Show IS OFFICIALLY CONFIMED No Doubt of the Declaration of an Unconditional Armistice JUST WHAT IT lAS Not Even Equivalent to a Declaration Decla-ration of Peace Granting of the Armistice Looked Upon as a Shrewd Move By the Japanese Emperor to Diminish the Harmful Effect of the Attack Upon LI lung Chang Japanese and Formosa 05tUJtcl May Xot Be Resumed Washington March 30Secretary Gresham has received official confirmation confirma-tion of the declaration of an uncondi ional armistic by the Emperor of Japan It is not understood here that this is In any sense equivalent to a declaration declara-tion of peace but it is believed that there Is not likely to be a resumption of hostilities The negotiations may continue for along a-long time before a peace treaty is signed and it is quite certain that Japan will abate none of her demands on account of the armistice In fact the granting of the latter is looked upon as a shrewd move by the Japanese emperor to diminish the harmful effect of the attack upon Li Hung Chang I the war were prosecuted prose-cuted now it would have the effect to force the peace negotiations to a speedy conclusion and it is realized by the Japanese that in the present state of feeling caused by the attack they could scarcely insist upon as good terms of peace as can be realized after the lapse of a few weeks when the first impression will have < worn off i I is noted here with interest that the terms of the armistice do not apply I to the lower coast of China and particularly par-ticularly to Formosa and the Fisher islands This is taken to mean that the Japanese have determined to occupy oc-cupy Formosa before the peace negotiations nego-tiations are completed and the explanations ex-planations of this purpose is found in I the fact that i Js almost an invariable rule of international law that jnternatonal a nation na-tion must be in actual armed possession posses-sion of a piece of territory as a basis I for a demand for its cession i I |