American public opinion and the Peace of Portsmouth

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, arose from a conflict of interests in Korea and in the three Chinese provinces of Manchuria, had been a series of uninterrupted success for Japan, but it involved a great loss of life and e heavy drain on the national treasury. Recognizing the disadvantages of continuing the struggle much longer, but without giving evidence to its opponent of its weakness, the Japanese Government expressed to President Roosevelt in the spring of 1905 its desire to negotiate peace with Russia. The Russian Government, although was desirous to continue the struggle until it had regained the ground lost, was not in a position to reject peace on account of its internal conditions and also of its financial weakness. Mr. Roosevelt realized that the time to end the conflict in the Far East was matured, and on June 8, dispatched a note to the Japanese and Russian Governments urging them to open direct negotiation for peace. The two warring powers accepted the Presidents good offices and appointed plenipotentiaries to negotiate peace at Portsmouth, New Hampshire.