The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-06
Treaty of Portsmouth is Signed
 and Guns Fired Pr0cIaimIng Peace in the Orient
BARON DE ROSEN BREAKS
 THE IMPRESSIVE SILENCE
Says Yesterdays Act Will Have For ever . Place In the Annals of Ills tory-Baron komura
 Replies.

Portsmouth, N. H., September 6.-The treaty at Portsmouth was signed shortly before O clock this afternoon in the con- ference room of the navy general stores at the navy yard. The firing of a national salute of nineteen guns was the signal which told the people of Portsmouth, Kit terey and Newcastle that the peace of Portsmouth was an accomplished fact, and the church bells in the three towns were soon pealing forth joyful refrain.
 For forty -seven minutes those outside the conference room anxiously awaited the signal Suddenly an orderly dashed to the entrance of the peace building and waved his hand to the gunner a few feet away, and the opening shot of the salute rang out on the clear air of the soft September afternoon. proclaiming peace between Russia and Japan.
 Sunshine Succeeds Storm.
 Three o'clock was the hour set for the final session of the conference. An hour before that time heavy thunder storm was in progress, but as M. Witte and Ba- ron De Rosen left the hotel in an auto- mobile at 2:25 D. m. for the navy yard the rain stopped. When Baron Komura and Mir Takahira entered their automobile twenty minutes later the sun suddenly shone which called forth the remark from Baron Komura: Tt Is good omen for peace"
 This remark was cheered by the crowd gathered to see the Japanese depart.
 The Russian plenipotentiaries reached the yard at quarter of 3 and received an ambassatorial salute of nineteen guns. 1-f ...1.- 4l,< automobile bearing M. Witte and Baron De Rosen dashed up to the conference building. On one side. in special full dress uniform, were two companies of marines commanded by Major Moses, who rendered the prescribed honors as M Witte and Baron De Rosen passed their front. Grouped in front of the confer ence hall were a large number of corre- spondents who had been admitted to the navy yard at the special request of M. Witte. and they gave him a hearty cheer as he alighted from his automobile and was greeted in the vsftibuie by MT. Peirce the third assistant secretary Of state; Admiral Mead, commandant of the yard and Commander Cameron McR. Winslow, commanding the Mayfiower, and the five midshipmen who were ordered here for duty in connection with the peace conference. The '~pmen were Harrington Bagley. Blackburn, 1ngersoll and Leary who appeared In special full dress uniform.
 The Russians went at once to their private offices adjoining the conference room to await the arrival of the Japa- nese, who did not reach the navy yard until o'clock.
 saluted by Guns.
 Baron Komura and MT. Takahira were also saluted with nineteen guns as they entered the yard They were ushered to fbA Iat east end of the conference room Then the Russian secretaries immediately came over and began the comparative reading of the Russian and Japanese copies, which required about twenty min utes. Upon the completion of this task they prepared the two copies of the protocol of the final sitting, leaving only the exact hour to be filled in.
 It was 345 o'clock when the plenipo- tentiaries entered the conference room from their respective offices. They mere- ly bowed to each other, and took their accustomed seats at the long table around which their negotiations have been conducted. Instead of the secre- taries sitting next the plenipotentarles. however, these chairs were occupied by the remaining delegates M. Witte sat at the center of tle table, facing the window. On his right were Baron De Rosen and Captain Roussine the latter occupying the seat of MT. De Martens, who was detained at his hotel by ind's- position On M. Witte's left sat Mr. Pokotiloff and General Germalof. Di- rectly opposite M. Witte was Baron Ko- mura, with MT. Takahira and MT. Sato on his right, and MT. Dennison- and MT. Yamaza at his left At one end of the table sat Mr. Plancon, with the Russian originals of the treaty in French and English. and the final protocol.
 Invited Witnesses Present
 Grouped around the table were the other members of the two missions and the invited witnesses-Mr. Pierce, the third assistant secretary or state. as per sonaI representative of the President; Admiral Mead, commander of the navy yard; Captain Winslow, commanding the Mayfiower; the governor of New Hamp- shire and the mayor of Portsmouth.
 As soon as the delegates had taken their seats Mir. Sato left his chair and went to M. Witte's side with the Japa- nese copies of the treaty, which he placed before him. At the same time MT. Plan con placed the Russian copies of the treaty before Baron Komura. Almost at the same moment 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 De Rosen and MT. Takahira. MT. Sato returned the Japa- nese copies for the signatures of Baron Komura and Mir. Takahira. M. Witte and Baron De Rosen affixed their sigma lures to the Russian copies and the treaty of Portsmouth was signed, the ceremony being completed at $50
 Negotiators Clasp Hands.
 To this moment no word had broken the silence of the conference room. Throwing his pen aside. M Witte without word reached across the table and era sY,ad Rarou Komura's hand. Ills con- ferees followed and the Russian and Jap anese delegates remained for moment in sllencs, their right hands tightly clasp ed across the conference table, The war was over-Hussla and Japan were once more friends
 This simple ceremony rang true and