The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-10-09
PEACE TREATY AND
GIRL AT CENTRAL
Negotiations at Portsmouth Made the
Young Woman a Figure Of In
ternationai Importance.

ternatlonai Importance.
PORTSMOUTH, N H., Oct. s9.-.If
the conference Of the Portsmouth had
occurred three-quarters OF 0, century
ago. declared an English newspaper
correspondent, shortly after he had
flashed across the seas word that the
treaty Of peace between Russia and
Japan had been signed, "the negotia-
lions would never have been brought
to successful conclusion. Why?
Simply because 1t is very improbable
that the ENJOYS OF Russia and Japan
could have agreed OF themselves, and
II President Roosevelt had been com
PEELED to depend on postal facilities
he could not have Kept sufficiently in
touch with the snegotiators to smooth
over the rough places, offer concilia-
tory suggestions at critical points
when the conference seemed about to
come to an abrupt termination, and
finally to bring It to i. triumphant con-
clusion.'
4 Here the girl at Central" looms up
as figure Of international impor.
lance How many times she connect.
ed the wires between Portsmouth and
Oyster Bay, SO that the President
could get in detail the latest news Of
the conference from Assistant secre-
tary Of State Pierce and issue his own
instructions and suggestions for the
conference. VIII probably never be
known. Certainly Central will not
tell But could the historian of future
years summon to his al. the details
of those telephone conferences, his
work would probably run through
more editions than the post popular
of modern novels
Modern telephoni. methods, as evi.
denced by the facility with which the
news Of the peace conference was
Z spread, affords striking contrast with
methods of circulating the news in
vogue not so many decades ago. In
the war of 1912 Jackson fought the
battle OF New Orleans four days afte,
the peace had been agreed on in Par.
is, and 1t was several weeks there
after before the American and British
I armies In the field knew that the war
was over. Two minutes after the
treaty Of Portsmouth was signed on
the afternoon of September 5, Presi-
dent Roosevelt. in OYSTER Bay, al
most 400 miles away by railroad, was
informed of the fact over the long dis.
lance telephone, and b.fore midnight
the news had been flashed to the re-
hottest corners of tn, e. nth
BY means of the telephone Secre.
tary Pierce was able to act as eyes
and ears for President Roosevelt dur.
ing the conference. Through MIR.
Pierce the President knew, even be.
fore the ENJOYS themselves (because
he was in the confidence OF both sides)
when success began to crown hfs eff.
forts and the. tide was setting irresist.
IDLY for peace2 During those latter
days of August whom even to the
watchful correspondents at Ports.
mouth the outlook was very black in
deed, the President, in distant Oyster
Bay, was so close to re heart of the
situation that he merely awaited the
glad stidings.
The crowd of correspondents repre-.
senting newspapers printed in every
considerable language on the globe
were seated in the IIo'el Wentworth.
shortly after noon OF August 30,
gloomily discussing what the envoys
might be doing in the navy yard and
predicting speedy and disastrous
breakup Of the conference, when the
telephone bell iing, d. One of the
correspondents went to the receiver
listlessly, and the other secretly
deigned to interrupt their CONVERSE
ton.
.Hello,, said voice, "Mr. Koros-
tovetz, the Russian, secretary. wishes
TO speak to a correspondent"
eve are all here, aIr Korostoyetz,'
replied the correspondent Then turn
ing to his colleagues, lac said: 'Mr.
Korostovetz viii make a statement. Y
Daily, Mr.. Korostosetz had tele-
Daily Mr.. Korostoyetz had tele-
and daily the report" had proved
merely polite gererai'ty, of no sig
nicance. Pads and pepper appeared
slowly. No one hoped for anything
important. but in an instant the cor
ID. 4. u - -. -