Editing Treaty of Portsmouth (section)

==Portsmouth Peace Conference==
[[File:Portsmouth Peace Conference by Shirataki Ikunosuke (Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery).jpg|thumb|Painting of the conference, by Shirataki Ikunosuke (白滝幾之助), 1931]]
The Japanese delegation to the Portsmouth Peace Conference was led by Foreign Minister [[Komura Jutarō]] and assisted by Ambassador [[Takahira Kogorō]]. The Russian delegation was led by former Finance Minister [[Sergei Witte]], who was assisted by the former Ambassador to Japan [[Roman Rosen]] and the [[international law]] and [[arbitration]] specialist [[Friedrich Martens]].<ref name= Jukes>Jukes, '' The Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905'', pp. 86–90.</ref> The delegations arrived in Portsmouth on August 8 and stayed in [[New Castle, New Hampshire]], at the [[Wentworth by the Sea|Hotel Wentworth]], where the [[armistice]] was signed. They were ferried across the [[Piscataqua River]] every day to the naval base in [[Kittery, Maine]], where the negotiations were held.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whitney |first=D. Quincy |title=Hidden History of New Hampshire |date=2012 |publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] |isbn=9781625843906 }}</ref>

The negotiations took place at the General Stores Building (now Building 86). [[Mahogany]] furniture patterned after the [[Cabinet Room (White House)|Cabinet Room]] of the [[White House]] was ordered from Washington.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nakanishi |first=Michiko |title=Heroes and friends: behind the scenes of the treaty of Portsmouth |date=2005 |publisher=Peter E. Randall Publisher |isbn=978-1-931807-40-1 |location=Portsmouth, NH}}</ref>

Before the negotiations began, Tsar Nicholas had adopted a hard line and forbidden his delegates to agree to any territorial concessions, reparations, or limitations on the deployment of Russian forces in the Far East.<ref name= Kowner/> The Japanese initially demanded recognition of their interests in [[Korea]], the removal of all Russian forces from Manchuria, and substantial reparations. They also wanted confirmation of their control of the island of [[Sakhalin]], which Japanese forces had seized in July 1905, partly to use as a [[Wikt:bargaining chip|bargaining chip]] in the negotiations.<ref name= Kowner/>

A total of twelve sessions were held between August 9 and August 30. During the first eight sessions, the delegates were able to reach an agreement on eight points. These included an immediate [[ceasefire]], recognition of Japan's claims to Korea, and the evacuation of Russian forces from Manchuria. Russia also ceded its leases in southern Manchuria (containing [[Lüshunkou District|Port Arthur]] and [[Dalian|Talien]]) to Japan and turned over the [[South Manchuria Railway]] and its mining concessions to Japan. Russia was allowed to retain the [[Chinese Eastern Railway]] in northern Manchuria.<ref name= Kowner/>  
 
The remaining four sessions addressed the most difficult issues: reparations and territorial concessions. On August 18, Roosevelt proposed that Rosen offer to divide Sakhalin to address the territory issue. On August 23, however, Witte proposed that the Japanese keep Sakhalin and drop their claims for reparations. When Komura rejected the proposal, Witte warned that he was instructed to cease negotiations and that the war would resume. The ultimatum came as four new Russian divisions arrived in Manchuria, and the Russian delegation made an ostentatious show of packing their bags and preparing to depart.<ref name= Jukes/> Witte was convinced that the Japanese could not afford to restart the war and so applied pressure via the American media and his American hosts<ref name= Jukes/> to convince the Japanese that monetary compensation was not open for compromise by Russia.<ref>White, J. A.: "Portsmouth 1905: Peace or Truce?", ''Journal of Peace Research'', 6(4):362</ref> Outmaneuvered by Witte, Komura yielded, and in exchange for the southern half of Sakhalin, the Japanese dropped their claims for reparations.<ref name= Kowner/>

The Treaty of Portsmouth was signed on September 5. The treaty was ratified by the [[Privy Council of Japan]] on October 10,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.jacar.go.jp/english/nichiro/sumitsuin.htm| title = Partial record of Privy Council meeting to ratify the treaty (from the National Archives of Japan)}}</ref> and in Russia on October 14, 1905.