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Show . r BLOWS HOT AND COLD. The wind from Portsmouth blows hot and blows cold. One hour it is for peace, another it is for war. This morning M. de Witte's declaration that not a kopek should be paid by Russia for tribute nor an ell of land yielded to the foe, rose up like a pillar of fire against further effort for peace. That was the feeling this (Thursday) morning, be-w fore the peace commissioners met. This afternoon a change took place. What it may effect is put aside for the thought that it is really'a change, and a change always brings hope with it. Let us be honest in our admiration of the man who brought it about. Let us forget the politician and think only of the strategic statesman. President Presi-dent Roosevelt is the man of the hour. "If peace be the outcome of today's conference, then to an American belongs the honor. . The strength of the president's position is that he commands the confidence of both sides. lle has already accomplished much in using his good offices of-fices to impress upon each side the necessity of mutual concession and both sides have already yielded a great deal to his persuasion. Only a single point still separates, but it is as it has been from the beginning, the crux. . Mr. Roosevelt's compromise position which Baron Komura formally presented at Wednesday's meeting in which Japan agreed to entirely withdraw with-draw articles 10 and 11 (surrender of interned warships war-ships and limitation of Russia's naval force in the est), and to substitute for articles 5 and 9 (cession of Sakhalin and indemnity),' a number of articles, provided for an arrangement by which Japan should get legal title to the southern half of Sakhalin, Sak-halin, which she possessed before the treaty of 1875, while Russia should redeem or repair her title to the north half of the island for 1,200,000,-000 1,200,000,-000 yen or $000,000,000. While it is President Roosevelt's proposition in substance, the Associated Press is informed that as offered Wednesday it varies slightly from the text of the compromise as suggested to both sides. In exactly what particular it cannot be ascertained. Russia, it can be stated, while rejecting the compromise com-promise because it included a remuneration of the cost of the war under another name, was willing, and indeed, offered the island,,of Sakhalin by not only restoring the status quo existing before the treaty of 1875, but agreeing to limit the frontier atid forever renounce all claim to the southern half. With articles 10 and 11 out of the way by Japanese recession, and article 5 settled by compromise, com-promise, the only thing which remained was indemnity, in-demnity, which has been a stone wall across the path of a complete agreement. ' Tomorrow or Saturday will tell the story. During the past week enough, has been discussed dis-cussed about the president's secret movements to show that he had sounded England and France and Germany upon the propositions presented for peace. Xaturally he was led to expect that Eng-' land, as an ally of Japan, could persuade the mikado to modify the demand of Japan. In like manner France, as the ally of Russia, could appeal ap-peal to the czar to meet such modifif ation and conclude con-clude terms which the nations of tiie world would not regard as dishonorable. Germany might exercise exer-cise an influence on both combatants. What has been the result? France is doing her utmost to secure peace, and so is Germany. England is anxious that the war should continue. She is opposed op-posed to an armistice in Manchuria. London papers pa-pers commenting on the neacc conference, declare that Japan should not be robbed of the fruits of her victories, The Chicago Inter-Ocean puts the case in a nutshell. President Roosevelt' believed the civilized civil-ized world desired that the war end. He used his influence with Japan and Russia to secure the appointment ap-pointment of peace envoys. Realizing that an armistice was a necessary condition of a peace conference, con-ference, the president exerted all his influence to secure an armistice. All the nations that desired peace co-operated with the president. Only England Eng-land objected. Why? s. England fears Russia in Asia. Therefore she wishes the Russian army in Manchuria to be utterly crushed. Unable to destroy that herself, she believes be-lieves that. Japan i? itl position to destroy it. , she wants the war. to continue until tho Russian array ceases to be even the shadow of a menace to India. This is, of course, pure national selfishness. It means the continuance of the war. It means the slaughter of thousands of Japanese and Russians. But it helps English interests in Asia. In opposing an armistice England is not considering her ally, Japan, but herself. She is obeying the first law of nations self-preservation. To maintain her prestige pres-tige in Asia and to weaken her great rival, England turns her back on Christendom, repudiates the counsel coun-sel and friendship of the United States, and seeks to prolong a blood y war. ' Xo accusation is intended or contained in this statement. Xor is there anything new or surprising surpris-ing in this rather deplorable situation. The point is that things are as they have been for a ceutury in international affairs, ami that all the idealists and peace preachers on earth have not altered the fact that we must still reckon with the same old Adam. |