Show MB WILL another nation must take initiative when time is rips japan must gain a strategic base in order to rest upon her laurels and make peace london june aft the news brorn washington that steps were believed to have ben taken looking to the mediation between russia and japan creates great surprise here the british government not only has taken no part in euch measures but apparently Is ignorant that they are in progress official opinion here from premier I 1 balfour down Is that the time Is not yet ripe for any offer of mediation but to quote a person an fn mr balfourd Bal fours confidence great britain has kept the door open for any such cy it ie not likely that this government would be acceptable in the role ot arbitrator hut it would at the right time use all lt influence to the to accept the odor from a suitable mediator there seems to b no for thinking that the goy would not mi the role unit ably but rusala is always a rather unknown quantity thre seems to bf no doubt that re ministers seriously warned kins edward hat he must not inlaid any that direction with his imperial nephews the japanese legation it appears made discreet inquiries as to whether or not this was carried out and it wag stated that ahw was every reason to believe the war was not dla at kiel except in the roost informal and conversational way it was also pointed out at taft japanese Ip gayon which was entirely iff borant of any news concerning a move toward mediation that the present roo inopportune so far step japan it is maintained at the legation must first secure some stra as llao yang before she Is in a position to maintain such advantages as she has already won in manchuria without a commanding base japanese officials here believe their forces would be unable to either rest on their present laurels or push forward whether this Is accomplished by a decisive battle or by retirement of the russians the japanese here say mediation cannot be dreamed of until that phase of the struggle is settled one way or the other subsequent lo 10 the japanese achieving or falling in this objective it was thought that mediation might possibly be fea sable but baron hayashi Hay ashl the japanese minister reiterates that the terms japan was willing to accept prior to the beginning ot hostilities cannot possibly bo considered now |