The sun., 1905-08-27
PORTSMOUTH LUCK IN WARS.
TOWN HAS MADE HISTORY. WHY
NOT AGAIN.?

Natives Banking % Past Performance
for the success o This Conference
-Contrast Of This Meeting Piaco and
the Palaces In 81. Petersburg and Tokio'
PORTSMOUTH, N. H., Aug. 2o.--You oan-
not ke your proud, genuine Portsmo uther
believe that the prospects for peaoe are
anything but brilliant. Tho wish is father
to the thought. Tho baokstairs confer
ence, which bankers to get back to Wash
ington, New York or Paris, believes that
every meeting is going to bring tho break.
Portsmouth, which wants the peace named
after the town, can see only peace.
sThe treaty Of Portsmouth why even
Washington would be proud Of giving its
name 10 treaty like this.
Portsmouth has . good unoficial reason
for tho faith that L. In II. Wherever history
Is making, Portsmouth manages to tear
of Its share. Its luck is wonderful. In the
revolution they built the Ranger hero,
and Paul Jones sailed his eall-victorious feet
from the harbor OF Portsmouth. In the
War Of 1912 this was the main station for
fitting out the American navy. The War
Of 1872 was a ns val war as every one knows,
30 that Portsmouth gets the Hons share
of the glory. Portsmouth didn't soore very
heavily In the Mexican war. but then that
was an unjust imperialistiSH war anyway
and utterly unworthy Of the help Of Now
England.
In the civil war Portsmouth was the
muster place for the Yankee troops from
this part OF the country. Here when the
war began foregathered the Second New
Hampshire Regiment, commanded by Col.
Gilman Marston, who was afterward the
most bestoried general officer In the Union
army. 1t was he who was once approached
by his chaplain, Baptist, who told him
that rival regiment had just gone through
great revival. The chaplain thought
that there should be an awakening in their
own regiment. Damn 'em, there will
be. said the General. and forthwith ordered
detail out to be baptized. Gen. Marston
once refused to put his troops aboard q
transport saying that he brought the
Second New Hampshire out to fight and
not to drown. The Kearsarge was built
at Portsmouth. The Union army with
Gen. Marston's aid won the war. The
Kearsarge smashed the terror Of the Con-
federate navy. Portsmouth luck again.
You wouldn't think that Portsmouth
would get into a little affair like the Spanish
war, fought by regulars and rough riders
away down In Cuba. but she did. For it
was to her that they brought the Spanish
naval prisoners. The United States won
the Spanish war In a walk. Portsmouth
luck.
In the face OF this evidence it is utterly
inconceivable to the Portsmouth mind
that this conference should not result in
peace and that the peace should not be
named after the town. To deny this would
be to assert that Portsmouth's historical
luck has taken total flop.
SKETCH OF CONTRASTS.
A little debate in the palm garden to-day
set us talking and thinking OF the serious
affair at which we are assisting here. It is
hard to remember that the bargain Ia for
a treasure so big as to be past imagination,
for the future Of nations. that upon its
issue hangs the possibility Of 1000 trage-
dies in the paper houses Of Nippon and
the huts of Muscovy. And We fell to mar
vel ing at the contrast between the game
and its field. At Toxic, at st. Petersburg
and at the Wentworth, New Castle. N. H..
they are threshing out the question Of
peace.
At st. Petersburg the Car and his Grand
Dukes hold counsel in the palace Of a hun
dred tragedies. They move through dark
and splendid corridors, where life guard
and Cossack salute a. they pass; they meet
In the chamber of state with all the for
rnality Of empire. Before the palace ten
regiments keep guard against an unquiet
people.
In Toxic the Mikado confers with the
elder statesmen in Chiyoda Palace, the
ancient castle Of Tokugowa the Shotgun.
The elder statesmen pass into far chambers
Of the palace, where mono Of inferior rank
may pass beyond are the sacred habita-
tions Of the Emperor himself, wherein none
but Princes enter. Regiments guard this,
too; the splendor Of the East with the mill
tary display of the West.
Here in Newcastle, N. H., In the wooden
hotel built by . plain Yankee citizen as
summer resort, four gentlemen in frock
coats, representing big slice Of the brains
In the Japanese and Russian governments,
arc meeting In the ohloe Of . general stores
building, living amongst summer girls and
tennis men, getting their washing mixed
with tho shirts, collars and lingerie Of
family In the Wholesale grocery business
in Portland, Maine, and having their dress
waistcoats mixed with those Of Pittsburg
people in the steel business.
In the immediate background are i'm
promptu dances. bridge whist tournaments,
the noss; frivolity and Irritation Of sum-
mer hotel. In the less immediate back
ground are two quaint sleepy and friendly