Show russians resolved not to pay indemnity or and japanese firm in their demands oyama is Ready 60 attack linevitch as the end of negotiations pessimistic portsmouth aug 12 so pessimistic is the feeling among those in the confidence of both sides that the prediction was made to the associated press correspondent that it a meeting should be held this afternoon it might be the last and that tho history of the washington conference would be abruptly concluded today it the negotiations are broken off oyama will immediately give battle to linevitch the associated press learns from an unimpeachable pea chable source that plans are perfected his armies are ready and only await the signal that a rupture has occurred to launch his attack portsmouth N H aug 12 the russian and japanese peace aries reached the naval store building from the wentworth hotel at and at once proceeded to conference the conference adjourned tata 1 ten minutes after adjournment the two russian plenipotentiaries left the navy yard in their automobile the japanese remained in their suite of private offices today the japanese assistants si vent to be navy yard in launches taking with them a number of cases in which were documents gand records indicating that it is their intention to work today in their suite of offices in the naval stores building the heat was already almost unbearable when the japanese and russian plenipotentiaries set out tor the navy yard about 9 the mercury was dancing in the nineties on the veranda of the hotel not a breath of air was stirring bay and shore seemed swooning in the tropical atmosphere the foreigners were fairly overcome they were mopping their brow s as they appeared the heat evidently affected their tempers the grim serious business on hand upon the issue of which the whole world waits breathlessly deemed to be temporarily forgotten in the general execration of the weather mr watte and sir takahara lra who have suffered particularly from the unprecedented ce dented heat wave which has held this vaunted summer resort in its relentless lent less grip for three days looked almost worn out baron komura with mr Ta kahira and mr watte with baron rosen were taken to tha navy yard in automobiles while the secretaries and attaches of the missions went over ia a launch the latter greeted each other on tho wharf with emiles but there was little cordiality and no fraternizing the few remarks exchanged were simply the polite amenities and complaints against the weather when they entered the launch they were talking but before the launch had gone yards the attempt to keep up a conversation ended perhaps among the russians the reserve was less noticeable ti than among the japanese but there was little to choose between them in this respect their strained attitude toward each other could have been manifest to the most indifferent observers it seemed a bad augury indeed pessimism black pessimism reigned it was already well understood that mr wittes reply upon the two main points was a firm but courteous refusal the russians had made no concealment of that and such andl yai considering RUSSIAN RE PLY N H aug 13 the meeting of the peace confer ence this morning as indicated in these dispatches last was brief it lasted a little more than an hour the russian was delivered by mr watte and the meeting was adjourned to give baron komura and his colleague opportunity to examine tho document mr watte indicated courteously that he would expect the same expedition in the japanese response as had been observed in the preparation of the russian reply and this wa readily assented to the tl arles immediately returned 0 o jhc hotel while the japanese re at the navy yard the official statement regarding V this mornings session was elvea out by mr sato at 1115 accorti danied with the explanation that it awas an official statement to which bolh sides bad agreed it Is as fol ji K the sitting of saturday au their excellencies ae plenipotentiaries of russia have handed their reply in writing to note presented to them on thursday by the plenipotentiaries it has been decided next meeting will tahe the japanese aries have examined and atud reply given which will be at 3 this afternoon or tomorrow at the same hour y the associated press la in a po to state that the japanese tho russians have been foundation of the claim that the responsibility for a rup lure it one occurs have been due to their intransigent attitude they have decided in cae of a break to take steps to disprove any uch claim as came from their headquarters breathed a spirit of implacable resolution to adhere to the refusal indeed there were open intimations that unless the japanese modified their positions upon these points the attempt to negotiate peace must result in failure and predictions were freely made among tho russian correspondents that next week would see the end at the sama time there was a popular impression about the hotel that sir witte waa bluffing on the other side a similar but even more am pies sive attitude of determination was observed they seem sure of their position and their strength the japanese acted as if their minds were made up they would discuss but yielded nothing on the main points there seems good warrant tor the statement that two of the minor conditions were included for the purpose of bargaining but that the others in substance must stand with this condition of affairs there must bo surrender on one side or the other or the war will go on there may still be a chance of peace but it is based entirely upon a sudden change of the uncompromising attitude of one side or the other predictions are heard that it a break comes president roosevelt will again step into the breach the action of baron komura in announcing noun cing immediately upon the delivery of the russian response that the japanese would bs prepared to meet the russian plenipotentiaries again at 3 this afternoon or at 3 tomorrow afternoon produced a distinctly unfavorable impression to fix the time of meeting in advance of an examination of the reply was interpreted as evidence that the japanese mind was made up and that such concessions ces as they were prepared to make had been agreed upon in advance and only remained to bo formulated mr witta however is believed to have practically outlined the reply presented so that when baron komura made his announcement he knew the substance of the russian answer the russian reply to the japanese terms delivered by mr witte to baron komura was outlined in the associated press dispatches last night upon the two points indemnity and cession of sakhalin Sak halin it declined to admit discussion others it accepts and still others it accepts conditionally it is long taking up the conditions and setting forth the reasons and arguments for the decision reached in each case the argument against the payment of an indemnity or the cession of territory Is based upon the general theory that russia is not responsible tor the war and that as russia is still prepared to continue the struggle and has sought this meeting not as a vanquished country begging for terms but because she sincerely desired peace it honorable is possible therefore she could neither agree to foot japans bill tor war expenses nor cede territory the argument can be fairly stated as follows russia is not vanquished she has suffered reverses but she Is not obliged to accept peace at any cost she desires peace now as she always has even before japan opened hostilities that russia did not court or want war was evident by the fact that she was not prepared for it either in a military naval or administrative sense russia could possibly be properly accused of only one thing of having the occasion which japan was seeking and for which japan bad been preparing tor ten years to make war upon her the responsibility tor the war therefore falls upon japan and not upon russia when the meeting adjourned the k of bacu side retired to their respective private consultation rooms mr witte decided in view ot the possibility of another meeting this afternoon not to return to the hotel and telephoned that the morning newspapers and any telegrams which had arrived for him should be sent to the navy yard mr sato alone of tho attaches cams back to the hotel to bring the official account of the meeting to the newspaper correspondents there who were in M sato declined to supplement the official statement with any other information it can bo said however that although firm on the main points mr reply Is exceedingly courteous in form and tone and leaves the way open to discussion and negotiation it tho capane o arc willing the conference of the japanese diaries and their assistants was adjourned for luncheon at the luncheon was served in the private dining rooms at the naval stores building mr sato who bad been als to the hotel returned in an automobile just ai his party sat down 0 o lup chcon NO HOPE IN ST petersburg PETERS BURO SL petersburg august 12 dispatches from portsmouth make it clear that unless there Is a very substantial the demands of the japanese plenipotentiaries which Is unlikely will come the peace conclusion the two nations to a sudden arc so wide apart that all hope agreement has been practically of abandoned here it la probable next session will end in a final adjournment journ ment and that mr witte may sail for europe very shortly RAISING RUSSIAN CRUISER tokio aug 12 12 a m the which was russian cruiser sunk at port arthur will be re floated this morning CHANGE IN GUARDS washington au p 12 at the request of william W rockhill Rock hlll american minister at apekia the legation guard will consist of united states marines after november ast 1st the change was made tor tho reason that it will be easier to guard more frequently GOT AWAY WITH HER MONEY chicago august 12 mrs mary genders a widow 21 years old has last from her safe deposit bos in the illinois trust savings bank and yesterday she swore to a warrant charging charles C hammit with tha theft the money was paid her by a life insurance company after the death of her husband hammit aho vho had been friendly with the genders advised mrs genders to put her money in the safe deposit vault until a good opportunity for investment was offered and told her that he had better keep one of the keys as she loso her key when mrs genders went to the safety deposit valt yesterday her money was gone he is me last man in tha world I 1 would think would do such a thing said mrs genders last night why he actually knelt down and prayed aar my husbands coffin the police hav traced hammit to cincinnati |