Show but there has existed an understanding that there should be no general engagement during the conference for peace 4 4 portsmouth N H aug 31 in american fashion the summer guests at the wentworth hotel have assumed that the peace negotiations are practically ended and are leaving by every train the plenipotentiaries however realize that there are many important details yet to he deckler deckled and are remaining in their rooms receiving and sending cablegrams cable grams ir De Martens and sir denelson Denn lson are for the time the main workers they are framing the treaty and calling to their assistance from time to time those delegates whose advice they need up to noon neither the russian nor the japanese mission had received any information regarding an armistice The conclusion of a formal armistice Is however not so important or urgent as to create alarm it one or two days elapse before it Is proclaimed As a matter of fact a tacit amder standing ng has existed ever since both powers accepted president Roosevel ts invitation to send plenipotentiaries to portsmouth that there should be no general engagement until the result of the meeting was known both oyama and linevitch were ordered not to give battle without direct and specified instructions from their home governments neither side desired a formal suspension of hostilities before the meeting as it would be subject to misconstruction the peace conference had no precedent in history never before through the intermediary of a neutral power have warring countries met to talk of peace where the ame that had suffered the defeats refused to acknowledge it had been vanquished and came not begging tor peace but its head still aloft only seeking it for its own sake to have followed the customary procedure of arranging a formal truce before the meeting therefore would have placed husela in the very attitude which she disdained disdain ed for the first time since his arrival here mr witte this morning went out tor a walk which he said he felt very ILL atu UA T f J fj had no exercise since he went aboard the kaiser wilhelm at cherbourg Cher bourg although the weather was disagreeable and rain threatened he said he great ly enjoyed his stroll when mr witte returned mr submitted to him the work he had prepared tor meeting at the navy yard which like yesterdays will be at 3 mr de martens after working continuously all morning had practically drafted the whole treaty according to russian interpretation of the agreement reached by the plenipotentiaries his discussions with mr dannison the japanese legal adviser were chiefly on the form and on the interpretation pre tation to be given to certain words in the french text of the treaty baron rosen left the hotel in a motor car this morning supposedly for magnolia he returned to the hotel shortly after 12 the rumor of bis going to magnolia proving to be incorrect the members of the japanese mission do not seo anything strange in the fact that no news has been received from japan giving the impression there of the conclusion of under the conditions agreed upon between the two plenipotentiaries one CZAR OFFERS THANKS sends a message of praise to president roosevelt oyster bay august sl empe nicholas of russia has lecog nihed gratefully the part which president roosevelt played in the successful negotiations for peace in a cablegram received by president roosevelt today emperor nicholis congratulated and thanked the president for his efforts the cablegram follows Peter bof august 31 to dent roosevelt accept my congratulations and earnest thanks for having brought the peace negotiations to a successful conclusion owing to your personal energetic efforts my country will gratefully recognize the great part you have played tn the portsmouth peace conference signed nicholas that the russian emperor Bh ouId thank president tor his efforts to insure peace be tween russia and japan was to 11 have been expected but ft Is particularly ticul arly significant that in his cablegram emperor nicholas extended to president roosevelt his warmest chanka for having brought the peace negotiations to a successful conclusion the despatch la regarded as one of the remarkable of its kind ever denby the head of one nation to that of another congratulatory messages are pouring in upon the president tho executive office force here Is completely swamped and it will be many days before acknowledge ment of receipt of all messages can bo sent out it will be impossible for the president to respond to the felicitations feli citations of bis friends everywhere but in the course of time the sender of bac h message will receive a response 1 of the most influential members of the mission speaking to the correspondent of the associated press said he would not be surprised it the exact conditions of peace were not known by the great majority as the government jekely desires that the official announcement should be made only after the emperor had the agreement concluded at portsmouth london august 31 M takahashi the financial commissioner of japan in an interview today said the japanese government in prosecuting the war never had in mind the question of having to depend upon an indemnity the government had prepared itself for any emergency and at the present moment there is no less than untouched in london germany and the united states this being the case I 1 see no necessity for the issue of a new loan had peace not been concluded my government would have raised an international loan of for the further prosecution of the war this was tha plan at the time the conference met I 1 consider that the present resources of japan are ample tor clearing up the war and meeting the incidental expenses involved when questioned regarding the conditions of peace mr takahara lra said all farseeing far seeing japanese will hall with satisfaction the conclusion of peace although there must be a feeling of general regret that russia did bof display a more reasonable attitude in recognizing that japans terms were i not only reasonable but very moderate in the circumstances all japanese who take a broad mined view of the situation must recognize that the decision of their emperor was the wisest possible had the government insisted on an indemnity it is clear that the war would have continued the objects for which the war was waged already have been more than achieved and to continue the war for a pecuniary consideration would not have been worthy of the japanese 1 patched up peace or that other such conflicts are likely to ensue every contingency has been amply provided for by the anglo japanese alliance mr takahashi looks for one of tha earliest developments in the far east to be the education of china by western methods already commenced GEN IS PLEASED soldiers will be disappointed but rejoice over returning home st petersburg august 31 personally I 1 am satisfied thoroughly satisfied was the emphatic response ot general when asked tor his opinion ot peace conditions the general who with M watte Is the man ot the hour in russia and as assistant minister ot the interior is mora thoroughly in touch with the actual sentiment and situation throughout the empire than any other russian added still speaking personally that he considered that russia by the terms of peace obtained all that she could have attained by prolonging the war especially since without a float she would be unable no matter how victorious she might be on land to attack the japanese at home or retake the island ot sakhalin Sak halin it was obvious that the russian envoys had scored a diplomatic success and he had no criticism ot the terms in any particular speaking further of the effect ot peace on the internal situation general maintained that ane conditions were by no means serious the foreign press he mistaken in supposing that there Is a revolution in russia it Is true that in poland and elsewhere there have been disorders and in courland the situation la serious but there is no revolution ol ution the disorders are only sporadic the return of the army from manchuria according to general offered no ground for apprehension it will be necessary tor a largo part of lithe army to remain permanently in the far east and the homecoming home coming of the other part will be a matter of months it took a year and a half continued the general to get the present force to manchuria the troops will be equally long in returning really ANGLO JAPANESE TREATY powerful factor in ensuring the i peace of the world london aug 31 the report that an anglo japanese treaty was signed aug by foreign secretary lansdowne and minister hayashi Is confirmed while secrecy is maintained for tho present regarding the exact terms it may be eaid that the document is of far reaching importance it at fords mutual guarantees tor the protection of british and japanese interests even it the two contracting powers arc only threatened by a single hostile power and assures the maintenance of the quo in the far east the treaty will be found to bo a powerful factor in ensuring the peace of the world at any rate BO tar as the far baat Is concerned peace made at this time when it was believed in the army that they stood on the eve of victory will cause bitterness for the moment but this will wear away under the pleasure of getting home passing to the subject of the national assembly and the coming election general said that one of the great causes of dissatisfaction would soon be removed as work on the law regulating tho right of assembly was proceeding and a law would speedily be is under which the people would be able to meet and discuss the candidates di dates their policies and other lawful objects the authorities w ero not opposed to such meetings and would not interfere except when the proceedings take a serious turn the trouble with the liberals here in st petersburg Is that they are not accustomed to obeying the law and have to learn that the laws are meant to be obeyed it the want to meet again in moscow they have only to ask permission stating the object of the meeting and it will be freely granted regarding the demand tor freedom of the press general said that the restrictions were more imaginary than real he pointed out the liberty with which the papers are now discussing all sorts of subjects when questioned on the subject of the rumors at impending changes in the ministry of the interior the general denied the current report that general G count alexis head of the religious toleration committee would be appointed minister he said that Bou ligan had not resigned and that the press was busying itself far more than the government with this matter As the correspondent arose to leave general again reverted to the subject of peace saying in conclusion cl your president has done great work magnificent work he should be thoroughly happy and satisfied |