Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 August 1905 — NEGOTIATIONS ARE NEARING A CRISIS [ARTICLE]

NEGOTIATIONS ARE NEARING A CRISIS

Agreement or a Smash-Up of the Conference Due in a Few - Days. KOBE ARTICLES ARE AGREED ON But Indemnity and Sakhalin Loom Up in Front Hope Is on Their Postponement to the I-ast—Summary of What Has So Far Been Accomplished. Portsmouth, N. H., Aug. 17. —The peace plenipotentiaries adjourned for luncheon at 1:30 o’clock, having sj e it the entire morning discussing article nine, which, it is believed, includes the question of Japan’s reimbursement for the cost of tile war. No agreement was reached and the commissioners temporarily laid it aside and proceeded to discuss tlie following article. Portsmouth. N. H., Aug. 17.—The prospects of peace are distinctly brighter. The plenipotentiaries are laboring with a seriousness and earnestness which leave not the slightest doubt that both are anxious to conclude a treaty. Articles 7 and 8, dealing with the fate of the Chinese Eastern railway, have been disposed of. Portsmouth, N. H., Aug. 10.—The crisis in the peace negotiations upon which the eyes of tlie world are fastened is approaching rapidly, and the end of this week or the first of next, at least, should witness the deadlock and tlie end, if the conference is to go to pieces. Two more of the twelve articles, numbers 4 and 6, were disposed of yesterday. Article 4 consists of mutual pledges to observe the Integrity of China and the policy of the ‘‘open door” for the commerce of all nations, and article G covers the surrender of the Russian leases to the Liaotung peninsula. Port Arthur, Dalny and the Blonde and Eliott islands. Beal Fight Again Postponed. To article 4 both parties gave ready assent, and the official statement of the adaption of that article took care to state that it was agreed to “unanimously.” Article 5, the consideration of which was postponed until later.

provides for the cession of the island of Sakhalin. Discussion appearing useless at this stage, on account of the firm negative given in the Russian reply. it was decided, upon the motion of the Japanese, to defer its discussion, thus revealing the Japanese intention of postponing to the end the life and death struggle. SUMMARY OF PROGRESS MADE Five Articles Adopted, and Seven Others Yet to Consider. All questions relating to Korea and Manchuria except -the cession of the Chinese Eastern railroad and the main Siberian line running through northern Manchuria from the station “Manchuria,” on the Amur, via Harbin to Vladivostok, are settled in the five articles already adopted. Some confusion has arisen aliout those articles and the following resume can be accepted as absolutely accurate: 1. Recognition of Japan’s "preponderating influence” in Korea, etc. 2. Mutual obligation to evacuate Manchuria. Russia to retrocede to China all special privileges, etc. 3. Japanese obligation to restore the sovereignty and administration of China in Manchuria. 4 Mutual obligations to respect the territorial and administrative integrity of China and the principle of the "open door.” 6. The surrender of the Russian leases to the Liaotung peninsula, including Port Arthur. Dalny and the Blonde and Elliott islands. The remaining seven articles (not given in numerical order) are: The cession of Sakhalin; reimbursement for the cost of the war; the cession to China of the Chinese Eastern railroad; the article relating to that portion of the main line of the Siberian railroad running through northern Manchuiia. which includes provision for the policing of the road by China and not by Russia; fishing rights on the Siberian coast north of Vladivostok to the Bering sea; the article affecting Russia’s naval power in the Far East, and that providing for the surrender of the Russian warships interned in far eastern waters. To all of these Russia has more or less objection. COMPROMISE THAT MAY WIN Pressure on Japan to Forego Indemnity if Russia Will Cede Sakhalin. There are persistent rumors about the hotel that several powers, Including the Washington government, are bringing pressure to bear upon Japan to forego “the cost of the war” and content herself with such other compensation as she can secure out of the railroad, the Russian property In Port Arthur and Dalny, and the cost of the maintenance of Russian prisoners in Japan—this only on the theory that Russia will eventually agree to cede Sakhalin, which Is now potentially