Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-08
NO LONGER A SECRET
Why Peace Conference Was
Held in Portsmouth.
OTHER PLANS UPSET
ONE HOTEL REAPs BENEFITS DE-
SIGNED FOR ANOTHER.
President Roosevelt interiors; with
Scheme In Interest of ssBar-
ron Arma1
OTHER PLANS UPSET

| The conference ended. The result has, IN
/ all but Its final stages Of approval. been as
sured. and the seal Of secrecy ON as good
a joke as has ever unwittingIy been perpe-
trated by the nations chief executive is or
Probably. also. not until he reads this will
President Roosevelt know how bright an
array OF hopes he shattered when, In eoun-
ter-suggestion, he decided tina; the confer
ence should be held IN Portsmouth. The
story all came out yesterday, when one
| statesman from way down east met one of
his closest friends and then and there de-
| cfded that. even IL he were one OF the VIC
Tins, IT was toe good to be longer kept.
As a preamble 1t might be related that
| about thirty years ago Mr.. A. E. Stickney,
| a native son of New Hampshire, went into
| the coal fields OF Pennsylvania, and there
| accumulated mines and more mines, and.
| incidentally, millions. With a fraction OF
his income this coal baron built magnifi-
cent hotel in the White mountains of his
| native state and named the place Barron
| Arms" At his death he left to his widow
| a goodly estate and the big hotel, and In
| due course of business Mrs. Stickney In
! trusted the management Of the whole to
one man.
| The white Mountain Special" daily
| summer express from the metropolis to the
resort. probably has kept the Barron
! Arms" a not unknown quantity In the
| minds of summer vacationists But-the
story:
/ Details as Narrated.
| Every one remembers the great events
| leading up to the decision of Russia and
| Japan to accede to President Roosevelt s
| invitation to send their plenipotentiaries to
! the United States to meeting which would
| determine whether peace could be arranged
| and likewise 1t cannot be forgotten that
much discussion followed Immediately the
announcement that Washington was too
hot city for the meeting of the ENJOYS; :,
1t was while this state of affairs existed
that the manager of the St1ekney estates
conceived the plan to have the conference
held, If possible, at the Barron Arms,
and before his resolution had chance to
cool he hurried. to the Offices of President
Lucien futile of the Boston and Maine
railroad. With one thought of the value
of the White Mountain Special to his
road, and another to the great impetus to
business over the Boston and Maine which
| it was conceded Would follow the bringing
Of the peace conference to New Hamp-,
shire, the railroad executive entered into
| the plan right heartily, and it was his
promise that a Pullman special train should
be kept constantly at the Barron Arms
station for the accommodation o. the en-
| voys of Russia and japan.
Next the aid of Governor Mclean was
I enlisted, and Ro.very greal interval elapsed
1 before the governor, his secretary of state
and one or two other prominent politicians
and citizens OF New Hampshire were en-
route to Washington Here they extended
I 10 the FreSlQenI,.sd ana through MIN TO the
peace ENJOYS. an Invitation that the en-
| voys and their suites be the guests of the
state of New Hampshire during their de-
liberations During the co.ioquy there was
no mention of the Barron Arms That
was suggestion to come afterward-that
it was an ideal place at which to hold the
meeting. =
1t was obvious that the President was
delighted. In fact, he said as much. at
the same time indicating to his visitors the
valued service the state of New Hampshire
had done to the country at large.
The very thing" the chief executive
added: I'VE can have the conference at
Portsmouth We will have it at Ports
mouth"
Admitted Of No Objections.
In the face of this emphatic declaration
there was nothing more to be said; but 1t
was In peculiar state of mind that the
delegation of New .tampshireites wendell
their way homeward. For was not the
| management Of the Stickney estate to bear
all the expense of the affair? And there
were hundred and one details recurring
considerable outlay to be horne in mind.
And was it at all Hke1y mat the Stickney
estate would stand any such drain when
1t was sure to lose by the counter attrac-
ton at the Hotel wentworth taking some
OF the accustomed guests away from We
Barron Arms?" Who was to bear the
VI ulfL VI llle uildICldt part OF The coming
entertainment of the distinguished for
eigners?
1t was when the atmosphere was heaviest
with apprehension at the New Hampshire
headquarters that one of those most con-
cerned remembered the Hotel Wentworth.
at Portsmouth. and remembered, too. that
that big hostelry was the part of another
estate-that of the late millionaire brewer,
Frank Jones; and, like the Barron Arms"
1t was under the care of a business man
ager for the Jones family.
Jones Estate the Beneficiary.
Pride was swallowed. and the whole tale
was unfolded to him who controlled the
destinies of the Jones fortune and he was
shown In uncertain terms the benefits
which We're sure to follow the quartering of
Baron Witte, Baron Rosen, Mr. Takahira
and Baron Komura and the attaches of
both suites, together with the hundreds of
newspaper representatives and others who
would inevitably be attracted by the con-
ference.
used to bring rather hating assent from
the estate manager and a final consent to
take the risk and with it the plum of which
the Stickney estate had unwittingly been
deprived
Once entered into the affair, however.
the Jones money was expended right hand
someiy. Forty-six suites In the great hotel
We're set aside for the expected guests, and
In due time the forty-six suites were occu-
pied through many strenuous days and
nights and finally vacated. Through 1t all
the Hotel Wentworth lived In a blaze of
glory. Every day its name and fame were
heralded free of charge in the date lines of
dispatches In countless newspapers from
correspondents on the spot
Times too numerous to even approximate
the hotel was pictured In connection with
front-page spreads-advertistng that It's
management would have been unable to
procure at any price.
And 1t Is related that the hotel from
being rather doubtful Investment has be-
come one OF the mainstays in swelling the
Income OF the late brewers heirs while II
the words of the advertisement count for
aught, the future of the Hotel Wentworth.
given by this very story another pun. Is