Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1905-09-14
SIGNED THE TREATY
The Act Which Crowned with Sue
cess the Portsmouth Conference.
Historical Document Competed-Ceremony Was Simple and
Brief.Synopsis OF the Document Containing Seventeen
Articles Which 1t Is Hoped Will Provide
for "Just and Lasting Peace"

shortly before o'clock Tuesday af-
ternoon In the conference room OF the
navy general store at the navy yard.
The firing Of national salute Of 10
guns was the signal which told the
people OF Portsmouth. Kittery and
Newcastle that the peace Of Ports
mouth was an accomplished fact. and
the church bells in the three towns
were soon pealing forth joyful re-
frain.
II was Just 3:45 o'clock when the
plenipotentiaries entered the confer
ence room from their respective Offices.
They merely bowed to each other and
took their accustomed seats at the
long table around which their nego-
tiations have been conducted. Instead
OF the secretaries sitting next the
plenipotentiaries, however. these
chairs were occupied by the remain
ing delegates. Mr.. White sat at the
center Of the table facing the window.
On his right was Baron DeRosen. and
Capt. Roussine. the latter occupying
the seat of Mr.. Martens, who was de-
tanned at the hoted by indisposition.
On Mr.. Whites left sat Mr.. Pokotiloff
and General Fermaloff.
Baron Komura with Mr. Takahira
and Mr.. Sato on his right and Mr.. Dem
nison and Mr.. Yamaza on his left At
one end of the table sat Mr.. Plancon
with the Russian originals Of treaty In
French and English and the final proto-
col. Grouped around the table where
the other members Of the two mis-
sions and the invited witnesses.
Mr.. Pcirce, the third assistant Sec
rotary of state. as the personal rep
resentative of the president; Admiral
Mead, commandant of the navy yard;
Capt. Winslow, commanding the May
flower; the governor Of New Hamp-
shire and the mayor Of Portsmouth.
AS soon as the delegates had taken
their seats, Mr.. Sato left his chair
and went to Mr.. Whites side with the
Japanese copies of the treaty, which
he placed before him. At the same
time Mr.. Plancon placed the Russian
copies OF the treaty before Baron Ko-
mura. 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 Rosen and Mr. Taxa
hira. Mr.. Sato returned the Japanese
copies for the signatures Of Baron
Komura and Mr.. Takahira. Mr.. Witte
and Baron DeRosen affixed their sig
natures to the Russian copies and the
treaty Of Portsmouth was signed. the
ceremony being completed at $3.50.
To this moment no word had bro
ken the silence Of the room. Throwing
his pen aside, Mr.. White. without a
word, reached across the table and
grasped Baron Komurs's hand. His
conferees followed, and the Russian
and Japanese delegates remained for
a moment in silence, their right hands
tightly clasped across the conference
table. The war was over. Russia
and Japan were once more friends.
This simple ceremony rang true
and deeply impressed the attaches and
secretaries OF the two missions, who
with the invited witnesses had formed
@ large circle around the delegates sit
ting at the table.
Baron DeRosen was the first to
break the silence. Rising from his
seat. the ambassador, looking Baron
Komura and Mr.. Takahire straight in
the eyes, said few words which one
had only to hear to know that they
came from his heart. He began by
saying that he wished on behalf OF
Mr.. White, Russia's plenipotentiary,
and in his own name, to say a few
words.
1--WE have just signed" continued
the ambassador, ian act which will
have forever a place in the annals Of
history. It is not for us active par
Elephants in the conclusion of this
treaty to pass Judgment on its i'm
port and significance. AS negotiators
on behalf of the empire of Russia, Is
we'll as the empire of Japan, we may
with tranquil conscience say that we
have done all that was in our power
in order to bring about the peace for
which the whole civilized world was
longing. AS plenipotentiaries OF Rus
STA we fulfill most agreeable duty
in acknowledging that in negotiating
with our hitherto adversaries, and
from this hour our friends, we have
been dealing with true and thorough
gentlemen, to whom we are happy to
express our high esteem and personal
regard. We earnestly hope that
friendly relations between the two
empires will henceforth be firmly es-
tablished and we trust that'his excel
iency, Baron Komura, IS minister OF
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