O.Henry begins a story about a newspaper correspondent:"
"
The New York Enterprise sent H. B. Calloway as special correspondent to the Russo-Japanese-Portsmouth war."

From the Internet:
"In May, 1905, the Russian Navy was attacked at Tsushima. Twenty Russian ships were sunk and another five were captured. Only four Russian ships managed to reach safety at Vladivostok.

These defeats led to criticism of the Russian government. Bloody Sunday and the Potemkin Mutiny were both partly caused by the unpopularity of the war. The increase in revolutionary activity in Russia convinced Nicholas II that he needed to bring an end to the conflict and accepted the offer of President Theodore Roosevelt to mediate between the two countries."

President Theodore Roosevelt increased his international stature by getting Russia and Japan to send envoys to a successful peace conference at Portsmouth, NH.