The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-04
PORTSMOUTH. Sept. 3.-After be-


| J1ORTSMOUTH. Sept. S.-After be
ing treated to every variety of
weather the peace conference
promises TO end i'm the midst of
raging northeaster. Since last night
II has beeen blowing a gale, accom-
d panied by torrents Of rain According
i To local traditions. such nOrtheasters
continue for three days, so that it prob
ably will last over the day on which
the treaty is signed
Anxious for the End.
The plenipotentiaries and attaches of
the two nations seem TO be fully as
anxious for the curtain to ring down
on the final act of the drama as the
little colony Of newspaper corFesp0n-
dents and summer guests who are
waiting TO be in at the DEATH The
work of engrossing the treaty has al
ready begun, Mr.. ROjestvensky doing
the caligraphic work vf the French
and Mr. Adashi that of the English
text. Controversies over the phrase
ology still continue, and there We're
several conferences today between NJ
De Martens and Mr.. DennisOn, diff
fErences being referred for adjustment
TO the principals The Japanese are
proving great stiCklers for words. They
cling tenacious to their ideas. Care
full prepare i0n and methods have been
the secret of their sue. esses on land
and sea, and I'm their diplomatic strug-
giles at Portsmouth the same qualities
have been displayed.
Komura and Witte.
I'm the sittings of the conference
Baron Komura always stated the Jap
anese position upon a given point
briefly, but with great care. and when
NJ. Witte, whose method was entirely
different. would try 10 draw out ex-
plantations he would stick dOggedly to
the statement he rad made. NJ Witte
a man of affairs, sourceful and tai
ented as he is admitted TO be- had
his case ia his head He never
brought any papers with him. He
met everything which came up i'm an
Offhand WV, weighing it instantly i'm
his mind, analysing il, arguing the
logic pro and con, and stating his
views quite bluntly, never asking time
10 consider.
Baron Komura, on the other hand
could with the greatest difficulty be
induced 10 enter into the region of
argument. He stuck 10 the brief be
fore him. Speaking always quite slow
ly, he would repeat over and over
again what he had stated, as if he had
learned his lesson by rote. Several
times NJ Witte would say:
Eyes, I understand perfectly what
you say, but what do YOU mean-what
Us your real object
: japanese Presidency.
Then Baron Komura would go back
and restate his proposition almost eX-
actly as he had done originally. Both
systems had their advantages. By in
sisting, insisting. insisting. Baron KO-
mura would sometimes catch N. White
of his guard and provoke him into
statements which We're always eagerly
seized upon. AS a final resort Baron
KOmuTa was always ready with writ
ten solution OF a question and would
produce II suddenly, saying.
This is what We propose. What
have you got 10 offer2"
Then the value OF preparation and
fOresightedness was apparent NJ
White seldom had "a crystauized coum-
ter-propOsition To make. But. ON The
other hand, whenever NJ. Witte sue
ceeded in leading his adversary into
the realm of argument where previous
preparation awaited nothing. he had
Baron KOmura al q disadvantage. one
of those present likened Baron Ko-
mura as a horse I'm "bliuders" As
long as he was on beaten road with
his work cut out ahead of him he cot
along swimmingly but the instant he
was off the road into the woods. with
the "hlinders" removed he appeared to
be confused and lost, and fastened
back as speedily as possible 10 the road
he had mentally traversed so often and
with every foot OF which he was ia
miliar
Nj. Witte impatient.
Now when the Japanese are still
continuing their policy of insfstence
upon words or phrases, N. Witte is
showing considerable Impotence. He
is extremely anxious TO have the treaty |
finished and signed at the earliest mo-
ment TO preclude the possibility OF \
pressure from the home government /
upon minor points.
Especially at St. Petersburg there is /
constant danger that instructions at (
the last moment may come 10 try To !
get this concession or that concession
and thus bring only diplomatic dis
cussions which might indefinitely pro /
long the negotiations.
One of the attaches illustrated the 1
position of the home government by /
telling the story of the man who had /
asked from "A tailor a sack suit. He /
was satisfied with a sack suit until /
he returned with some friends 10 try
on the coat. IL was only when they
suggested that frock coat or a cut /
away would have been more suitable |
that the man grew discOntented.
I'VE don't want that 10 arise" said |
the attache. The plenipotentiaries are
the tailors. and If their friends a home |
object now they can only say, You
should have thought OF tail coat be-
Continued on Page 2.