The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-07-19
MAKING PEACE TREATIES
Slow Process That Is Attended
by Numerous Formalities.


Home Offices.
Washington has seen many meetings
of distinguished foreign officials, but
the meeting of the japanese, and Rus
sian peace commissioners will be dis
tinct novelty, says the Washington
Post. The wars of the world III times
gone by have not been terminated by
peace negotiations at the American
capital.
There will be almost endless cere-
mony and exhaustive routine in the
meeting of these commissioners. The
usages on such occasions are well de
fined, and two such punctilious nations
as Japan and Russia will hardly omit
any of these in their important negotia-
tions. These negotiations will consume
weeks and probably months. Com
pletely beaten in the field of battle at
every point. Russia will seek to regain
her prestige by gaining concessions i'll
the diplomatic field which will mitigate
her defeat. Russian diplomacy is CON
coded to be the most astute in the
world. Japanese diplomacy in the past
has not asserted itself with great cred
il, and it remains to be seen if when
the treaty of Washington is finally
completed Japan has been as badly
treated as she was in the treaty of ST.
monoseki, when, after whipping China
as completely as she now ten years
later has whipped Russia, Japan was
forced to surrender nearly all of the
fruits Of her victory.
After organization and the presenta-
ton of credentials of the peace COM
mssioners as well as a long army of
secretaries and other aids and assist
ants whom each country will send, the
commissioners will probably adjourn
for a day or two and will then leave
Washington for some spot more ia
voreG by nature than is Washington in
summer time.
When the commissioners again meet
each point of the protocol will be taken
up in turn The daily sessions will
doubtless be short, for each day the
commissioners will be compelled to
prepare full reports of the days pro
ceedings for their home government,
and as these reports must be cabled to
st. Petersburg and to Tokyo in cipher
more time will be expended in trans
hitting and in receiving and decipher-
ing the instructions from the respective
home office, than in the actual work of
each session.
The Proceedings at the sessions will
of course be carried on in French. 1t is
doubtful if the Russian commissioners
can speak japanese fuently enough to
comprehend the fine shades Of meaning
of the words employed in diplomacy,
and it is equally doubtful If the Japa-
nese know enough Russian. The treaty
itself will probably be prepared first In
French. Up to hundred years ago all
treaties were drawn up in Latin, but
in recent years they are, after being
drafted in French, prepared in dupll-
cate in the languages of the high con-
tracing parties" After the TRANSACTIONS
into the two languages have been made
and each translation has been accepted
by the ENJOYS as literally correct both
in words and in spirit final copy will
be prepared for signature.
This copy is prepared on parchment
in duplicate, the Russian treaty being
written on one side of the sheet and
the japanese version in a parallel col
umn, The final copy is then again com
pared both as to verbiage and as to
punctuation, and the peace commits
sioners affix their signatures. In sign
ing the treaty it is customary that the
commissioners affix their signatures al
ternately, the ranking commissioners
for each country being the first to sign
his name under the version Of the trea-
second signature being that of the
ranking commissioner of the other
country and all the other signatures
following alternately in the order of
precedence The date when the treaty
will go into effect will probably be left
DIduh, dlLuOuSu IIe4ucuLly St1pulo
tion is inserted that the treaty shall go
Into effect as soon as possible"
1t is q pleasant custom among ma
lions which have been at war and
which have been brought to peace by a
third friendly nation to bestow upon
the ruler of the friendly nation hand
some presents and other testimonials
of gratitude, both for the service rem
dered in bringing about peace and as
an appreciation of the hospitality
shown the commissioners of the re
spective countries. This of course is
out of the question in this case. No
order of nobility can be conferred upon
President Roosevelt, nor can either na.
ton bestOw upon him any order OF
tender him any present Of jewels OF
other articles. Indeed, should either
nation lose sight of this fact an EN-
barrassing situation will be created.