The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-08-05
is READY FOR CONFERENCE
PORTSMOUTH SHOWS SIGNS OF
UNWONTED ANIMATION IN
ANTICIPATION OF EVENT
Hotels Filling With Visitors, Ma ori
ty of Which Are Newspaper Men
and Photographers.

PORI SMOO In, N. H., Aug. D.
This sleepy old seaport town shows
signs of unwonted animation in an
ticipation of the arrival of the Rus
sian and Japanese peace commission
ers and the opening of their conference
next Monday. Hotels and boarding
houses are filled with visitors, some
of them attracted by mere idle curl
osity, but the majority consisting of
journalists and photographers whose
official duties bring them hither. These
latter are keenly iesirous of learning
what if any news of the conference
proceedings will be furnished them
during the progress of the negotiations
There has been talk that the strictest
secrecy will be maintained, but in
this matter, as in all that concern the
convenience of the commissioners they
will be asked to decide for themselves
how far to hold their conferences from
the public and what facilities shall be
given to the newspaper men to get the
news of the daily sessions. Among
the newspaper men already in the field
are representatives not only of the
press associations and leading news
papers of the United States and Can
ada, but representatives also of many
of the leading journals of European
countries and of Japan.
The people of Portsmouth and the
adjacent villages of Kittary, Maine,
where the navy yard is, and New Cas-
tie, N. H., near which the plenipoten-
tiaries will have quarters at the Ho-
tel Wentworth, are on edge in antici-
patton of the arrival of the commits
sioners. Plans for their reception are
practically complete.
The program provides that the plen-
ipotentiaries shall land at the navy
yard upon their arrival Monday morn
ing on the Mayfower and Dolphin and
go Immediately to the office of Rear
Admiral Mead, commandant Of the
yard officially to pay their respects.
The arrival of the two commissions
will be marked by the firing of an am
bassador's salute for each mission.
The marine guard will render the pre-
scribed salutes, and will escort the
party from the navy yard through the
town to their quarters at the Went
worth, a distance of about five miles.
AS the navy yard is on the Maine side
of the Piscataqua river, the governor
Of New Hampshire will probably re-
ceive the plenipotentiaries in Ports
mouth and formally welcome them to
the state. He will at the same time ex-
tend to them an invitation to be the
guests of the state on a trip across
the New Hampshire mountains on the
| conclusion Of the negotiations.
The sessions of the congress will be
held in the navy general store, build
ing of brick and steel construction,
which has just been completed. The
whole building, which has never been
occupied, will be at the disposal of the
pleipOtentiaries. Every arrangement
has been made for the comfort and
| convenience of the commissioners,
their secretaries and suites. Plain, but
rich furniture, including mahogany
| desks, chairs and settees, Persian rugs
and other accessories, have been
brought from Washington for the fur
nishing and decorating of the interior
OF the building. Rooms have been par
tioned off for the private use of the
commissioners and their secretaries
| Telegraph and telephone instruments
have been installed and accommoda-
tons will be furnished to the press in
case such an arrangement meets with
the views of the commissioners.
In the arrangements at the Hotel
! Wentworth care has been taken that
each mission may have the privilege
of absolute seclusion at all times. AL
| though practically identical in fur
nisnings and general desirability, the
! quarters of the Russian and japanese
! ENJOYS are in opposite wings of the
hotel. Each suite has it's private din
ing room and reception rooms, and
each it's private entrance.
The ENJOYS will be taken to the
navy yard when the weather is fair in
launches belonging to the navy. Auto
mobiles and carriages will take then
through Portsmouth when the weather
is not propitious, or when they prefer
this trip to the ride by water. 1t is
not expected the session will begir
much before o'clock in the afternoon
These details, however and the num-
Der of sessions each day will, of course
be left entirely to the plenipotentiaries
the arrangements made by Assistant
S