Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-30
PRESIDENT FIRST NOTIFIED
OF Action Of Peace ENJOYS, Then the
World is Notified.

Portsmouth, n. H., Aug. 39.-IIer-
bert II. ID. PIERCE. the presidents rep
lresentative at the conference was the
person outside the conference room, to
| be informed of the peace of Ports
| mouth. Fer half an hour, he was the
| only one besides the plenipotentiaries
and their secretaries who knew it. By
| agreement, the plenipotcntiaries de-
cided that the first message announc-
ing the conclusion of peace should be
sent to President Roosevelt at oyster
Bay and in the hope that he might
receive the news even before Toxic
or St. Petersburg they held the official
bulletin for a half hour.
! Mr.. PIERCE had delivered to Baron
Nomura, this morning. a communica-
ton from the President which had ar
rived after the conference began its
session. 1t WAS Just IL o'clock when
Baron komura was called from the
conference room to receive this mes
sage the contents of which are not
known and about which it would be
idle to speculate. Exactly an hour
later Baron Komura sent one of his
secretaries to Mr. Peirces office in the
same building saying he wished to
see him. Mr.. PIERCE Immediately re-
sponded and met Baron komura In
the iatter's private reception room
supposing he was to receive a reply
TO the Presidents message. He was
wholly unprepared for the momentous
news which Baron Komura gave him.
Without the slightest evidence of
emotion Of any kind Baron Komura
quietly said:
| will you be good enough, Mr.. Sec
rotary, to communicate to the Presi-
Russian and japanese plenipotentiar-
les. We desire that he should be the
first to receive the news. We have
| reached an agreement on all points
and will proceed to the elaboration of
Il treaty"
| For Il moment. the two stood silently
looking at each other but only mo-
ment. MIR. PIERCE quickly recovered
from his amazement and extended to
Baron komura his congratulations ana
he personally began the coding of tn.
message for the President. He was
assisted by his two secretaries but
tire work naturally required some little
time. Although the message was con-
! fined to a brief recital Of the fact that
an agreement had been reached and
of it3 terms, before the dispatch had
cleared the wire here the operators
heard conSratulatory message going
over the wire to the President.
| In the meantime. Baron komura
had returned to the conference roor,
and with NJ. Witte had prepared the
brief statement for the press. Having
allowed half an hours time, 1t was
then decided to communicate the good
tidings to the world. and Mr. korosto-
vetz, one of the Russian secretaries.
telephoned the statement to the hotel
There was no codiEg of this message,
it went like wildfire around the world
and naturally reached the President
long before the official dispatch.
| When they returned to the hotel for
luncheon NJ. Witte presided and sent
to the President Il message of grati-
tude and congratulations. Me spoke
as tie pl@nipotenti;ry of the Emperor
and voiced the gratitude of the whole
Russian people for the Presidents eff
forts. NJ. White thanked the President
| for his generous Initiative and de-
clarcd that history will accord to
you the praise" for the peace of Ports
mouth. The text of this dispatch has
not been given cut here and this was
all that NJ. Witte would say about 1t.
tonight.
How impossible it is for anyone to
satisfy all sides has been illustrated.
tonight, by the receipt by both NJ.
Wittn and Baron komura of severe
criticisms of their respective parts ir
the lays work. Hundreds of con-
gratulatory messages arc pouring In
from all ever the world. but mixed
with them are criticisms which charge
both NJ. White and Baron komura
with yielding too much.
The two cablegrams most appreciat-
ed arrived. this afternoon, just before
dinner. from the President. The one
was for the Russian and the other for
the japanese plenipotentiaries. They
lave not been made public, but their
contents have been communicated to
st. Petersburg and Toxic and Baron
komura and M. White have acknowl-
edged the messages with expressions
of their heartfelt thanks. again assur-
ing the President that his is the glory
for the peace of Portsmouth.
At the luncheon at the navy yard.
today. Mr.. PIERCE Baron konlura and