The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-20
IS BEARER OF SECRET
 MESSAGE ID WITTE ON
 WHICH MUCH DEPENDS
s-resIdsnt Is In Communication With Other Neutral Powers and Ills Efforts Have the Sympathy
 of England, France
 and Germany.

Oyster Bay, L. l., August 1s.-President Roosevelt is exerting every particle of his great influence to prevent rupture of the peace conference at Portsmouth. He is engaged in a supreme effort to induce the envoys of the belligerent gov ernments to compromise their differences and reach an agreement that will re- suit In just and lasting peace
 In this effort he has the active and cordial support of Great Britain, France and Germany Tremendous and world wide pressure Is being brought to bear on the governments at St. Petersburg and Tokio not to permit the Washington conference to fail of affirmative result. It can be said that there is good ground for the hope that 1t will not fail.
 Rosen With President.
 Baron de Rosen, Russian ambassador to the United States, anF second of the Russian Emperor's envoys. to the peace conference, was with President Roose- welt an hour this afternon at Saga more Hill. He came to Oyster Bay by in vitation of the President, not merely to discuss the situation, but to have pre- sented to him by the President a prop ositIon which 1t is hoped may resolve the differences which hlive affsen be- tween the plenipotentiaries of the two governments. After his conference with the President Baron Rosen left immed- iately for his summer home at Mag nolia Mass, where he and M Witte. the plenipotentiary, expect to spend Sunday.
 Neither President Roosevelt nor Baron Rosen would discuss even in the most general terms the details of the result of their conference. The ambassador will present the Presidents proposition to M. Witte tonight and the likelihood Is that it will be transmitted to Emperor Nich- olas.
 Fate of Conference In Balance.
 On the result of it's consideration z. nl depend the fate of the peace confer ence It Is not improbable that before the envoys meet next Tuesday morning, it may be known with some degree of dehniteness whether there is to be peace in the faT east or a continuance of the war.
 Until the present time President Roose- welt has refrained from any action even by ndirection that might be construed as interference by the plenipotentiaries. He announced at the beginning of the negotiations that neither by word nor act would he paruc1pate III the proceedings of the conference, although he made it clear to the envoys of both Russia and Japan that he would be ready at any time to assist them in a proper way in the work which they had been designated by their respective Emperors to under take.
 Communicates With Neutral Powers.
 Tn anticipation, however, of the failure of the envoys to agree on certain of the articles on which they had failed to agree, and in anticipation that he might be appealed to by one side the other before the conclusion of the conference, the President has been in communication with the neutral powers. His purpose was to enlist their support of final ef- fort to secure an honorable peace. With King Edward he communicated, because Great Britain is a practical ally of Japan, and with President Loubet because France Is the nearest friend of Russia. Germany. too. was appealed to. and Elm peror William is exerting his influence for peace.
 Through Mir Grescom. American minis ter to Tokio, the President has also been working, but 1t cannot be ascertained whether his efforts have been directed to- ward reduction of the demands of Japan or not. It is surmised, however, that he has urged the Japanese government so to modify It's terms as to render it easier TOT RuSSla to acceue 10 tnem
 kaneko Keeps In Close Touch.
 Baron Kaneko. confidential representa- tive of the Japanese government in this country, has been keeping in close touch with President Roosevelt since the peace negotiations were in their incipiency. For the fourth time in as many weeks, and for the second time within week he was in conference with the President last evening. Neither he nor the Presi- dent would disclose the nature of their interview but 1t Is significant that the Baron had scarcely started for New York before the Presidents interest in the negotiations at Portsmouth became active.
 He sent a long and important communi- cation 10 M Witte and Baron Rosen. Secretary Peirce's reply to the message was communicated to the President by telephone from the executive office in Oyster Bay village. Then ensued a long distance conference between the Pres ldent and the Russian envoys. the message being transmitted through Secretary Barns here. and through Assistant Sec retary Peirce at Portsmouth The Presi- dent invited M Witte to send trusted envoy. preferably Ambassador de Rosen to Sagamore Hill. in order that he might present to him for the consideration of the Russian mission a proposition or the highest impoitarce. The invitation or the President was accepted. and the de- tails were soon arranged.
 Leaves Portsmouth Early.
 Baron de Rosen, accompanied by Prince Koudacheff as his secretary. left Ports mouth early this morning. He went to Magnolia Mass. the seat of his embassy during the summer. and thence to Boston where he boarded q limited train for New York At PAS o'clock this afternoon the