NEWS OF THE WEEK.
LATE on Tuesday evening London was amazed, or rather astounded, by a statement that the Pleni- potentiaries sitting at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, had made peace, and on Wednesday the statement was found to be accurate. The Russians, it is true, had adhered, as we expected, to their refusal to pay an indemnity, but to the utter surprise of both sets of Plenipotentiaries, the Government of Tokio had telegraphed instructions to waive this demand. Baron Komura, therefore, though, it is said, personally almost heartbroken at the result of all his efforts, when on Tuesday M. Witte offered as the ultimatum of his Sovereign the southern half of Sakhalin without an indemnity, said "I accept," and the war was over. The Treaty is now being drawn up, and will, it is believed, be signed within another ten days, the delay being necessary because the precise words of each clause may be of grave importance. The terms are therefore still concealed, but it is known that Japan obtains the lease of Port Arthur, Dalny, and the peninsula of Liaotung ; that she becomes predominant in Korea ; that Russia abandons Manchuria, which will be handed over to the Chinese ; that Japan obtains possession of the railway from a point south of Klarbin to Port Arthur ; that she receives all Sakhalin south of the fiftieth parallel, though with an obligation not to fortify; that she will enjoy fishing rights on the Siberian coast said to be of great value ; and that she will be paid for the mainte- nance and repatriation of her sixty-seven thousand Russian prisoners. As regards money, the total to be paid to her on this and other questions of detail will be from sixteen to twenty millions.
