Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-09-07
TREATY IS Signed
final Ceremony occurs AT
PORTSMOUTH.
Closing Act of Conference a Tame
Affair and without Spectacular
FeatureS-k0mura Says Outcome
Is for the Best Interests OF
Both Sides.

portsmouth, N. d., sept. 5.-The
peace treaty was formally signed at 3
O'Clock this afternoon.
Portsmouth, N. H., Sept. 5.-The
closing act Of the peace conference was
a very tame affair. There were no
spectacular features. Final arrange.
ments were made Monday for the sign
ing Of the treaty of Portsmouth" at
O'Clock this afternoon in the executive
room Of the naval stores building.
Besides the plenipotentiaries only AS
sistant Secretary Pierce, representing
the president; Gov. McLane, the may
or of Portsmouth, Admiral Mead and
Commander Winslow were present.
The ceremony was very brief.
After the signing the mem bers of the
Russian mission went to Christ Episco-
pal church, where to deum service
was held. The Russian orthodox bish.
op Of New York, accompanied by
twenty priests and about seventy Choir
listers, arrived yesterday afternoon on
a special train. Mr.. Witte and the
mem bers of his suite will leave for
New York at 9 O'Clock Wednesday
morning. Baron Komura, before 60.
ing to Oyster Bay, will visit Harvard,
his alma mater.
The service at Christ church was
conducted jointly by the rector and the
Rev. Alexander Hotoviski, Of St.
Nicholas church, New York. The fes-
tai evensong was intoned by Father
Brine, after which there was a to deum
Both sides regard the official record
of the sitting Of August 30 as of the
greatest importance. The agreement
was reached in secret, but subsequent
~ there was a public rehearsal in
the presence of the secretaries, at
which the record was made, the Jap.
anese offered their compromise, meet
ing with refusal, and finally accepting
the "ultimatum" of the czar-no in
| demnity and the division of Sakhalill.
komura Holds Reception.
Baron Komura, Mr.. Takahira and
the members of the Japanese mission
held reception in the ball room OF
the hotel last night. 1t was an ex.
ceedingly pleasant affair, marked by
the most friendly exchanges between
the Russians and Japanese. Gov. John
McLane and his staff, Rear Admiral
Meade and the naval officers in the
hsrbor, the newspaper correspondents
and all the hotel guests were present.
In the midst of the gaiety Mr.. White
and Baron de Rosen, accompanied by
the baroness and followed by the Rus.
sian suite, entered the room and paid
their respects to the hosts. The greet.
ing and exchanges between the erst.
while foes were very cordial. Mr.
Witte, after he withdrew from the line,
finding that he was becoming the cen.
ter of throng who desired to be pre-.
sented, quietly left the ball room. Sup.
per was served and there were many
"banzai" toasts and toasts to President
Roosevelt and peace.
At the close of the reception Baron
Komura, speaking to the Associated
Press, said that he was very much sat-
isfied with the result Of the peace con.
ference, adding that what had been
done here had been for the best inter
ests of Russia and Japan.
Baron Komura attached no import
ance to the telegram from Lidzia-
pudze, saying that the Russians were
experimenting Japanese attack. He
regarded it simply as an indication Of
the natural nervousness and tension
that existed on both sides, and said he
should not be surprised if similar
telegram came from the Japanese lines.