part05+-第63部分

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first　in　the　list　of　delegates；　I　preferred　to　leave　the　matter



of　the　chairmanship　entirely　to　my　associates；　and　they　now



unanimously　elected　me　as　their　President。







The　instructions　from　the　State　Department　were　then　read。　These



were；　in　effect；　as　follows：







The　first　article　of　the　Russian　proposals；　relating　to　the



non…augmentation　of　land　and　sea　forces；　is　so　inapplicable　to



the　United　States　at　present　that　it　is　deemed　advisable　to　leave



the　initiative；　upon　this　subject；　to　the　representatives　of



those　powers　to　which　it　may　properly　apply。







As　regards　the　articles　relating　to　the　non…employment　of　new



firearms；　explosives；　and　other　destructive　agencies；　the



restricted　use　of　the　existing　instruments　of　destruction；　and



the　prohibition　of　certain　contrivances　employed　in　naval



warfare；　it　seems　to　the　department　that　they　are　lacking　in



practicability　and　that　the　discussion　of　these　articles　would



probably　provoke　divergency　rather　than　unanimity　of　view。　The



secretary　goes　on　to　say　that　〃it　is　doubtful　if　wars　will　be



diminished　by　rendering　them　less　destructive；　for　it　is　the



plain　lesson　of　history　that　the　periods　of　peace　have　been



longer　protracted　as　the　cost　and　destructiveness　of　war　have



increased。　The　expediency　of　restraining　the　inventive　genius　of



our　people　in　the　direction　of　devising　means　of　defense　is　by　no



means　clear；　and；　considering　the　temptations　to　which　men　and



nations　may　be　exposed　in　a　time　of　conflict；　it　is　doubtful　if



an　international　agreement　of　this　nature　would　prove　effective。〃







As　to　the　fifth；　sixth；　and　seventh　articles；　aiming；　in　the



interest　of　humanity；　to　succor　those　who　by　the　chance　of　battle



have　been　rendered　helpless；　to　alleviate　their　sufferings；　and



to　insure　the　safety　of　those　whose　mission　is　purely　one　of



peace　and　beneficence；　we　are　instructed　that　any　practicable



proposals　should　receive　our　earnest　support。







On　the　eighth　article；　which　proposes　the　wider　extension　of



〃good　offices；　mediation；　and　arbitration；〃　the　secretary　dwells



with　much　force；　and　finally　says：　〃The　proposal　of　the



conference　promises　to　offer　an　opportunity　thus　far　unequaled　in



the　history　of　the　world　for　initiating　a　series　of　negotiations



that　may　lead　to　important　practical　results。〃　The　delegation　is



therefore　enjoined　to　propose；　at　an　opportune　moment；　a　plan　for



an　International　Tribunal　of　Arbitration　which　is　annexed　to　the



instructions；　and　to　use　their　influence　in　the　conference　to



procure　the　adoption　of　its　substance。







And；　finally；　we　are　instructed　to　propose　to　the　conference　the



principle　of　extending　to　strictly　private　property　at　sea　the



immunity　from　destruction　or　capture　by　belligerent　powers



analogous　to　that　which　such　property　already　enjoys　on　land；　and



to　endeavor　to　have　this　principle　incorporated　in　the　permanent



law　of　civilized　nations。　A　well…drawn　historical　resume　of　the



relations　of　the　United　States　to　the　question　of　arbitration



thus　far　is　added；　and　a　historical　summary　of　the　action　of　the



United　States；　hitherto；　regarding　the　exemption　of　private



property　at　sea　from　seizure　during　war。







The　document　of　most　immediate　importance　is　the　plan　furnished



us　for　international　arbitration。　Its　main　features　are　as



follows：







First；　a　tribunal　〃composed　of　judges　chosen；　on　account　of　their



personal　integrity　and　learning　in　international　law；　by　a



majority　of　the　members　of　the　highest　court　now　existing　in　each



of　the　adhering　states；　one　from　each　sovereign　state



participating　in　the　treaty；　who　shall　hold　office　until　their



successors　are　appointed　by　the　same　body。〃







Secondly；　the　tribunal　to　meet　for　organization　not　later　than





six　months　after　the　treaty　shall　have　been　ratified　by　nine



powers；　to　organize　itself　as　a　permanent　court；　with　such



officers　as　may　be　found　necessary；　and　to　fix　its　own　place　of



session　and　rules　of　procedure。







The　third　article　provides　that　〃the　contracting　nations　will



mutually　agree　to　submit　to　the　international　tribunal　all



questions　of　disagreement　between　them；　excepting　such　as　may



relate　to　or　involve　their　political　independence　or　territorial



integrity。〃







The　fifth　article　runs　as　follows：　〃A　bench　of　judges　for　each



particular　case　shall　consist　of　not　fewer　than　three　nor　more



than　seven；　as　may　be　deemed　expedient；　appointed　by　the



unanimous　consent　of　the　tribunal；　and　shall　not　include　any



member　who　is　either　a　native；　subject；　or　citizen　of　the　state



whose　interests　are　in　litigation　in　the　case。〃







The　sixth　article　provides　that　the　general　expenses　of　the



tribunal　be　divided　equally　among　the　adherent　powers；　but　that



those　arising　from　each　particular　case　be　provided　for　as　may　be



directed　by　the　tribunal；　also　that　non…adherent　states　may　bring



their　cases　before　it；　on　condition　of　the　mutual　agreement　that



the　state　against　which　judgment　shall　be　found　shall　pay；　in



addition　to　the　judgment；　the　expenses　of　the　adjudication。







The　seventh　article　makes　provision　for　an　appeal；　within　three



months　after　the　notification　of　the　decision；　upon　presentation



of　evidence　that　the　judgment　contains　a　substantial　error　of



fact　or　law。







The　eighth　and　final　article　provides　that　the　treaty　shall



become　operative　when　nine　sovereign　states；　whereof　at　least　six



shall　have　taken　part　in　the　conference　of　The　Hague；　shall　have



ratified　its　provisions。







It　turns　out　that　ours　is　the　only　delegation　which　has　anything



like　a　full　and　carefully　adjusted　plan　for　a　court　of



arbitration。　The　English　delegation；　though　evidently　exceedingly



desirous　that　a　system　of　arbitration　be　adopted；　has　come



without　anything　definitely　drawn。　The　Russians　have　a　scheme；



but；　so　far　as　can　be　learned；　there　is　no　provision　in　it　for　a



permanent　court。







In　the　evening　there　was　a　general　assemblage　of　the　members　of



the　conference　at　a　reception　given　by　Jonkheer　van　Karnebeek；



formerly　Dutch　minister　of　foreign　affairs；　and　now　first



delegate　from　the　Netherlands　to　the　conference。　It　was　very



brilliant；　and　I　made　many　interesting　acquaintances；　but；



probably；　since　the　world　began；　never　has　so　large　a　body　come



together　in　a　spirit　of　more　hopeless　skepticism　as　to　any　good



result。　Though　no　one　gives　loud　utterance　to　this　feeling；　it　is



none　the　less　deep。　Of　course；　among　all　these　delegates



acquainted　with　public　men　and　measures　in　Europe；　there　is



considerable　distrust　of　the　intentions　of　Russia；　and；



naturally；　the　weakness　of　the　Russian　Emperor　is　well



understood；　though　all　are　reticent　regarding　it。　The　only　open



utterances　are　those　attributed　to　one　or　two　of　the　older



European　diplomatists；　who　lament　being　sent　on　an　errand　which



they　fear　is　to　be　fruitless。　One　of　these　is　said　to　have



bewailed　this　mission　as　a　sad　ending　to　his　public　services；　and



to　have　declared　that　as　he　had　led　a　long　life　of　devotion　to



his　country　and　to　its　sovereign；　his　family　might　well　look　upon



his　career　as　honorable；　but　that　now　he　is　probably　doomed　to



crown　it　with　an　open　failure。







May　18。







At　two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　the　conference　held　its　open



session　at　the　〃House　in　the　Wood。〃　The　building　is　most



interesting；　presenting　as　it　does　the　art　and　general　ideas　of



two　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago；　it　is　full　of　historical



associations；　and　the　groves　and　gardens　about　it　are　delightful。



The　walls　and　dome　of　the　great　central　hall　are　covered　with



immense　paintings　in　the　style　of　Rubens；　mainly　by　his　pupils；



and；　of　these；　one　over　the　front　entrance　represents　Peace



descending　from　heaven；　bearing　various　symbols　and；　apparently；



entering　the　hall。　To　this　M。　de　Beaufort；　our　honorary



president；　the　Netherlands　minister　of　foreign　affairs；　made　a



graceful　allusion　in　his　opening　speech；　expressing　the　hope　that



Peace；　having　entered　the　hall；　would　go　forth　bearing　blessings



to　the　world。　Another　representation；　which　covers　one　immense



wall；　is　a　glorification　of　various　princes　of　Orange：　it　is　in



full　front　of　me；　as　I　sit；　the　Peace　fresco　being　visible　at　my



left；　and　a　lovely　view　of　the　gardens；　and　of　the　water　beyond；



through　the　windows　at　my　right。







The　〃House　in　the　Wood〃　was　built　early　in　the　seventeenth



century　by　a　princess　of　the　house　of　Orange；　the　grandmother　of



William　III　of　England。　The　central　hall　under　the　dome；　above



referred　to；　is　now　filled　up　with　seats　and　desks；　covered　with



green　cloth；　very　neat　and　practical；　and　mainly　arranged　like



those　in　an　English　college　chapel。　Good　fortune　has　given　me　one



of　the　two　best　seats　in　the　house；　it　being　directly　in　front　of



the　secretaries；　who　are　arranged　in　a　semicircle　just　below　the



desk　of　the　president；　at　my　left　are　the　other　members　of　our



delegation；　and　facing　me；　across　the　central　aisle；　is　Count



Munster；　at　the　head　of　the　German　delegation。　This　piece　of　good



luck　comes　from　the　fact　that　we　are　seated　in　the　alphabetical



order　of　our　countries；　beginning　with　Allemagne；　continuing　with



Amerique；　and　so　on　down　the　alphabet。







The　other　large　rooms　on　the　main　floor　are　exceedingly　handsome；



with　superb　Japanese　a