Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-09-08
RUS AND JAP At
PEACE At LAST
he Long-Awaited Treaty
Was Signed at
Portsmouth.
SIGN THEIR NAMES TOGETHER
Witte and komura Aff1x Signatures
at Same Time-Rosen Makes Short
Speech and Baron komura Re-
spends in Complime ntary Vein.

Portsmouth, N. H., Sept. 6.-The
treaty of Portsmouth was signed
shortly before 4 o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon in the conference room OF
the navy general store at the navy
yard. The firing of national salute
Of nineteen guns was the signal
which told the people Of Portsmouth,
Kittrey and Newcastle that the peace
of Portsmouth was an accomplished
fact, and the church bells in the
three towns were soon pealing forth
a joyful refrain.
For forty-seven minutes those out
side the conference room anXiously
awaited the signal. Suddenly an or
derby dashed to the entrance OF the
peace building and waved his hand
to the gunner few feet away ana
the opening shot of the salute rang
out on the clear air of the soft Sep
TENDER afternoon proclaiming peace
between Russia and Japan.
Three o'clock was the hour set for
the final session Of the conference.
An hour before that time heavy
thunderstorm was in progress, but as
NJ. Witte and Baron de Rosen left the
lotel in an automobile at 2:2o for the
lavy yard, the rain had stopped.
When Baron KOmura and NJ. Iaka-
lira entered their automobile twent!
minutes later the sun suddenly shone,
which called for the remark from
Baron Komura:
1T is a good omen for peace"
This remark was cheered by the
crowd gathered to see the japanese
depart.
The Russian p!enipotentiaries
reached the yard at 2:45 p. m. and re-
.eiyed an ambassadorial salute OF
nineteen guns. The yard presented
lively scene as the automobile bearing
". Witte and Baron de Rosen dashed
I'D to the conference building On
me side in special full dress were
.wo companies of marines command
I'd by Major Moses, who rendered the
prescribed honors as M. White snd
Baron de Rosen passed their 'front.'
Grouped in front of the conference
lall were a large number of cores
)ondents who had been admitted 70
he navy yard at the special request
If M. Witte, and they gave him
hearty cheer as he alighted from his
automobile and was greeted In the
yestibule by Mr.. Peirce, the third as.
sistant secretary of state; Admiral
Mead, commandant of the yard, and
Commander Cameron NJ. Winslow,
commanding the Mayflower, and the
Joh; u,1,n ordered
lere for duty in connection with the
peace conference. The midshlpmen
we're: Harrington, Bagley, Blackburn,
ngersoll and Leary, who appeared IN
special full dress uniform.
The Russians went at once to their
private offices, adjoining the confer
snce room, to await the arrival OF the
Japanese, who did not reach the navy
yard until 3 o'clock.
AS soon as the delegates had taken
their seeats M. Sato left his chair
and went to M. Whites side with the
Japanese copies of the treaty, which
he placed before him. AT the same
time NJ. Plancon placed the Russian
copies of the treaty before Baron
Komura. Almost at the same NOM
ent the two selected pens from the
center of the table and signed their
names, first to the French and then
to the English text. The copies were
then signed by Baron Rosen and M.
Takahira. M. Sato returned the
Japanese copies of the signatures OF
Baron Komura and M. Takahira. M.
Witte and Baron de Rosen affixed
their signatures to the Russian copies
and the treaty of Portsmouth was
signed, the ceremony being COM
pleted at $50 o'clock.