LEGACIES OF THE PORTSMOUTH PEACE TREATY
Upon one thing all the envoys and their secretaries, and all the inhabitants of Portsmouth were agreed, — the principals were there to make peace. The onlookers hoped and prayed for peace. It may be safely said that there was no war party in Portsmouth. -- Louis E. Van Norman, "The Making of a Modern Peace Treaty," North American Review, October 1905.
The United States and Roosevelt
In the October 1905 The American Monthly Review of Reviews, Louis Van Norman wrote “The American people and Theodore Roosevelt should be grateful to the Russo-Japanese war for one thing at least. It has furnished us as a nation, and our President as a chief magistrate, an opportunity to demonstrate that we are an intensely peace-loving nation, and that the man with the ‘big stick,’ the man who has been accused of ostentatious bluster, — who, we have been told, was fairly aching to embroil us with the rest of the world, — is really a peacemaker. It is probable that Theodore Roosevelt will be known in history, not for his charge up San Juan Hill, but for his brave and high-principled efforts in bringing about the peace between Russia and Japan.”
Van Norman was prophetic. In 1906, Roosevelt became the first American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize due to his efforts in facilitating the peace between Russia and Japan. It might be assumed that peaceful relations between the United States and Japan would continue to grow, but the opposite happened. Some Japanese blamed Roosevelt whose interference, they said, prevented Japan from receiving a Russian indemnity. Racial tensions were high in the United States, especially in California, because of the influx of Japanese and Chinese immigrants. Secretary of State Elihu Root and Ambassador Takahira prepared an agreement to resolve differences. Both countries pledged to maintain the status quo in the Far East; recognized China’s independence and territorial integrity and to continue to support the open door policy; and agreed to consult with each other in the event of Far Eastern crises. Also understood was Japan’s annexation of Korea and dominance in Manchuria. Japan continued to expand its influence in China that was opposed by the United States. Japan and the United States began a long competition in their relationship as they became the dominant powers in the Pacific, a competition that ultimately resulted in World War II.
Russia's Reaction
Before Witte returned home, he learned that the Russian people were disgusted with the final terms. “In St. Petersburg, the war party and the autocracy have not been consoled by Japan’s failure to exact an indemnity,” wrote one reporter. “They only remember Russia’s loss of prestige in Europe as well as Asia, her exclusion from the Pacific seaboard and the cession of what they are pleased to call Russian territory, — the southern half of Saghalien.” Despite the resentment that the treaty had created in each country, both the Tsar and the Mikado finally ratified the peace on October 15. Witte was made a Count for his efforts although he was not appreciated at the Court of St. Petersburg, the Russian capital. Following strikes by industrial workers in October 1905, however, Nicholas appointed Witte as chief minister but replaced him in April 1906. In retirement Witte wrote his memoirs and continued to express his views on politics. In 1914 he opposed Russian involvement in the First World War and later urged peace negotiations with the German government. Witte died in March 1915. For Russia and Tsar Nicholas II, the war with its military defeats and the loss of half of Sakhalin were major steps in the path that led to the 1917 Russian Revolution and the creation of the communist Soviet Union.
Japan's Short and Long View
In Japan, when it was learned that the country would not receive an indemnity and would be giving up half of Sakhalin, riots broke out. Several people were killed and hundreds were wounded. One mass protest attracted more than one hundred thousand people and there were demonstrations at Christian churches and in front of the homes of Komura and other leading politicians. One Japanese journalist wrote “After eighteen months of war, at the conference at Portsmouth, Nippon has been disgraced by a defeat more serious, more far-reaching in consequences, than the disgrace of ten years ago (following the Chino-Nippon War) ... When the ridiculous disaster of our diplomacy at Portsmouth was made known there was only one newspaper in the whole realm of Nippon that enjoyed the distinction of looking upon the situation as other than a defeat.”
Although many Japanese originally opposed the treaty, the government and the military supported it for, in spite of no indemnity and the loss of half of Sakhalin island, it marked the first time that an Asian nation had confronted a European power, was victorious on the battle field, and essentially dictated the terms of peace. For Japan, the Treaty of Portsmouth is a strong symbol of its emergence as a major power in the community of nations and they are always ready to visit Portsmouth, either to participate in anniversary celebrations or just to sightsee. The fact that Japan gave up its claim for the indemnity and half of Sakhalin Island is viewed today as a magnanimous gesture.
Komura was sent back to work, negotiating in November 1905 a convention with China based on the terms of the treaty. When the agreements were signed, the government of Prime Minister Taro Katsura resigned. For his services, Komura received the Japanese title of count and was made a K.C.B. by King Edward VII. Later he returned as foreign minister in the second Katsura cabinet. His main assignment was the annexation of Korea, a goal accomplished in 1910, a year before his death. During his second tenure as foreign minister, Komura initated an unusual use of Japanese businessmen to establish business ties with the United States in order to improve relations. An informal approach used to foster formal diplomacy. Komura is now revered in Japan as one of its greatest diplomats.
Japanese crowds, unhappy over the treaty rioting, burned streetcars. Harper's Weekly.
Japanese political cartoon accuses Komura of selling out the dead soldiers because the treaty did not include the indemnity.
Statue of Komura at Nichinan. C. B. Doleac collection.
The United States and Roosevelt
In the October 1905 The American Monthly Review of Reviews, Louis Van Norman wrote “The American people and Theodore Roosevelt should be grateful to the Russo-Japanese war for one thing at least. It has furnished us as a nation, and our President as a chief magistrate, an opportunity to demonstrate that we are an intensely peace-loving nation, and that the man with the ‘big stick,’ the man who has been accused of ostentatious bluster, — who, we have been told, was fairly aching to embroil us with the rest of the world, — is really a peacemaker. It is probable that Theodore Roosevelt will be known in history, not for his charge up San Juan Hill, but for his brave and high-principled efforts in bringing about the peace between Russia and Japan.”
Van Norman was prophetic. In 1906, Roosevelt became the first American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize due to his efforts in facilitating the peace between Russia and Japan. It might be assumed that peaceful relations between the United States and Japan would continue to grow, but the opposite happened. Some Japanese blamed Roosevelt whose interference, they said, prevented Japan from receiving a Russian indemnity. Racial tensions were high in the United States, especially in California, because of the influx of Japanese and Chinese immigrants. Secretary of State Elihu Root and Ambassador Takahira prepared an agreement to resolve differences. Both countries pledged to maintain the status quo in the Far East; recognized China’s independence and territorial integrity and to continue to support the open door policy; and agreed to consult with each other in the event of Far Eastern crises. Also understood was Japan’s annexation of Korea and dominance in Manchuria. Japan continued to expand its influence in China that was opposed by the United States. Japan and the United States began a long competition in their relationship as they became the dominant powers in the Pacific, a competition that ultimately resulted in World War II.
Russia's Reaction
Before Witte returned home, he learned that the Russian people were disgusted with the final terms. “In St. Petersburg, the war party and the autocracy have not been consoled by Japan’s failure to exact an indemnity,” wrote one reporter. “They only remember Russia’s loss of prestige in Europe as well as Asia, her exclusion from the Pacific seaboard and the cession of what they are pleased to call Russian territory, — the southern half of Saghalien.” Despite the resentment that the treaty had created in each country, both the Tsar and the Mikado finally ratified the peace on October 15. Witte was made a Count for his efforts although he was not appreciated at the Court of St. Petersburg, the Russian capital. Following strikes by industrial workers in October 1905, however, Nicholas appointed Witte as chief minister but replaced him in April 1906. In retirement Witte wrote his memoirs and continued to express his views on politics. In 1914 he opposed Russian involvement in the First World War and later urged peace negotiations with the German government. Witte died in March 1915. For Russia and Tsar Nicholas II, the war with its military defeats and the loss of half of Sakhalin were major steps in the path that led to the 1917 Russian Revolution and the creation of the communist Soviet Union.
Japan's Short and Long View
In Japan, when it was learned that the country would not receive an indemnity and would be giving up half of Sakhalin, riots broke out. Several people were killed and hundreds were wounded. One mass protest attracted more than one hundred thousand people and there were demonstrations at Christian churches and in front of the homes of Komura and other leading politicians. One Japanese journalist wrote “After eighteen months of war, at the conference at Portsmouth, Nippon has been disgraced by a defeat more serious, more far-reaching in consequences, than the disgrace of ten years ago (following the Chino-Nippon War) ... When the ridiculous disaster of our diplomacy at Portsmouth was made known there was only one newspaper in the whole realm of Nippon that enjoyed the distinction of looking upon the situation as other than a defeat.”
Although many Japanese originally opposed the treaty, the government and the military supported it for, in spite of no indemnity and the loss of half of Sakhalin island, it marked the first time that an Asian nation had confronted a European power, was victorious on the battle field, and essentially dictated the terms of peace. For Japan, the Treaty of Portsmouth is a strong symbol of its emergence as a major power in the community of nations and they are always ready to visit Portsmouth, either to participate in anniversary celebrations or just to sightsee. The fact that Japan gave up its claim for the indemnity and half of Sakhalin Island is viewed today as a magnanimous gesture.
Komura was sent back to work, negotiating in November 1905 a convention with China based on the terms of the treaty. When the agreements were signed, the government of Prime Minister Taro Katsura resigned. For his services, Komura received the Japanese title of count and was made a K.C.B. by King Edward VII. Later he returned as foreign minister in the second Katsura cabinet. His main assignment was the annexation of Korea, a goal accomplished in 1910, a year before his death. During his second tenure as foreign minister, Komura initated an unusual use of Japanese businessmen to establish business ties with the United States in order to improve relations. An informal approach used to foster formal diplomacy. Komura is now revered in Japan as one of its greatest diplomats.
Japanese crowds, unhappy over the treaty rioting, burned streetcars. Harper's Weekly.
Japanese political cartoon accuses Komura of selling out the dead soldiers because the treaty did not include the indemnity.
Statue of Komura at Nichinan. C. B. Doleac collection.
Aftermath of the Treaty: Balance of Power in Pacific
Certainly Roosevelt’s goal for a balance of power in the Far East was established, at least for a time. For Japan, its military victories and rapid industrial growth cemented its position as a powerful nation. Japan’s military victories over Russia destroyed the myth of European invincibility over colonial peoples. Local independence movements through Asia were strengthened because of an Asian nation’s military success against a European nation. The weakness of Russia’s army and navy upset the balance of power in Europe and helped set the stage for World War I. Meanwhile, Japan proceeded on an imperialistic course on the Asian mainland that led to a war with China in 1937, an event many historians call the beginning of World War II.
Russia and Japan
Ironically, Japan and Russia drew closer diplomatically in the years after 1905 and, despite skirmishes in 1939, after Japan invaded China, Russia and Japan signed a peace treaty in September of that year. In April 1941, after Germany had begun the war in Europe, Russia and Japan signed a neutrality agreement that lasted until August 1945 when Japan's surrender was imminent following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The Soviet Union declared war on Japan despite the existing Japan-Soviet neutrality agreement. Three days after the war ended, Soviet troops took back southern Sakhalin and occupied the Kuril Islands, which then belonged to Japan, and in early September completed the occupation of the four northern islands (Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and Habomai) that are now in dispute. Although World War II hostilities ended in 1945, Japan and Russia have yet to sign a final peace treaty primarily over the territorial issue of these four islands Japan calls the Northern Territories. Discussions between Russia and Japan have continued intermittently for over sixty years and many economic and cultural agreements have been signed, but no permanent agreement has occurred.
New Hampshire and Portsmouth
Before leaving New Hampshire on September 5, Komura paid a courtesy call on Governor McLane, surprising the state’s chief executive with a donation of $10,000 as a token of appreciation for the hospitality received during the conference.
In a note sent to the governor, the Japanese requested that “you will be good enough to utilize (the donation) for such charitable purposes in the State of New Hampshire as your Excellency may deem fit.” Three days later, the Russians made a similar donation.The Russians and the Japanese in gratitude for the hospitality they received apparently made these donations. Calvin Page, trustee for the estate of Frank Jones that owned the hotel, picked up the bill for housing both delegations, a cost charged to the estate since the Wentworth was under the control of the Harvey and Wood management company. Charles A. Hazlett recounted this story in his History of Rockingham County: “Judge Page, through the president and Governor McLane, invited the peace delegates to the number of nearly one hundred, including all their attaches, to live at the big hotel free of charge so long as the conference should last; and the delegates and all of their attendants from both nations lived there for more than thirty days at a cost to the Jones estate of over twenty-five thousand dollars.”
Portsmouth plaque honors Calvin Page for his role in providing accommodations for the two delegations.Portsmouth's Page MemorialIn 1951, a bronze plaque in memory of Judge Page was placed on the side of 33 Pleasant Street, Page’s old law office. Former New Hampshire governor John H. Bartlett, who was Page’s son-in-law, erected the plaque. The inscription reads: “This tablet, replacing his ancient law sign, is a merited memorial to Patriot Calvin Page whose emergency cooperation with President Theodore Roosevelt and Gov. John McLane made possible the Portsmouth Peace Treaty of 1905 between Russia and Japan.”
The Japanese Fund
To reciprocate his gratitude to the Russians and the Japanese for their $10,000 gifts, McLane used the money to set up the Russian-Japanese Fund and purchased bonds from each country. Revenue from the Russian bonds ceased in 1917 after the revolution when the bonds became worthless. The Russians have refused to honor any requests to reinstate the money and in 1963, an act of the New Hampshire legislature dropped the Russian name from the fund title. Japan, meanwhile, continued to honor its commitment until World War II when interest payments ceased. The funds were restored by Japan in 1951, including payment of the nine years’ lost interest and, in 1965 the fund’s trustees reinvested the money in American bonds. When the seventy-fifth anniversary of the conference was celebrated in 1980, the fund had accrued to almost $40,000. The principal doesn’t increase since all of the interest must be expended annually. Currently, the proceeds are distributed to a variety of causes ranging from organ transplants to drug rehabilitation programs.
Treaty Furniture
Immediately after treaty was signed, the furniture used by both delegations in the General Stores Building was sold by the Portsmouth Furniture Company, although when Admiral Mead allowed large numbers of people to visit the conference building on Thursday, September 7, the furniture was still in place. The furniture was supposed to have been sold at regular prices, not inflated because of historical value. The Herald reported on September 14, that the chairs used by Witte and Komura and the actual table used for the signing were purchased by “Mrs. Parks, the wife of the civil engineer (Rear Admiral Charles W. Parks) at the navy yard.” Rear Admiral Parks was a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York and his family gave the table to the college in 1930. Historian Thomas C. Wilson borrowed the table for display in Portsmouth during the city’s 350th anniversary celebration. As an expert on the Treaty of Portsmouth, Wilson sought to collect information and memorabilia associated with the event. In 1957, with the assistance of then Portsmouth librarian Dorothy M. Vaughan, Wilson published The Peace of Portsmouth, a booklet with a brief text and many photographs relating to the conference.
Eventually Masayoshi Matsumura, Consul, Japanese Information Service at the Japanese Consulate in New York City, acquired the table and it is now in the Museum Meiji-Mura in Inuyama City, Aich Prefecture, Japan. There is a replica table in the Komura Memorial Museum in Nichinan. Although Wilson had opposed the acquisition of the table by the Japanese, he was able to purchase two conference chairs including one used by Komura. The chairs are now in the collection of the Portsmouth Athenaeum
Images, below. left to right:
The main conference room with its furniture in place.
Baron Komura's chair.
The conference table is in the Museum Meiji-Mura in Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Certainly Roosevelt’s goal for a balance of power in the Far East was established, at least for a time. For Japan, its military victories and rapid industrial growth cemented its position as a powerful nation. Japan’s military victories over Russia destroyed the myth of European invincibility over colonial peoples. Local independence movements through Asia were strengthened because of an Asian nation’s military success against a European nation. The weakness of Russia’s army and navy upset the balance of power in Europe and helped set the stage for World War I. Meanwhile, Japan proceeded on an imperialistic course on the Asian mainland that led to a war with China in 1937, an event many historians call the beginning of World War II.
Russia and Japan
Ironically, Japan and Russia drew closer diplomatically in the years after 1905 and, despite skirmishes in 1939, after Japan invaded China, Russia and Japan signed a peace treaty in September of that year. In April 1941, after Germany had begun the war in Europe, Russia and Japan signed a neutrality agreement that lasted until August 1945 when Japan's surrender was imminent following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The Soviet Union declared war on Japan despite the existing Japan-Soviet neutrality agreement. Three days after the war ended, Soviet troops took back southern Sakhalin and occupied the Kuril Islands, which then belonged to Japan, and in early September completed the occupation of the four northern islands (Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and Habomai) that are now in dispute. Although World War II hostilities ended in 1945, Japan and Russia have yet to sign a final peace treaty primarily over the territorial issue of these four islands Japan calls the Northern Territories. Discussions between Russia and Japan have continued intermittently for over sixty years and many economic and cultural agreements have been signed, but no permanent agreement has occurred.
New Hampshire and Portsmouth
Before leaving New Hampshire on September 5, Komura paid a courtesy call on Governor McLane, surprising the state’s chief executive with a donation of $10,000 as a token of appreciation for the hospitality received during the conference.
In a note sent to the governor, the Japanese requested that “you will be good enough to utilize (the donation) for such charitable purposes in the State of New Hampshire as your Excellency may deem fit.” Three days later, the Russians made a similar donation.The Russians and the Japanese in gratitude for the hospitality they received apparently made these donations. Calvin Page, trustee for the estate of Frank Jones that owned the hotel, picked up the bill for housing both delegations, a cost charged to the estate since the Wentworth was under the control of the Harvey and Wood management company. Charles A. Hazlett recounted this story in his History of Rockingham County: “Judge Page, through the president and Governor McLane, invited the peace delegates to the number of nearly one hundred, including all their attaches, to live at the big hotel free of charge so long as the conference should last; and the delegates and all of their attendants from both nations lived there for more than thirty days at a cost to the Jones estate of over twenty-five thousand dollars.”
Portsmouth plaque honors Calvin Page for his role in providing accommodations for the two delegations.Portsmouth's Page MemorialIn 1951, a bronze plaque in memory of Judge Page was placed on the side of 33 Pleasant Street, Page’s old law office. Former New Hampshire governor John H. Bartlett, who was Page’s son-in-law, erected the plaque. The inscription reads: “This tablet, replacing his ancient law sign, is a merited memorial to Patriot Calvin Page whose emergency cooperation with President Theodore Roosevelt and Gov. John McLane made possible the Portsmouth Peace Treaty of 1905 between Russia and Japan.”
The Japanese Fund
To reciprocate his gratitude to the Russians and the Japanese for their $10,000 gifts, McLane used the money to set up the Russian-Japanese Fund and purchased bonds from each country. Revenue from the Russian bonds ceased in 1917 after the revolution when the bonds became worthless. The Russians have refused to honor any requests to reinstate the money and in 1963, an act of the New Hampshire legislature dropped the Russian name from the fund title. Japan, meanwhile, continued to honor its commitment until World War II when interest payments ceased. The funds were restored by Japan in 1951, including payment of the nine years’ lost interest and, in 1965 the fund’s trustees reinvested the money in American bonds. When the seventy-fifth anniversary of the conference was celebrated in 1980, the fund had accrued to almost $40,000. The principal doesn’t increase since all of the interest must be expended annually. Currently, the proceeds are distributed to a variety of causes ranging from organ transplants to drug rehabilitation programs.
Treaty Furniture
Immediately after treaty was signed, the furniture used by both delegations in the General Stores Building was sold by the Portsmouth Furniture Company, although when Admiral Mead allowed large numbers of people to visit the conference building on Thursday, September 7, the furniture was still in place. The furniture was supposed to have been sold at regular prices, not inflated because of historical value. The Herald reported on September 14, that the chairs used by Witte and Komura and the actual table used for the signing were purchased by “Mrs. Parks, the wife of the civil engineer (Rear Admiral Charles W. Parks) at the navy yard.” Rear Admiral Parks was a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York and his family gave the table to the college in 1930. Historian Thomas C. Wilson borrowed the table for display in Portsmouth during the city’s 350th anniversary celebration. As an expert on the Treaty of Portsmouth, Wilson sought to collect information and memorabilia associated with the event. In 1957, with the assistance of then Portsmouth librarian Dorothy M. Vaughan, Wilson published The Peace of Portsmouth, a booklet with a brief text and many photographs relating to the conference.
Eventually Masayoshi Matsumura, Consul, Japanese Information Service at the Japanese Consulate in New York City, acquired the table and it is now in the Museum Meiji-Mura in Inuyama City, Aich Prefecture, Japan. There is a replica table in the Komura Memorial Museum in Nichinan. Although Wilson had opposed the acquisition of the table by the Japanese, he was able to purchase two conference chairs including one used by Komura. The chairs are now in the collection of the Portsmouth Athenaeum
Images, below. left to right:
The main conference room with its furniture in place.
Baron Komura's chair.
The conference table is in the Museum Meiji-Mura in Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
commemorations
Seco
The first event commemorating the treaty was held on September 5, 1906, at the Navy Yard when at the same hour when the treaty was signed, a bronze plaque was unveiled. Designated as “Peace Day,” the anniversary was observed with a display of flags and the ringing of bells at sunrise, noon and sunset. At three o’clock, following the hoisting of the three national flags and playing of the three national anthems, the plaque was unveiled by Misses Margaret Edwards and Margaret Parker, daughters of Commanders James R. Edwards and James T. Parker of Portsmouth. [12a] The copper plaque was alloyed with metal pieces of Japanese and Russian origin “so that the event might be perpetuated by the mingled metals.”
Over the years remembrances of the treaty had mainly been observed with historical articles in the Portsmouth Herald. When Wilson came to town he often wrote articles on some aspect of the subject for the paper and when the Piscataqua History Club was formed in the mid1960s, Wilson often scheduled a club meeting at the Wentworth with the conference as the subject. A formal celebration of the anniversary was on September 5, 1980 on the seventy-fifth anniversary of the signing. Japanese Consul-General Takeo Iguchi spoke at a reception at the Portsmouth Public Library at the opening of an exhibit commemorating the treaty. Co-chaired by Herald editor Ray Brighton and city Librarian Dorothy Vaughan, the exhibition was also represented a tribute to Wilson. Through the efforts of Joseph P. Copley and Wilson, a large collection of the photographs, documents, artifacts, and furniture was displayed. The anniversary also marked the publication of a Leon Anderson-Thomas Wilson booklet on the Japanese Fund.
Sister City and Nichinan
The year 1985 marked the beginning of a new local emphasis on the treaty and its relevance to contemporary affairs. In that year, the mayor of Nichinan, birthplace of diplomat Jutaro Komura, wrote to then-Mayor Eileen Foley asking if Portsmouth would become a sister city. Foley and the city council immediately accepted the offer and a delegation led by the mayor of Nichinan came to Portsmouth in August to help celebrate the 80th anniversary of the peace conference. The Nichinan delegation included not only private citizens but also artisans and musicians who gave demonstrations and performances. A State Street parade of the Nichinan people dressed in traditional clothing was followed by a gala banquet in the former Warehouse Restaurant on Bow Street. Since 1985 there have been a number of friendship exchanges among residents and home stay programs for junior and senior high school students. Agata Higashi Elementary School and New Franklin Elementary School, and Nichinan Gakuen High School and Portsmouth High School are sister schools and have deepened their relationships through these exchanges, most recently in 2005.
While Nichinan has always revered Komura, the story of that remarkable diplomat has been preserved through the opening of the Komura Memorial Center, established for the purpose of helping nurture citizens who have a global view through international exchange and educational and cultural activities. Former Mayor Foley, now Portsmouth’s City Ambassador, has visited Nichinan nine times and participated at the 1992 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Komura Center, which includes a museum, exhibits related to the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, and a replica of the treaty table. Portsmouth woodworker Ed Clarke has made replicas of one of the Komura chairs that have been placed in the Komura Center in Nichinan as part of a historical exhibit. When the Nichinan Chamber of Commerce decided to erect a new office, they designed it to be a replica of Building 86, the location of the treaty deliberations at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
Japan-America Society of New Hampshire; Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forums
In 1988 the Japan-America Society of New Hampshire was formed in Portsmouth by a group of local and state residents led by President Charles Doleac. The society sponsors and supports a variety of economic, diplomatic, and cultural programs aimed at fostering friendship and understanding between the two countries.
Panel members at the second Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forum, October 16, 1994: John Barry, President, Russia Society of New Hampshire, former Portsmouth mayor and City Ambassador Eileen Foley, Professor John Curtis Perry, Henry Willard Denison Professor of History, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Counselor Jiro Kodera, Embassy of Japan, Washington, D.C., Counselor Vladimir O. Rakhmanin, Embassy of the Russian Federation, Washington, D.C., and Charles Doleac, President, Japan-America Society of New Hampshire. C. B. Doleac collection.Of particular importance has been a series of four diplomatic forums with United States, Japanese, and Russian academic and diplomatic representatives who have discussed the historic and current relations between the two North Pacific nations.
The purpose of the forums is to foster a continuing dialogue between diplomats, scholars, and business leaders on international issues in the spirit of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty. The forum invites participants to express their own views based on their own scholarship and in response to the transcripts of the views expressed in prior forums.
Although the term had not been coined in 1905, multi-level diplomacy best describes the events surrounding Portsmouth Peace Conference. As explained by forum moderator Charles Doleac, “Multi-track or two-track diplomacy was employed by the people of Portsmouth and the State of New Hampshire during the thirty days of negotiations of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty. In between the formal direct negotiations, the people of Portsmouth hosted informal meetings, and recreational and social events throughout the local area to foster interpersonal relations between the Russian and Japanese delegations. This form of peace negotiation is becoming a new, broader approach to resolving international conflicts, especially when the parties want no formal government as an intermediary between the two. Portsmouth is a sterling example of this process before scholarship identified the name multi-track diplomacy.”
Counselor Vladimir O. Rakhmanin, Embassy of the Russian Federation, Washington, D.C., addressed the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forum in City Hall's Council Chamber. C. B. Doleac collection.
Although the Russian government has not expressed the same interest in the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, as has the Japanese government, the Russia Society of New Hampshire as well as some Russian diplomats and academics have participated in Portsmouth forums that discussed the treaty and on Japan-Russia relations.
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Because the treaty negotiations were conducted at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, visitors to the Portsmouth area, especially Japanese, have often expressed an interest in touring Building 86, site of the 1905 meetings. After 1905 that building was used primarily for administrative offices and was not open to the public. In 1987, the shipyard established a museum and a separate display related to the treaty has been created in Building
Wentworth by the Sea Hotel and Spa in New Castle.
Also on the list of treaty-related sites to visit is the historic Wentworth by the-Sea Hotel in New Castle where the members of both delegations lived during the conference. Built in 1874, the hotel was closed in 1982 and, after several changes in ownership, the rambling structure was scheduled to be torn down. Concerned local residents formed Friends of the Wentworth whose goal was to save the building. After convincing the then-owners to delay demolition, the Friends began a promotional campaign to find a buyer who would restore and reopen the hotel. Eventually Ocean Properties, a Portsmouth-based hotel chain, acquired the Wentworth. Following months of negotiations and meetings with various state and town agencies, Ocean Properties completed their purchase and began work in 2001. Opened in 2003, Wentworth By The Sea Marriott Hotel and Spa has 168 rooms and is the site of several events as part of the 2005 anniversary of the treaty.
Images below: Second Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forum in 1994, Building 86 commemorative plaque and Peace Day Ceremonies at the Navy Yard on September 5, 1906. Portsmouth Athenaeum collection.
The first event commemorating the treaty was held on September 5, 1906, at the Navy Yard when at the same hour when the treaty was signed, a bronze plaque was unveiled. Designated as “Peace Day,” the anniversary was observed with a display of flags and the ringing of bells at sunrise, noon and sunset. At three o’clock, following the hoisting of the three national flags and playing of the three national anthems, the plaque was unveiled by Misses Margaret Edwards and Margaret Parker, daughters of Commanders James R. Edwards and James T. Parker of Portsmouth. [12a] The copper plaque was alloyed with metal pieces of Japanese and Russian origin “so that the event might be perpetuated by the mingled metals.”
Over the years remembrances of the treaty had mainly been observed with historical articles in the Portsmouth Herald. When Wilson came to town he often wrote articles on some aspect of the subject for the paper and when the Piscataqua History Club was formed in the mid1960s, Wilson often scheduled a club meeting at the Wentworth with the conference as the subject. A formal celebration of the anniversary was on September 5, 1980 on the seventy-fifth anniversary of the signing. Japanese Consul-General Takeo Iguchi spoke at a reception at the Portsmouth Public Library at the opening of an exhibit commemorating the treaty. Co-chaired by Herald editor Ray Brighton and city Librarian Dorothy Vaughan, the exhibition was also represented a tribute to Wilson. Through the efforts of Joseph P. Copley and Wilson, a large collection of the photographs, documents, artifacts, and furniture was displayed. The anniversary also marked the publication of a Leon Anderson-Thomas Wilson booklet on the Japanese Fund.
Sister City and Nichinan
The year 1985 marked the beginning of a new local emphasis on the treaty and its relevance to contemporary affairs. In that year, the mayor of Nichinan, birthplace of diplomat Jutaro Komura, wrote to then-Mayor Eileen Foley asking if Portsmouth would become a sister city. Foley and the city council immediately accepted the offer and a delegation led by the mayor of Nichinan came to Portsmouth in August to help celebrate the 80th anniversary of the peace conference. The Nichinan delegation included not only private citizens but also artisans and musicians who gave demonstrations and performances. A State Street parade of the Nichinan people dressed in traditional clothing was followed by a gala banquet in the former Warehouse Restaurant on Bow Street. Since 1985 there have been a number of friendship exchanges among residents and home stay programs for junior and senior high school students. Agata Higashi Elementary School and New Franklin Elementary School, and Nichinan Gakuen High School and Portsmouth High School are sister schools and have deepened their relationships through these exchanges, most recently in 2005.
While Nichinan has always revered Komura, the story of that remarkable diplomat has been preserved through the opening of the Komura Memorial Center, established for the purpose of helping nurture citizens who have a global view through international exchange and educational and cultural activities. Former Mayor Foley, now Portsmouth’s City Ambassador, has visited Nichinan nine times and participated at the 1992 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Komura Center, which includes a museum, exhibits related to the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, and a replica of the treaty table. Portsmouth woodworker Ed Clarke has made replicas of one of the Komura chairs that have been placed in the Komura Center in Nichinan as part of a historical exhibit. When the Nichinan Chamber of Commerce decided to erect a new office, they designed it to be a replica of Building 86, the location of the treaty deliberations at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
Japan-America Society of New Hampshire; Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forums
In 1988 the Japan-America Society of New Hampshire was formed in Portsmouth by a group of local and state residents led by President Charles Doleac. The society sponsors and supports a variety of economic, diplomatic, and cultural programs aimed at fostering friendship and understanding between the two countries.
Panel members at the second Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forum, October 16, 1994: John Barry, President, Russia Society of New Hampshire, former Portsmouth mayor and City Ambassador Eileen Foley, Professor John Curtis Perry, Henry Willard Denison Professor of History, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Counselor Jiro Kodera, Embassy of Japan, Washington, D.C., Counselor Vladimir O. Rakhmanin, Embassy of the Russian Federation, Washington, D.C., and Charles Doleac, President, Japan-America Society of New Hampshire. C. B. Doleac collection.Of particular importance has been a series of four diplomatic forums with United States, Japanese, and Russian academic and diplomatic representatives who have discussed the historic and current relations between the two North Pacific nations.
The purpose of the forums is to foster a continuing dialogue between diplomats, scholars, and business leaders on international issues in the spirit of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty. The forum invites participants to express their own views based on their own scholarship and in response to the transcripts of the views expressed in prior forums.
Although the term had not been coined in 1905, multi-level diplomacy best describes the events surrounding Portsmouth Peace Conference. As explained by forum moderator Charles Doleac, “Multi-track or two-track diplomacy was employed by the people of Portsmouth and the State of New Hampshire during the thirty days of negotiations of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty. In between the formal direct negotiations, the people of Portsmouth hosted informal meetings, and recreational and social events throughout the local area to foster interpersonal relations between the Russian and Japanese delegations. This form of peace negotiation is becoming a new, broader approach to resolving international conflicts, especially when the parties want no formal government as an intermediary between the two. Portsmouth is a sterling example of this process before scholarship identified the name multi-track diplomacy.”
Counselor Vladimir O. Rakhmanin, Embassy of the Russian Federation, Washington, D.C., addressed the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forum in City Hall's Council Chamber. C. B. Doleac collection.
Although the Russian government has not expressed the same interest in the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, as has the Japanese government, the Russia Society of New Hampshire as well as some Russian diplomats and academics have participated in Portsmouth forums that discussed the treaty and on Japan-Russia relations.
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Because the treaty negotiations were conducted at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, visitors to the Portsmouth area, especially Japanese, have often expressed an interest in touring Building 86, site of the 1905 meetings. After 1905 that building was used primarily for administrative offices and was not open to the public. In 1987, the shipyard established a museum and a separate display related to the treaty has been created in Building
Wentworth by the Sea Hotel and Spa in New Castle.
Also on the list of treaty-related sites to visit is the historic Wentworth by the-Sea Hotel in New Castle where the members of both delegations lived during the conference. Built in 1874, the hotel was closed in 1982 and, after several changes in ownership, the rambling structure was scheduled to be torn down. Concerned local residents formed Friends of the Wentworth whose goal was to save the building. After convincing the then-owners to delay demolition, the Friends began a promotional campaign to find a buyer who would restore and reopen the hotel. Eventually Ocean Properties, a Portsmouth-based hotel chain, acquired the Wentworth. Following months of negotiations and meetings with various state and town agencies, Ocean Properties completed their purchase and began work in 2001. Opened in 2003, Wentworth By The Sea Marriott Hotel and Spa has 168 rooms and is the site of several events as part of the 2005 anniversary of the treaty.
Images below: Second Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forum in 1994, Building 86 commemorative plaque and Peace Day Ceremonies at the Navy Yard on September 5, 1906. Portsmouth Athenaeum collection.
Panel members at the second Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forum, October 16, 1994: John Barry, President, Russia Society of New Hampshire, former Portsmouth mayor and City Ambassador Eileen Foley, Professor John Curtis Perry, Henry Willard Denison Professor of History, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Counselor Jiro Kodera, Embassy of Japan, Washington, D.C., Counselor Vladimir O. Rakhmanin, Embassy of the Russian Federation, Washington, D.C., and Charles Doleac, President, Japan-America Society of New Hampshire. C. B. Doleac collection.
Multi-Track Diplomacy
Although the term had not been coined in 1905, multi-track diplomacy best describes the events surrounding the Portsmouth peace conference. In between the formal direct negotiations, the U.S. Navy and the people of Portsmouth hosted informal meetings, and recreational and social events throughout the local area to foster interpersonal relations between the Russian and Japanese delegations.
This form of peace negotiation using non-formal participants and organizations on many tracks is becoming a new, broader approach to resolving international conflicts, especially when the formal parties are unable to resolve their differences by traditional diplomacy. Portsmouth is not only an example of the ability of local people to influence international diplomacy but is also a sterling example of multi-track diplomacy before scholarship identified it.
Left: The symbol of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty centennial. Richard Haynes, © Haynes Images.
Portsmouth Peace Treaty Anniversary Committee
The Portsmouth Peace Treaty Anniversary Committee is planning for the 100th anniversary celebration of the signing of the treaty in 2005. The broad-based committee includes representatives of local schools, churches, and businesses, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, Portsmouth Athenaeum, Portsmouth Historical Society, Green Acre Baha’i School, the Japan-America Society of New Hampshire, the Russia Society of New Hampshire, Portsmouth Marine Society, the Music Hall, Strawbery Banke, and New Hampshire Council for Humanities and many more.
Portsmouth artist Richard Haynes designed the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Centennial symbol used on the header of this website, on centennial banners and posters, and available locally as a fine art print. The design incorporates five themes: The red half-flag on the right represents Japan; the red and blue half-flag on the left represent Russia; the gray dove represents the peace between the two countries; the olive branch represents Theodore Roosevelt; and the gray bell represents the United States Navy who provided the protocols for peace at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and announced the peace to the world through the bell; the olive branch of peace, rather than a big stick, represents Roosevelt's peace diplomacy; and the white steeple in the middle represents the North Church of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, symbolizing the role played by the state and many local people who hosted the two delegations and provided informal venues for peace.
Although the term had not been coined in 1905, multi-track diplomacy best describes the events surrounding the Portsmouth peace conference. In between the formal direct negotiations, the U.S. Navy and the people of Portsmouth hosted informal meetings, and recreational and social events throughout the local area to foster interpersonal relations between the Russian and Japanese delegations.
This form of peace negotiation using non-formal participants and organizations on many tracks is becoming a new, broader approach to resolving international conflicts, especially when the formal parties are unable to resolve their differences by traditional diplomacy. Portsmouth is not only an example of the ability of local people to influence international diplomacy but is also a sterling example of multi-track diplomacy before scholarship identified it.
Left: The symbol of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty centennial. Richard Haynes, © Haynes Images.
Portsmouth Peace Treaty Anniversary Committee
The Portsmouth Peace Treaty Anniversary Committee is planning for the 100th anniversary celebration of the signing of the treaty in 2005. The broad-based committee includes representatives of local schools, churches, and businesses, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, Portsmouth Athenaeum, Portsmouth Historical Society, Green Acre Baha’i School, the Japan-America Society of New Hampshire, the Russia Society of New Hampshire, Portsmouth Marine Society, the Music Hall, Strawbery Banke, and New Hampshire Council for Humanities and many more.
Portsmouth artist Richard Haynes designed the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Centennial symbol used on the header of this website, on centennial banners and posters, and available locally as a fine art print. The design incorporates five themes: The red half-flag on the right represents Japan; the red and blue half-flag on the left represent Russia; the gray dove represents the peace between the two countries; the olive branch represents Theodore Roosevelt; and the gray bell represents the United States Navy who provided the protocols for peace at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and announced the peace to the world through the bell; the olive branch of peace, rather than a big stick, represents Roosevelt's peace diplomacy; and the white steeple in the middle represents the North Church of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, symbolizing the role played by the state and many local people who hosted the two delegations and provided informal venues for peace.