The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-30
WASHINGTON SURPRISED.

l fleS was fecetVeu nere Wlbn SurpElSe for while the official mind had been ir measure prepared for d successful outcome of the conference by the state ments contained in the Associated Press despatches from Portsmouth last night, no such speedy action was antic- l ipated.
 | Following closely upon the press bull ] letins announcing the agreement came message to Acting Secretary Loomis from Assistant Secretary Peirce al Portsmouth which may consequently be regardc[ as official, in these words Russian and Japanese plenipotentta- ries agreed upon terms of peace" | Two facts appeared clearly upon the l announcement of the news: First that the State Department officials had never entertained any doubt that the conference would reach an agreement and second, that the militant branches of the government, the army and navy people, were as fully confident that the | war would continue indefinitely and to the point of exhaustion of one of the combatants.
 | Now that an agreement has been | reached, however both branches of the government service experience feeling of relief. The State Department real izes a great victory in having secured | beyond question the open door fin Man l WHICH NdS SO WCfAt lV AhS AC@ks of the late Secretary Hay. The territo- rial integrity of China. seems also In sured and with the restoratiop of the vast Manchurian provinces to the con- | trol of the present Emperor of China and the dowager Empress, 1t Is felt here that there Is an end for all time Of insidious foreign aggresstons upon Chi nese soil With Korea under a Japa- | nese protectorate, developing its great | al n ha nnennd ! to American exploitation on even terms with other nations. a large increase in the foreign markets open to our prod l ucts is expected.
 For It's part, the navy will be relieved | of the tedious and expensive patrol which 1t has maintained in the Philip pines ever since the beginning of hos | tilities to guard against the violation of neutrality by the belligerents Also II will be relieved of the necessity of guarding the Russian interned ships The Lena at San Francisco. which came l in almost year ago for refuge and asylum, has been a source of anxiety | and international correspondence has been necessary to secure the return or some Russian officers of that ship who broke their parole. In the Philippines Admiral Train has been concerned with the care of the Russian Admiral En- duist with his three cruisers, Jemts- chug. Aurora, and Oleg. which came into Manila Bay the sad wreck of the once formidable Russian Second Pacific squadron. These ships may now, it is supposed, depart for their home ports, although some repairs may bo necessa- ry before they may be regarded as sea worthy.
 Secretary Bonaparte expressed great satisfaction at the news that peace was said to be assured. He said:
 T know, ns yet, nothing ofhctally on the subject, but IT the information giv- en is accurate, this result of the nego- tiations at Portsmouth will be a source of happiness to the whole civilized world and can hardly fail to earn Tor our own government general approoa- tion and gratitude
 General Bates. Acting Secretary Of War, said he was, delighted to learn Of the agreement at Portsmouth, especial N aSs he had begun to fear an unfavor- able outcome If the negotiations.
 Glory for Roosevelt.
 Late tonight President Roosevelt re- ceived the following telegram from the Russian envoys:
 Portsmouth, N. H.. Aug 9e.s The President:
 We have the honor to inform you that we have reached an agreement with the plenipotentiaries of Japan. To you history will award the glory Of having taken the generous initiative in bringing about this conference whose Iabors will now probably result In bringing peace honorably to both sides.
 Witte,
 Roson.
 To this telegram the President re- pied as follows:
 Oyster Bay. Aug. 29. Witte and Rosen. Portsmouth, N. Fl.
 cannot too strongy express my con Rratulations to you and to the entire civilized world upon the agreement reached between you and the plenipo- tentiaries of Japan and upon the fact that thereby a peace has been secured just and honorable to both sides
 Theodore Roosevelt.
 A similar response was sent by the President in reply to the dispatch this afternoon from Baron Komura.
 President Roosevelt said tonight that in the near future he expected to make A formal statement regarding the work Of the Washington conference. He felt if would not be wise for him to Issue such a statement at this time It can he said. however, that the President regards his work incident to the con ference as quite as important from the standpoint of humanity and civilization as that in which any President of the United States has engaged.
 The President. 1t may be said author itatively, appealed for peace not only to Emperor Nicholas. but also to the Jap anese Government. As has been ex- plained in these dispatches these ap- peals, while made directly to the Elm perors of. the warning powers, were transmitted also to the envoys of the respective Governments at Portsmouth in order to preserve the form of diplo- matic etiquette and to avoid any possi- bility of giving offense.