Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-28
Agreement Reached Regard
ing Peace Plenipotentiaries.
TO MAINTAIN SILENCE
FIRST REPORT TO BE THE AN
NoUNCEMENT OF SETTLEMENT.
Why News of the Progress of the Ne
the Press From Day to Day.

tween the Russian and the Japanese gov
ernments which will apply the American
jury practice of reticence to the delibera-
tons of the peace plenipotentiaries who are
to meet in this city early in August
The plenipotentiaries will agree that from
first to last no information in relation TO the
demands of Japan or of Russia and nothing
relative to the concessions that either coun-
try may make will be made public until
terms of peace have been agreed upon
After the penipotentiaries meet the first in
formation that is to be given out will be n
statement of the terms of peace that have
been agreed upon.
Enterprise of the Reporters.
There are several important reasons why
each party to the peace meeting will desire
to have this plan strictly adhered to. The
fact Is, an agreement to this effect was I'M
officially reached before Washington was
decided upon as the meeting place for the
peace plenipotentiaries.
At the bottom of the discussion as to the
advisabiity of meeting In this city was
the feeling that the American newspapers
are SO energetic in getting and publishing
the news of the day that il would be al
most impossible to have meetings in this
country without having the acts of the plen-
ipotentiaries heralded abroad. That was
and Is still believed to be detrimental TO
the satisfactory conclusion of the peace
negotiations.
Much has been said recently of what
Japan will demand of Russia and of Rus
sia's requirement that those demands be
submitted to her before the meeting of the
plenipOtentarieS. The announcement can
now be made on high authority that the
terms of neither country will be communi-
Gated to any one until the meeting of the
Observation-Disclosures in this city, when they
will be laid before the plenipotentiaries for
the first time They wi of
be transmitted to the home governments of
the plenipotentiaries, and from day to day
the home governments will be advised of
what Is going here But the agreement
that has been reached. and which will be
adopted In a formal and binding way when
the meeting is held in this city. is that no
other statement will be made from the be-
ginning to the end of the conference
Reasons for Supressing News
When Washington was at first suggested
as place of meeting for the plenipoten-
tiaries the exacting nature of news-gather-
ing as pursued by American newspapers
was discussed and reasons were given for
effectually suppressing all news in relation
to the negotiations. 1t was shown that
every demand and every concession that
might be made by either party to the ne
gotiations would have more or less bearing
on the interests of other nations Every
move as made from day to day would be
ton to its own interest. That course 1t
was believed. would inevitably result In
pressure being brought to bear by other
nations on the two governments represent
ed In the conference. If their case should
III that way, be brought practically before
the high court of international opinion it
was believed. the negotiations would he
prolonged to an indefinite period 1t was
also feared that the publication of the pro-
ceedings of the peace conference would re-
suit in such newspaper discussion both in
this country and abroad might affect
the judgment of the plenipotentiaries.
Not only would such publication be in
furious to the progress of the negotiations
but 1t would be of even more Importance
in its effect on the people of the nations
involved in the negotiations. For instance
should it be known to the people of Russia
that the Russian plenipotentaries yielded
to practically all the demands of Japan it
would foment revolution in the cars
realms. The publication of any facts bear
ing on the manner in which the nego-
tiations are conducted would only subject
the governments involved in the negotia-
lions to hostile criticism.
For these reasons 1t has been decided
that the first news of the negotiations that
is to be given to the world will be the
terms of peace as decided upon by the
plenipotentiaries and approved by the re-
spective governments. This has been def
nitely decided and every effort will be made
to carry out the arrangement in good
faith