PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — Bells will be ringing Sunday to mark the 116th anniversary of the signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, which ended the Russo-Japanese War.
On Sept. 5, 1905, Portsmouth celebrated by ringing bells throughout the city. In 2010, the New Hampshire Legislature passed a bill designating that day as Portsmouth Peace Treaty Day.
Each year since then, the governor has issued a proclamation calling on all New Hampshire citizens “to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities commemorating this important part of New Hampshire history.”
This year also marks the 115th anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Theodore Roosevelt for organizing the peace conference that resulted in the treaty.
“Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize for what we now recognize as very modern negotiating skills,” Charles Doleac, Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forum chair, said in a statement. “He brought the warring nations to the peace conference on their own terms and promised not to interfere with their face-to-face negotiations.”
“He convinced both sides to skip over issues that could be obstacles until they had reached substantial agreement and could then revisit the sticking points having established a conciliatory framework,” Doleac added.
(Copyright (c) 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)