Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-21
Peace the Conspicuous Infu-
ence in Dealings Today.
MARKET VERY DULL
PUBLIC ATTENTION CENTERED
LARGELY IN PORTSMOUTH ISSUE.
Operations for Foreign Account Were
on Disappointing Scale Despite
Firnness Abroad.

NEW YORK. August 21.-With the re-
sumption of business In the stock mar
ket this morning the status of the peace
negotiations seemed to be still the doml-
nant. or. superficially considered. at least.
the most conspicuous influence in the deal
ings.
The late advIces with respect to the sltu-
alton at Portsmouth placed that matter in
n rather confusing light. 1t was hoped
toward the close OF last week that the
visit Of one OF the Russian ENJOYS to
President Roosevelt would be followed by
some definite aunouncem ant that positive
progress toward peace had been accom-
plished.
This mornings Intelligence. while not
entirely contradicting that idea. was, new
ertheless. at least negative. and with the
course OF the day the notion spread that
the negotiations. after ALL were apt to end
in a disa agreement.
Peace the Exclusive Phase.
That public attention is centered almost
exclusively upon this phase of the situa-
ton was quite clearly revealed today in an
abrupt falling away in activity, the market
during the greater part of the business SEES
sion being extremely dull in comparison
with Thursdays and Fridays scales of ac-
tivity. The foreign markets retained Iirm
tendencies, and their was apparently
no abatement whatever in the opti-
mistic news with regard to the outcome OF
the Portsmouth negotiations.
American stocks were quoted In the Lon
don market at advances aging fully
one-half point, but the operations here for
foreign account were upon a disappointing
scale. both in volume and direction.
Crop Prospects Satisfactory.
There was no news at all over Sunday.
save that relating to the course of the ne
gotiauons for peace Adyices regarding the
progress of the crops continued highly sat
isfactory, and the grain market was weak,
Notwithstanding the issuance of an estimate
or the wheat harvest by the pessimistic
Jones which placed the outturn nearly
1O.OW.0OO below the figures predicted by
less sensational but more commonly ac-
cepted authorities.
There was nothing else In the morning
news or in the days developments calcu-
lated to shape speculative 4entimfHt in one
direction or another. The market opened
with very fair degree of animation. and
with sharp advances appearing In num-
Der or stocks. particularly the higher
priced issues, but with the course of the
business session decidedly irregular an oc-
casional reactionary tendency developed.
AT the same time the market maintained
the story which 1t has told for the past
month OF certain stocks reaching new high
records OF value. including Reading COM
Nearly all of the higher-priced stocks
were indeed exceptionally strong. There
We're extensive advances in Chicago and
Northwestern. Northern Pacific, Great
Northern preferred and Delaware and Hud-
son. Among the low-price issues advances
Of / point or more were made in Atchison,
Missouri Pacific St Louis and Southwest
ern preferred and Wisconsin Central.
Pere Marquette Rumors.
Rumors that the Pere Marquette inter-
ests were purchasing control OF the latter
property were repeated but met with an
emphatic denial. The local traction shares
showed some life in the early part of the
business session. but subsequently subsidized
into their accustomed dulness.
Transactions in the industrial quarter de-
veioped no striking features. Republic
Iron and Steel preferred and the other
southern iron stocks continued firm, the
first named advancing in anticipation of the
early resumption or dividends. AmaIga-
mated Copper and the United States Steel
shares fiuctuated irregularly, although re-
IainpR their usual nasffiar In nf