The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-29

upon which they would be granted
parole The gallant virginian accept
ed, and that, in effect. was ali the peace
treaty that has ever existed between
the federal government and the Con-
federacy.
In the peace treaty that concluded the
Franco-Prussian war Germany drove
a hard bargain with her defeated en-
envy. The kaiser's army was entrench-
ed just outside of Paris when the pre-
| liIninaries were signed After the cap
ture of the gay capital Emperor Will
liam added to the original demand an
indemnity of $1,000. oO0. 900. NJ. Theirs
! succeeded in having this stupendous
sum reduced to $1,000. 900. 900. Most
calling of all was the conversion of the
/ long disputed A1sace and Lorraine into
German provinces. In the following
spring the definitive treaty was signed
| at Frankfurt am Main, and the origi-
nal articles were confirmed. Germany
gained a territory of about $500 square
miles, containing 100000 population.
all of which had once been taken from
| it by the French.
| The latest war between Russia, and
! Turkey, that of 1877, was ended by the
preliminary peace of San Stefano, fol-
lowed by the treaty of Berlin. It has
never been difficult for a Christian ma
/ ton to find a, pretext for beginning a
quarrel with the Turk. and the cars
excuse was the massacre of the Chris
| tians in Bulgaria by the bashi- bazouks.
As it was evident that Turkey was
likely to get the most thorough drub-
/ bling she had ever received, the powers
interfered and insisted upon a treaty.
The sultan was a tremendous loser, but
the Turk still remained in power suf-
fcient to preserve the peace of Eu-
rope M
One of the most important peace
treaties negotiated in modern times
was that of Simonoselxi, between, China
and Japan. 1t is especially noteworthy
because it was the first peace treaty
between oriental nations conducted aft
er the Caucasian fashion. It is inter-
esting to Americans because John w.
Foster, once the head of the American
department of state, was one of the
representatives of China. BY its
terms Japan received an indemnity of
$20O.o00,oo0 and acquired the rich island
of Formosa.
| The Spanish-American war treaty
signed and ratified IN 1899, was the lat
est addition to the collection of such
documents on file in the library of, the
state department. On July 20, 1898,
Spain made overtures for peace through
the French ambassador at Washington,
who was authorized to act for Spain
during the preliminaries. On Aug. IL
the protocol was concluded and ar
engagements were made for the meeting
of peace commission at Paris. The
representatives of the United States
were William r. Day, chairman; Cush-
man K. Davis, William p. Frye, White
law Reid. and George Gray. After
many prolonged discussions and
threatened failures the treaty was
signed by the commissioners Dec. 10,
18a9.s It was ratified by the American
senate Feb. 6 and signed by the queen
regent Of Spain March IT, When tho
proceedings opened it was evident that
the Spanish con1mi ssioners had come
to Paris determined TO obtain whatever
advantage the diIatory tactics of PEN
insular diplomacy could bring about.
It was also patent to the American
members of the commission that the
other side had no intention of adher-
ing to the terms OF the protocol If by
any means they could be avoided. The
firm stand assumed by the Americans
at the outset and maintained through
out the discussions gave the dons lit
tie opportunity to exercise their pecu-
liar type or diplomacy.
All of the members of the diplomatic
quartet, which will meet at Ports
mouth. are men of International repu-
tation. Baron -Jutaro Komura, the for
eign minister of Japan. was educated
at Harvard and has many warm friends
in America. He was formerly Japa-
nese minister at Washington, having
been succeeded by Kogoro Takahirs,
the other Japanese member of the COM
mission. Baron Komura has been min
lister to- st. Petersburg and has had "a
long and rather intimate acquaintance
with Baron Rosen, who was Russian
minister at Tokyo when the present
war began These clever gentlemen
have held many long and momentous
conferences in the past, and they will
come to the present discussion with a
clear understanding of the merits of
their respective causes. Mr.. Takahira
is also an excellent English scholar.
having lived several years in America
in various diplomatic capacities, in
Guiding the Office of consul general at
New York Baron Rosen has likewise
occupied the post of consul general at
New York and has recently succeeded
Count Eassini as ambassador to the
United States.
Sergius White may be regarded as
the leading liberal Russian statesman.
He is not of noble birth and has won
his position through sheer merit and
persistence He has not traversed the
immense distance between the position
n | OF an unueFpaIQ railway porter ana
= that of the leading statesman of q
O great empire without making hosts OF
= enemies. Another reason of his I'M
= popularity may be found in the fact
= that he has very little Muscovite blood
:. in his veins, his father being a Dutch
- man. White himself was born in Tif-
= lis. At the time of the breaking out o1
- the war be was minister of finance, but
= he was removed on account of his iack
. of sympathy with the war party. He
"a win be most acceptable to Japan as q
= peace commissioner. for he has Ione
been regarded by that country as .