The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-10-09
PEACE TREATY AND
GIRL AIT CENTRAL"
Negotiations at Portsmouth Made the
Young Woman a Figure Of In
ternatIonai Importance.

Young Woman a Figure Of In
ternatIonai Importance.
PORTSMOUTH. N. H., Oct. Z. IF
the conference of the Portsmouth had
occurred three-quarters ct a century
ago. declared an English newspaper
correspondent shortly after he had
flashed across the seas word that the
treaty OF peace between Russia and
Japan had been signed, 1the negotia-
lions would never have been brought
to a successful conclusion. Why?
Simply because 1t is very improbable
that the ENJOYS Of Russia and Japan
could have agreed OF themselves, and
if President Roosevelt had been com.
PEELED to depend on postal facilities
he could not have kept sufficiently in
touch with the negotiators to smooth
over the rough places, offer coneilia
tory suggestions at critical points
when the conference seemed about to
come to an abrupt Termination, and
finally to bring 1t to /. triumphant con.
clusion.''
Here the girl at Central" looms up
as a figure OF international impor.
lance. How many times She connect
ed the wires between Portsmouth and
Oyster Bay, SO thai the President
could get in detail the latest news OF
the conference from Assistant Secre-
tary, Of State Pierce and issue his own
instructions and sugse stions for the
conference. VIII probably never be
known. Certainly Central" will not
tell. But could the historian Of future
years summon to his al, the details
Of those telephone conferences, his
work would probably run through
more editions than the post popular
of modern novels
Modern telephoni; methods, as evil
denced by the facility with which the
news of the peace conference was
spread, affords striking contrast with
methods Of circulating the news in
vogue not so many decades ago. In
the warSof 1872 Jackson fought the
battle OF New Orleans four days ate,
the peace had been agreed on in Par.
is, and it was several weeks there
after before the American and British
armies in the field knew that the war
was over. Two minutes after the
treaty OF Portsmouth was signed on
the afternoon of September 5, Presi.
dent Roosevelt, in OYSTER Bay. al.
most 400 miles away BY railroad, was
Informed of the fact over the long dis
lance telephone, and b.fore midnight
the news had been Mashed to the re
hottest corners of thu eerth.
BY means of the telephone Secre
tary Pierce was able to act as eyes
and ears for President Roosevelt dur
ing the conference. Through Mr.
Pierce the President knew, even b.
fore the ENJOYS themselves (becaust
he was in the confidence OF both sides.
when success began to crown hfs eff
forts and the tide was setting irresist
IDLY for peace, During those latte
days of August whom even to tht
watchful correspondents at Ports
mouth the outlook was very black in
deed, the President, in distant oyste
Bay, was so close to ire heart of tn
situation that he merely awaited tn
glad tidings.
The crowd of correspondents repre-
senting newspapers printed in ever
considerable language on the slob
were seated in rhe Hotel Wentworth
shortly after noon OF August q
gloomiIy discussing what the envoy
might be doing In the navy yard an
predicting speedy end 'disastrou
llrealS-up of the conference, when III
telephone bell jingl d. One of th
correspondents went to the receive
lisflessly, and the oiher secretl
deigned to interrupt their convers'
ton.
Hello.r said voice. Mr.. Koro
toyetz, the Russian secretary, wisht
to speak to sponient.e
I'VE are all here, Mr. Korostovetz
replied the correspondent Then tur
ing to his colleagues, lie said M
Korostovetz VIII make a statement
Daily. Mr.. Korostovetz had tel
Daily Mr.. Korostoyetz had tel
and daily the report" had prove
merely a polite gerera;ty, of no 81
nicance. Pads and psper appear'
slowly. No one hoped for anythiI
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