Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 112, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1904 — THE TALK OF MEDIATION. [ARTICLE]

THE TALK OF MEDIATION.

Little Prospect that Other Powers Will Mix in the Eastern Embroglio. In its session at St. Louis the Interparliamentary Union adopted two resolutions, one asking the President of the United States to call a new session of The Hague conference and the other asking the powers to intervene to effect peace in the far East. The proposal to hold another conference at The Hague and thus promote the cause of peace generally can arouse no opposition. The resolution calling for the intervention of the powers in the Russo-Japanese war is another and far less practicable measure. As matters now stand between the two belligerent powers, a Chicago paper says, neither is in a position either to ask peace or to listen to offers of friendly mediation. The fortunesrof war thus far have been distinctly favorable to Japan. That nation would not consent to any terms of peace which did not involve the expulsion of Russia from Manchuria and the placing of Korea under a Japanese protectorate. In all likelihood, the Japanese government would require also the cession of Sakhalin island and the right to control the Tort Arthur branch of the Siberian railway. Russia, while it has met heavy reverses, has experienced no such disastrous defeat as would lead it to consider such terms. It would decline to admit that it has been defeated or that future campaigns may not give it a decisive victory over its enemy. Unfortunately, moreover, none of the great powers seems to be in a position which would enable it to intervene without arousing the distrust and antagonism of one or the other of the belligerents. An offer of mediation from Great Britain, Japan’s ally, would be obnoxious to Russia. A similar offer from France, the ally of Russia, would be equally obnoxious to Japan. The Kaiser’s attitude, which is generally understood to be distinctly favorable to Russia, would cause Japan to distrust any exercise of mediatory powers on the part of Germany and probably of either Austria or Italy, which are more or less under German influence. There remains the Unit-, ed States, but there is at present in Russia a strong disposition to regard the American attitude as more or less hostile.