Show in simple but dignified ceremony peace Is consummated and the portsmouth conference takes a place in international history portsmouth N H sept 5 the treaty of peace was signed shortly belore 4 this in the conference room of the navy general store at the navy yard the firing of a national salute of nineteen suns was the signal which tola the people ot portsmouth and new castle that the peace of portsmouth was an accomplished fact and the church bells in the three towns were soon pealing forth a joyful refrain for forty sewn minutes those outside the conference loom anxiously awaited tho signal suddenly an orderly dashed to the entrance of the peace building and waved his hand to the gunner a few feet away and the opening shot of tho salute rang out on the clear air of the soft september afternoon proclaiming peace between russia and japan three was the hour set tor the session of tho an hour before that time a heavy thunder storm wag in progress but as sir witte and baron de rosen left the hatel in an automobile at for the navy yard the rain stopped when baron komura and mr takahara lra en alered their automobile twenty minutes later the eun suddenly shone which called forth remark from baron komura it is a good omen of peace this remark was cheered by the crofta gathered to sec ahe japanese depart the c russian plenipotentiaries reached the yard at a quarter to 3 and received an ambassadorial salute of nineteen guns the yard presented a lively scene as the automobile hearing mr and baron do rosen dashed up to the conference building on one side in special full areas were two companies 0 marines commanded by major moses who rendered the prescribed honors as mr witte and baron de rosen passed their front grouped in front of tho conference hall were ft large number of correspondents spon dents who had been admitted to the navy yard at ane special request of sir witte and they gave him a hearty cheer as he from his automobile and was greeted in tho vestibule by sir the third assistant secretary of state admiral meade commander of the yard and commander cameron commanding the mayflower ana the five midshipmen who were ordered hero for duty in connection with the peace conference the midshipmen were harrington ring ton bagley blackburn Inger BoU and leary who appeared in special uniform dress tho russians went at once to their private office adjoining the conference room to await the arrival of the jap anese who did not reach the navy yard until 3 baron komura and mr were also saluted with nineteen guns as they entered tho they were ushered at once to the japanese office at the east end of the conference room then the russian secretaries immediately came over and began tho comparative para tive reading of ane russian and japanese copies which required about twenty minutes upon the completion of this task they prepared the two copies of the protocol of the sitting leaving only the exact hour to be filled in was just when the aries entered the conference room from the respective offices they merely bowed to bacu other and took their accustomed seats at the long table around which their negotiations have been conducted instead of the secretaries sitting next to the pleni aries however these chairs were occupied by the remaining dele pates mr witte sat at the center of the table facing the window on his right waa baron DC rosen and captain the latter occupying the seat of mr martens who was ue bained at the hotel by indisposition on mr wittes left sat mr and general Yer maloff directly op mr witte was baron komura with mr Ta kahira and mr sato on hla right hand and mr denelson Denn lson and mr damaza on his left at one end ot the table sat mr planson with the russian originals of the treaty in french and english and the final protocol grouped around the table were the other members or the two missions and the invited witnesses mr pearce the third assistant secretary of state as the personal representative of the president admiral meade commandant of the navy yard captain commanding the mayflower the governor of new hamp colre and the mayor of portsmouth As soon as the delegates had taken their seats mr sato left his chair and went to mr wittes side with the japanese copies of the treaty which he placed before him at the same time mr placed the russian copies of the treaty before baron komura almost at the same moment they took the two selected pens from the center oc the table and signed their names to the french and then to the english text the copies were then signed by baron rosen and mr kahira Ta mr sato returned the japanese copies for the signatures of baron komura and mr Ta kahira mr witte and baron da rosen affixed their signatures to the russian copies and the treaty of portsmouth was signed the ceremony being completed at 3 SO to this moment no word had broken table the war was over russia and japan were more friends this simple ceremony rang true and deeply impressed the attaches and sec of the two missions who with the invited witnesses had formed larga circle around the delegates sit ting at the table baron de was the first to break the silence rising from his seat tho ambassador looking baron komura and mr takahara lra straight in the eye said a few words which one had only to hear to know what they came from his heath he began by saying that ho wished on behalf of mr watte dussias Rus sias and in his own name 10 say a few words we have just signed continued tho ambassador an act which will have forever a place in the annals ot history it Is not tor us active participants in the conclusion of this treaty to pass judgment on its import and significance As negotiators on behalf of the russia aa well as the empire of japan we may with tranquility say that we have done all that was in our power in order to bring about the peace tor which tho whole civilized world was longing As ies of russia wo fulfill a most agreeable duty in acknowledging that in negotiating with our hitherto adversaries and from this hour our friends wo have been dealing with true and thorough gentlemen to whom we are happy to express our high esteem and personal regard wo earnestly chopo that friendly between the two empires will hence forth be firmly established and we trust that his excellency cel lency baron komura as minister of foreign affairs and one of the leading statesmen of his country will apply to the strengthening of these relations ohp wide experience and wise statesmanship ho conspicuously displayed during these negotiations which have been so happily concluded baron komura replied that he shared entirely the views of baron de ros en the treaty of portsmouth which they had signed in the interest of hun manity and civilization and he was happy to believe that it would bring about a firm lasting peace between two neighboring empires he added that it would always be pleasant for him to recall that throughout the long and serious negotiations which they have now left behind them he and his colleagues had invariably received from tho russian baries the high courtesy and consideration and he begged to asure the russian ploll potentates that be his duty as well as his pleasure to do everything in his power to make tho treaty in fact what it professes to bo in words a treaty of peace and amity at the conclusion of baron komuvas Ko muras remarks mr witte arose and said ho desired to see baron de rosen and japanese alone for a few minutes the four retired to the russian office and closeted for 10 minutes what transpired in that final conference of tho peace makers the world may never know tho have refused to discuss it even to their secretaries while the conference was in progress the secretaries were affixing the official seal to the treaty there being tour seals to each four copies upon their return to the conference the tent aries then signed tho protocol of their last received the signing of tho treaty september 5 1905 at at the portsmouth navy yard after this there was general handshaking and a buffet luncheon was served the russians and japanese in formally drinking each others health shortly before 5 the russian mission left the yard for the thanksgiving buryce at christ church and the japanese returned to the hotel As the crowds near the church caught sight of sir witto they began a cheer that did not die until they had passed into the church it was ably the greatest of the many ovations he has received since he came to this country mr vitte arose in the automobile and bowed right and left he then entered the church to attend abo ice of thanksgiving |