PLACES
Whatever the result of the meetings to be held at Portsmouth navy yard, Portsmouth itself and the towns in its vicinity will be more famous than ever before . . . Portsmouth is in the world's eye and is likely to remain there for weeks to come. -- Portsmouth Herald, August 2, 1905
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Sagamore Hill, Oyster Bay, NY
Komura arrived in New York on July 25, and two days later he and Takahira visited Roosevelt at Sagamore Hill, the summer White House on Long Island. Roosevelt urged the Japanese to moderate the demand for an indemnity, the cost of the war that the Japanese felt they were entitled to as a result of their victories. Witte came to New York a few days after Komura. While Komura had traveled directly from Japan by ship to Seattle and train to New York, Witte had gone from St. Petersburg to Paris to consult with the French about a loan. He was told that France might provide funds to pay for an indemnity; it would not support a loan to continue the war. After Witte learned in France that the Japanese planned to insist on the indemnity, he arrived in New York with low expectations for a treaty. |
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 Icon of St. Alexander Hotovitzky. Courtesy of St. Peter and Paul Church, South River, NJ.
August 4: Witte and Rosen attended a service conducted by Archpriest Alexander Hotovitzky at St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church.
Aware of the great responsibility facing Witte, Hotovitzky said, in part, "A hard and difficult task lies before you. May God help you and grant you wisdom. Just now we all feel lost and do not know what to do or what the future will bring. But I am sure that you, with your Russian soul, understand and know exactly what is necessary for the good of Russia." Hotovitzky, who would participate in the Portsmouth religious service on the day the treaty was signed, later returned to Russia where the communists charged him with counter-revolutionary activities. He was arrested and imprisoned several times, the last in 1937, after which he disappeared and was assumed to have been martyred. He was made a saint of the Orthodox Church in 1993. (Above, an icon recognizing St. Hotovitsky) After the service, Witte and Rosen met Roosevelt at Sagamore Hill where the Russians insisted they would make no payment to the Japanese. Without a Japanese change of mind regarding the money, the Russians insisted their country would continue the war. Roosevelt and Witte had several disagreements and the president recalled the meeting as being unpleasant. After these visits, Roosevelt was not hopeful that a treaty could be achieved, nevertheless, he urged the parties to continue as planned. |
A famous group portrait of, left to right: Witte, Rosen, Roosevelt, Komura, and Takahira on board Mayflower. Portsmouth Athenaeum collection.
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August 5: the legations were introduced to each other on board the USS Mayflower in Oyster Bay, off ashore from Sagamore Hill (above, right)
The Japanese arrived from New York on the cruiser Tacoma and were the first to board the Mayflower where President Roosevelt greeted them. Soon after, the Russians arrived on the cruiser Chattanooga. They joined the Japanese and the president for a champagne toast and a cold luncheon. No chairs were provided, thereby eliminating any problems of seating arrangements. Protocol for such gatherings was important and, as hosts, American officials were careful not to slight either Russia or Japan. It had originally been determined that the Russian party had precedence because their embassy in Washington was headed by an ambassador while Japan had only a minister. For the preliminary meetings, the order was reversed because the Japanese were the first to arrive in this country for the conference.
Careful to maintain his neutrality, Roosevelt offered a toast to which he would not accept a reply, "I drink to the welfare and prosperity of the sovereigns and people of the nations whose representatives have met one another on this ship. It is my most earnest hope and prayer, in the interest not only of these two great powers, but all of civilized mankind, that a just and lasting peace may speedily be concluded between them."
Immediately after the toast the parties disembarked for New Hampshire. For the trip to Portsmouth, the Japanese boarded the USS Dolphin, chosen for them because most of the servants were Japanese, while the Russians remained on the Mayflower, which had Chinese servants. The two ships were escorted by the Galveston carrying Secretary Peirce. Fog in Long Island Sound delayed the progress of the flotilla causing the conference to be postponed for one day.
The ships stopped for the night at Newport, Rhode Island, where Witte, known to dislike sea voyages, left his ship and traveled by train to Boston where he met with officials at Harvard and with some Russian émigrés. In his memoirs, Witte recalled, "In the evening of the same day I reached Portsmouth which is a combination naval base and a small town, the latter being the summer residence of middle class people. At the hotel I found some of the members of my retinue, who had preferred to come to Portsmouth by rail instead of by sea. The warships, which carried the diplomatic missions, were due to arrive in Portsmouth the next morning (August 8). Our vessel was the first to arrive. Earlier in the morning I had stolen incognito into the naval port and, as soon as our warship entered the harbor, I made my way to her in a motor boat, boarded and later disembarked accompanied by Baron Rosen."
Below (left to right): images from Harper's Weekly Arriving on USS Mayflower: President Roosevelt, Baron Komura, Minister Witte.
why portsmouth, new hampshire?
Governor John McLane
NH Governor John McLane. Harper's Weekly.
After Roosevelt convinced the combatants to negotiate a treaty, all that remained for the two countries was to agree on a conference location. After several foreign cities were considered and rejected, Russia suggested Washington and Japan agreed. As Washington was (and is) well known for its oppressive summer heat, Roosevelt interpreted the agreement on the American capital to mean that an East Coast site would be acceptable, assuming it had comfortable weather.
In the belief that a New Hampshire location would boost the tourist economy, the owners of the Mount Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods told Governor John McLane (left) they would host the peace conference and assume all costs. The governor and executive council immediately issued an invitation and asked former senator William Chandler and congressmen to present it to Secretary of State John Hay. The secretary told Chandler that the invitation would have to be given directly to the Japanese and the Russians. Chandler and New Hampshire Secretary of State Pearson with congressman went to the two embassies, meeting with Japanese Minister Takahira and Russian Ambassador Cassini. A few days later, the state department notified then New Hampshire Senator Jacob Gallinger that Portsmouth would be the preferred location. The Portsmouth Navy Yard could provide the proper security for formal negotiations and Roosevelt, a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy, trusted the Navy to develop and carry out the necessary protocols required for the formal negotiations.
To secure suitable accommodations for the two delegations, Gov. McLane, along with Secretary Pearson and Councilor Towle, immediately went to Portsmouth to meet with Calvin Page, the trustee of the Frank Jones estate, which owned the Hotel Wentworth. Page quickly agreed to provide the necessary accommodations and to assume the financial responsibility for the envoys' stay. With a transatlantic cable available at Rye Beach, the Portsmouth Navy Yard as a meeting site offering security and privacy, and the availability of the large Hotel Wentworth, Portsmouth became the perfect location.
In the belief that a New Hampshire location would boost the tourist economy, the owners of the Mount Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods told Governor John McLane (left) they would host the peace conference and assume all costs. The governor and executive council immediately issued an invitation and asked former senator William Chandler and congressmen to present it to Secretary of State John Hay. The secretary told Chandler that the invitation would have to be given directly to the Japanese and the Russians. Chandler and New Hampshire Secretary of State Pearson with congressman went to the two embassies, meeting with Japanese Minister Takahira and Russian Ambassador Cassini. A few days later, the state department notified then New Hampshire Senator Jacob Gallinger that Portsmouth would be the preferred location. The Portsmouth Navy Yard could provide the proper security for formal negotiations and Roosevelt, a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy, trusted the Navy to develop and carry out the necessary protocols required for the formal negotiations.
To secure suitable accommodations for the two delegations, Gov. McLane, along with Secretary Pearson and Councilor Towle, immediately went to Portsmouth to meet with Calvin Page, the trustee of the Frank Jones estate, which owned the Hotel Wentworth. Page quickly agreed to provide the necessary accommodations and to assume the financial responsibility for the envoys' stay. With a transatlantic cable available at Rye Beach, the Portsmouth Navy Yard as a meeting site offering security and privacy, and the availability of the large Hotel Wentworth, Portsmouth became the perfect location.
portsmouth navy yard & wentworth hotel
Portsmouth Navy Yard
Established in 1800, Portsmouth is the nation's oldest government shipyard. Several of America's most famous sailing war ships were constructed here and in World War II Portsmouth contributed 75 submarines to the war effort. In recent years the yard's prime activity has been to refuel and overhaul nuclear submarines. In 1905, however, the yard was in one of it periodic declines, and, Roosevelt believed, a quiet place to hold a peace conference.
An event of this magnitude required a careful attention to diplomatic protocol. America's navy and marines, more than the other branches of the military, had a long record of international contacts, so the officers, enlisted men, and civilians were charged with maintaining the decorum and ceremony required, and expected, by Japan and Russia.
On July 10, the Portsmouth Herald announced that the negotiations would be held at the yard, and commander William Mead, who was promoted to rear admiral, was charged on short notice with making the navy yard ready for the peace conference. Concerned about security, Admiral Mead requested a detail of marines, and he announced that the yard would be closed to both the public and the press. Additional telegraph lines were installed for the delegates and Secretary Peirce, who had to keep Roosevelt informed. Four small vessels, called cutters and recently built at Portsmouth, were fitted out to provide transportation as needed between the yard and the Hotel Wentworth.
Mead requested the marine detachment not only for security but also as part of the protocol arrangements for the distinguished visitors. A simple yet dignified welcoming ceremony was planned and included officers and enlisted men in dress uniforms and the firing of cannons. Finally, the new general stores building was made ready for the negotiations. A large room was set up for the conference discussions, while small, private anterooms were provided for each delegation. Ordered from Washington, the furniture was made of mahogany in the style of the cabinet room in the White House. Oriental rugs completed the décor. On the day the treaty was signed, the furniture was sold to yard officials and local people. Although the current whereabouts of most of this furniture is unknown, several pieces are now in the Portsmouth area, while the large conference table is in the Museum Meiji-Mura in Inuyama City, Aich Prefecture, Japan.
Hotel Wentworth
If the New Hampshire seacoast has an architectural grand lady, it is the Hotel Wentworth, originally built in 1874, then greatly expanded into a major resort by local "robber baron" Frank Jones. Situated in New Castle on the shore of Little Harbor where New Hampshire's first settlers arrived, the hotel offered proximity to the navy yard by vehicle or boat. Although Jones, who had been an ale tycoon, railroad president, and a congressman, had died, his will authorized his heirs to operate the hotel as he would have if alive. Jones' trustee Calvin Page agreed to provide the hotel's facilities for the conferees. With room for 500 guests, the Wentworth could accommodate not only the delegates, but also its usual summer guests. Although the major negotiations were held at the navy yard, the hotel was also the site of important informal negotioations and it was at the hotel where the armistice was signed. At the Wentworth Americans mixed with Russians and Japanese creating a relaxed atmosphere that contributed to the spirit of negotiation.
Established in 1800, Portsmouth is the nation's oldest government shipyard. Several of America's most famous sailing war ships were constructed here and in World War II Portsmouth contributed 75 submarines to the war effort. In recent years the yard's prime activity has been to refuel and overhaul nuclear submarines. In 1905, however, the yard was in one of it periodic declines, and, Roosevelt believed, a quiet place to hold a peace conference.
An event of this magnitude required a careful attention to diplomatic protocol. America's navy and marines, more than the other branches of the military, had a long record of international contacts, so the officers, enlisted men, and civilians were charged with maintaining the decorum and ceremony required, and expected, by Japan and Russia.
On July 10, the Portsmouth Herald announced that the negotiations would be held at the yard, and commander William Mead, who was promoted to rear admiral, was charged on short notice with making the navy yard ready for the peace conference. Concerned about security, Admiral Mead requested a detail of marines, and he announced that the yard would be closed to both the public and the press. Additional telegraph lines were installed for the delegates and Secretary Peirce, who had to keep Roosevelt informed. Four small vessels, called cutters and recently built at Portsmouth, were fitted out to provide transportation as needed between the yard and the Hotel Wentworth.
Mead requested the marine detachment not only for security but also as part of the protocol arrangements for the distinguished visitors. A simple yet dignified welcoming ceremony was planned and included officers and enlisted men in dress uniforms and the firing of cannons. Finally, the new general stores building was made ready for the negotiations. A large room was set up for the conference discussions, while small, private anterooms were provided for each delegation. Ordered from Washington, the furniture was made of mahogany in the style of the cabinet room in the White House. Oriental rugs completed the décor. On the day the treaty was signed, the furniture was sold to yard officials and local people. Although the current whereabouts of most of this furniture is unknown, several pieces are now in the Portsmouth area, while the large conference table is in the Museum Meiji-Mura in Inuyama City, Aich Prefecture, Japan.
Hotel Wentworth
If the New Hampshire seacoast has an architectural grand lady, it is the Hotel Wentworth, originally built in 1874, then greatly expanded into a major resort by local "robber baron" Frank Jones. Situated in New Castle on the shore of Little Harbor where New Hampshire's first settlers arrived, the hotel offered proximity to the navy yard by vehicle or boat. Although Jones, who had been an ale tycoon, railroad president, and a congressman, had died, his will authorized his heirs to operate the hotel as he would have if alive. Jones' trustee Calvin Page agreed to provide the hotel's facilities for the conferees. With room for 500 guests, the Wentworth could accommodate not only the delegates, but also its usual summer guests. Although the major negotiations were held at the navy yard, the hotel was also the site of important informal negotioations and it was at the hotel where the armistice was signed. At the Wentworth Americans mixed with Russians and Japanese creating a relaxed atmosphere that contributed to the spirit of negotiation.
Niles Cottage was the scene of many social events during the peace conference. Portsmouth Athenaeum collection.
Niles Cottage
In one of the first acts of local hospitality for the peace process, retired Boston investment banker and artist Edward G. Niles and his wife gave up their Wild Rose Lane, New Castle waterfront home to Assistant Secretary of State Herbert H. D. Peirce, the representative of the American government charged with receiving and assisting the negotiators. Long known as the ancient Jaffrey Cottage, the house had been vastly enlarged by the Niles' into a Georgian mansion with an elegant entry and staircase. Peirce, who was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard in 1871, had formerly been posted to St. Petersburg as a member of the U.S. embassy. As negotiations entered a period of stalemate, Helen Peirce, undoubtedly with the encouragement of the president and state department, enlisted the wives of her husband's Harvard classmates, retired Naval officers in Portsmouth, and other members of local society, to initiate a series of entertainments in honor of the two delegations. Important social events were also held on the Mayflower and nearby at Creek Farm and the Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion, at the Green Acre Bahaí school in Eliot, Maine, and at the home of Mrs. Newton Perkins in York, Maine.
Rockingham Hotel (below, left)
Another Jones hotel, the Rockingham became headquarters for the many reporters assigned to cover the conference. The hotel held a Mechanics Ball attended by both delegations. The hotel's so-called Treaty Room is in name only; the treaty was signed at the navy yard. While the hotel has been made into condominiums, its ornate dining room remains as a restaurant.
Rockingham County Courthouse (below, center)
Long since torn down, the Victorian courthouse was the site of the opening reception hosted by Governor John McLane. Here the delegations stopped after their drive from the navy yard, welcomed by thousands of local people and various dignitaries. After a brief ceremony and a group photograph, the envoys journeyed to the Hotel Wentworth.
Christ Church (below, right)
Immediately after the treaty was signed, a service of Thanksgiving was held at this Episcopal Church, where only the Russians and members of the public attended, although the Japanese had been invited. The church burned in 1963.
In one of the first acts of local hospitality for the peace process, retired Boston investment banker and artist Edward G. Niles and his wife gave up their Wild Rose Lane, New Castle waterfront home to Assistant Secretary of State Herbert H. D. Peirce, the representative of the American government charged with receiving and assisting the negotiators. Long known as the ancient Jaffrey Cottage, the house had been vastly enlarged by the Niles' into a Georgian mansion with an elegant entry and staircase. Peirce, who was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard in 1871, had formerly been posted to St. Petersburg as a member of the U.S. embassy. As negotiations entered a period of stalemate, Helen Peirce, undoubtedly with the encouragement of the president and state department, enlisted the wives of her husband's Harvard classmates, retired Naval officers in Portsmouth, and other members of local society, to initiate a series of entertainments in honor of the two delegations. Important social events were also held on the Mayflower and nearby at Creek Farm and the Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion, at the Green Acre Bahaí school in Eliot, Maine, and at the home of Mrs. Newton Perkins in York, Maine.
Rockingham Hotel (below, left)
Another Jones hotel, the Rockingham became headquarters for the many reporters assigned to cover the conference. The hotel held a Mechanics Ball attended by both delegations. The hotel's so-called Treaty Room is in name only; the treaty was signed at the navy yard. While the hotel has been made into condominiums, its ornate dining room remains as a restaurant.
Rockingham County Courthouse (below, center)
Long since torn down, the Victorian courthouse was the site of the opening reception hosted by Governor John McLane. Here the delegations stopped after their drive from the navy yard, welcomed by thousands of local people and various dignitaries. After a brief ceremony and a group photograph, the envoys journeyed to the Hotel Wentworth.
Christ Church (below, right)
Immediately after the treaty was signed, a service of Thanksgiving was held at this Episcopal Church, where only the Russians and members of the public attended, although the Japanese had been invited. The church burned in 1963.
