Siberia before the rainy season ceases.