The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] A Guaranteed Circulation of Over 7500 Weekly. TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 1905.

Waikato Argus, Volume XVIII, Issue 2907, 20 June 1905, Page 2

The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] A Guaranteed Circulation of Over 7 500 Weekly. TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 1905.

Thu great battle which is impending in Manchuria it is to be sincerely hoped will bo the last serious engagement of Lite war. The belligerent party in Russia are gradually losing influence, and attempts are being made to retain the last vestige of it by the piopagation of untruths. Statements have been attributed to Generals luiropatkin and Lincvitch which are palpably untrue if they have over been made. The former is stated to have telegraphed to the nobility of Moscow regretting the peace agitation of the Zemstvos Congress in view of the complete certainty of the vie lory of the Russian army. The latter and the generals under him arc stated lo have urged the continuance of the war. This last statement has been contradicted by tho subordinate generals, and the world will most certainly believe the generals. On the other hand the cables tell ns that the Russian armies are completely surrounded, and that the circumference of tho circle is being gradually reduced. In the meantime the peace negotiations are suspended, and the Russian Minister tor War has stated that they will not he renewed till the impending great battle has been fought, but adds that in any case the Russians will never consent to the dismantling of Vladivostok This is certain to be one of the demands of Japan, and ‘she will be justified in making it, as it is manifest that if she is once more successful in the field in anything like the same degree as in the last great battle, that the capture of the fortress by starvation must follow, provided the Japanese prefer this long process of reducing it to making an enormous sacrifice of life, as at Port Arthur. It is tolerably manifest that Japan will not brook any interference by other Powers in the negotiations for peace. It was stated a few days back that England had been ap preached with this object in view, and bad replied that Japan having fought and conquered with her own unaided forces should he allowed to settle her own terras of peace. This means that England, in the event of any attempt to snatch the just rewards of victory from her ally, will take active measures to secure to her her rights. We do not believe that Japan will ask anything unreasonable ; she was forced into tho war, and she had either to fight or allow Russia to assume a position in the East which threatened her independence and that of China. Japan is the last nation which has entered the family of civilised Powers; she has fought her way in, and has done so in a manner which has excited universal admiration, and so far she has so conducted her affairs and relations with other Powers as to give confidence that she will prove a useful and respected member of the great family.