Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-10

off :tfnicaI,ly considerable reserve was
DISPLAYED upOn both sides. Baron ko-
mur;t whom NJ. Witte had met in st
Petersburg during the formers service
as Japanese minister there, was pleas
antly greeted by the chief Russian en-
voy i'll French, hut the baron was
obliged to shake his head and turn to
his secretary, Mr.. Honda, who eX-
planned that Baron komura had for
gotten tine little French he knew while
| in St. Petersburg. While the Russian
| Observation-Disclosures expect the Japanese
| TO present the Japanese terms immedi-
ately upon the official exchange of Gre
dentials. tomorrow, they admit they
! are in the dark.
| Earon Komura and his colleagues
| decline TO give any intimatiOn of their
| course Of procedure. Pursuing the tao
| ties which they lave constantly fol-
| lowed in all their diplomatic and mill
| tary operations, they are carefully
guarding all their plans regarding the
| present meeting. There was some dis
position. today to attribute Baron Ko-
| mura's forgetfulness in not bringing
| his credentials to the meeting To de-
, sire to spar for time and fer that rea-
son. some doubt was expressed whether
| tine Japanese would show their hand,
| tomorrow. but the Russian ENJOYS do
not question Baron Komurds good
| faith ana frankly say it was due to a
| misunderstanding.
This evening the amenities We're OBJ
| served by a general exchange Of cards,
| NJ. White. Baron Rosen and his suite
| sending theirs at the hotel office. while
| the carGs of the Japanese mission were
left at tn doors of the members of the
| Russian mission by q little Japanese
| messenger boy.
Commanders Winslow and Gibbons also
paid their officials calls upon the two
missions late this afternoon. The Jap
anese and the Russian newspaper CORE
spordcntS have broken the ice and have
begun to fratcrnizc. 1t is perhaps sig
niiicant that that the correspondents on
both sides are sending to their respective
homes dispatches of anything but an OPP
timistic character. In the opinion of the
Russians. the EmperOr's manifesto pro-
mitigating the national assembly project
| will materially strengthen the position
Of the Russian ENJOYS by relieving the
internal situation.
| Because the Russians like to smoke
while ut the table, the entire Russian
mission, tonight dined in their apart
mcnts. a practice which they have decid-
ed to continue hereafter.
The secretaries who are charged with
drawing up the protocols of today's meet
ing were engaged until late. tonight. in
the work. This is an Indication of the
laccIIracy ana care with which the work
of III" conference is To h" kept.
| Portsmouth, n. H. Aug. 9.-The first
meeting of the Washington conference
lasted little more than an hour and was
as far as 1t went, entirely successful.
The credentials Wcr@ exchanged by
T,aron Komura and Mr.. Witte and wern
found mutually satisfactory. 1t was
agreed that the English and French
languages should be used jointly and
that the official minut, If the meet
iups should be recorded in both Ian
guages. 1t was then agreed that the
program for each days work should be
taken up. The official details of this
program have not yet been made pub
lie but it is learned that the first meet
ing will take place tomorrow morning
at half past nine, or rs ore of the en-
VOWS expressed it, Between half past
| nine ana Ten.
The Russian plcnipotentiari"s
through Mr.. Nabokoff, who assisted at
this mornings first meeting as secrc-
tary. has issued the following official
statement:
The first meeting took place. this
morning Mr. White Baron De Roscn.
Baron Komura, Mr. Takahira and n
secretary on each side participated.
The program of the following meet
ings has been fixed so far as the form
is concerned.
The meetings will be twice day. in
the morning and in the afternoon after
three. The information will be given to
the press after being 2sreed upon by
both sides. The records of the pro-
ceedings and ell official documents will
be compiled both in English and in
. French The French text fera fob
will be accepted in evidence in case of
, dispute.
THE delegates attached TO the plen-
. ipotentiaries. who did not assist at this
mornings meeting and will not assist,
Continued on Page Five.l