友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
合租小说网 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

part05+-第64部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!





Amerique; and so on down the alphabet。







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



with superb Japanese and Chinese hangings; wrought about the



middle of the last century to fit the spaces they occupy; on all



sides are the most perfect specimens of Japanese and Chinese



bronzes; ivory carvings; lacquer…work; and the like: these rooms



are given up to the committees into which the whole body is



divided。 Up…stairs is a dining…hall in which the Dutch Government



serves; every working…day; a most bounteous lunch to us all; and



at this there is much opportunity for informal discussion。 Near



the main hall is a sumptuous saloon; hung round with interesting



portraits; one of them being an admirable likeness of Motley the



historian; who was a great favorite of the late Queen; and



frequently her guest in this palace。







Our first session was very interesting; the speech by the



honorary president; M。 de Beaufort; above referred to; was in



every way admirable; and that by the president; M。 de Staal;



thoroughly good。 The latter is the Russian ambassador to London;



I had already met him in St。 Petersburg; and found him



interesting and agreeable。 He is; no doubt; one of the foremost



diplomatists of this epoch; but he is evidently without much



knowledge of parliamentary procedure。 Congratulatory telegrams



were received from the Emperor of Russia and the Queen of the



Netherlands and duly answered。











May 19。







At eleven in the morning; in one of the large rooms of the hotel;



the presidents of delegations met to decide on a plan of



organization and work; and; sitting among them; I first began to



have some hopes of a good result。 Still; at the outset; the



prospect was much beclouded。 Though a very considerable number of



the foremost statesmen in Europe were present; our deliberations



appeared; for a time; a hopeless chaos: the unfamiliarity of our



president; Baron de Staal; with parliamentary usages seemed



likely to become embarrassing; but sundry statesmen; more



experienced in such matters; began drawing together; and were



soon elaborating a scheme to be presented to the entire



conference。 It divided all the subjects named in the Mouravieff



circular among three great committees; the most important being



that on 〃Arbitration。〃 The choice of representatives on these



from our delegation was made; and an ex…officio membership of all



three falls to me。







In the course of the day I met and talked with various



interesting men; among them Count Nigra; formerly Cavour's



private secretary and ambassador at the court of Napoleon III;



where he accomplished so much for Italian unity; Sir Julian



Pauncefote; the British ambassador at Washington; and M。



Bernaert; president of the Belgian Chamber。 In the evening; at a



reception given by the minister of foreign affairs; M。 de



Beaufort; I made further acquaintances and had instructive



conversations。







In addition to the strict duties of the conference; there is; of



course; a mass of social business; with no end of visits; calls;



and special meetings; to say nothing of social functions; on a



large scale; at the houses of sundry ministers and officials; but



these; of course; have their practical uses。







The Dutch Government is showing itself princely in various ways;



making every provision for our comfort and enjoyment。







In general; I am considerably encouraged。 The skeptical feeling



with which we came together seems now passing away; the recent



speech of the Emperor William at Wiesbaden has aroused new hopes



of a fairly good chance for arbitration; and it looks as if the



promise made me just before I left Berlin by Baron von Bulow;



that the German delegation should cooperate thoroughly with our



own; is to be redeemed。 That delegation assures us that it is



instructed to stand by us as far as possible on all the principal



questions。 It forms a really fine body; its head being Count



Munster; whom I have already found very agreeable at Berlin and



Paris; and its main authority in the law of nations being



Professor Zorn; of the University of Konigsberg; but; curiously



enough; as if by a whim; the next man on its list is Professor



Baron von Stengel of Munich; who has written a book AGAINST



arbitration; and next to him comes Colonel Schwartzhoff; said to



be a man of remarkable ability in military matters; but strongly



prejudiced against the Russian proposals。







As to arbitration; we cannot make it compulsory; as so many very



good people wish; it is clear that no power here would agree to



that; but even to provide regular machinery for arbitration;



constantly in the sight of all nations; and always ready for use;



would be a great gain。







As to disarmament; it is clear that nothing effective can be done



at present。 The Geneva rules for the better care of the wounded



on land will certainly be improved and extended to warfare on



sea; and the laws of war will doubtless be improved and given



stronger sanction。







Whether we can get our proposals as to private property on the



high seas before the conference is uncertain; but I think we can。



Our hopes are based upon the fact that they seem admissible under



one heading of the Mouravieff circular。 There is; of course; a



determination on the part of leading members to exclude



rigorously everything not provided for in the original programme;



and this is only right; for; otherwise; we might spend years in



fruitless discussion。 The Armenians; for example; are pressing us



to make a strong declaration in their behalf。 Poland is also here



with proposals even more inflammatory; so are the Finlanders; and



so are the South African Boers。 Their proposals; if admitted;



would simply be bombshells sure to blow all the leading nations



of Europe out of the conference and bring everything to naught。



Already pessimists outside are prophesying that on account of



these questions we are doomed to utter failure。







The peace people of all nations; including our own; are here in



great force。 I have accepted an invitation from one of them to



lunch with a party of like mind; including Baroness von Suttner;



who has written a brilliant book; 〃Die Waffen Nieder;〃 of which



the moral is that all nations shall immediately throw down their



arms。 Mr。 Stead is also here; vigorous as usual; full of curious



information; and abounding in suggestions。







There was a report; on our arriving; that the Triple Alliance



representatives are instructed to do everything to bring the



conference into discredit; but this is now denied。 It is said



that their programme is changed; and things look like it。 On the



whole; though no one is sanguine; there is more hope。











May 21。







In the morning went with Dr。 Holls to a Whitsunday service at the



great old church here。 There was a crowd; impressive chorals; and



a sermon at least an hour long。 At our request; we were given



admirable places in the organ…loft; and sat at the side of the



organist as he managed that noble instrument。 It was sublime。



After the closing voluntary Holls played remarkably well







To me the most striking feature in the service was a very earnest



prayer made by the clergyman for the conference。 During the



afternoon we also visited the old prison near the Vijver; where



the De Witts and other eminent prisoners of state were confined;



and in front of which the former were torn in pieces by the mob。



Sadly interesting was a collection of instruments of torture;



which had the effect of making me better satisfied with our own



times than I sometimes am。







In the evening; with our minister; Mr。 Newel; and the Dean of



Ely; his guest; to an exceedingly pleasant 〃tea〃 at the house of



Baroness Gravensteen; and met a number of interesting people;



among them a kindly old gentleman who began diplomatic life as a



British attache at Washington in the days of Webster and Clay;



and gave me interesting accounts of them。







The queer letters and crankish proposals which come in every day



are amazing。 I have just added to my collection of diplomatic



curiosities a letter from the editor of a Democratic paper in



southern Illinois; addressed to me as ambassador at Mayence;



which he evidently takes to be the capital of Germany; asking me



to look after a great party of Western newspaper men who are to



go up the Rhine this summer and make a brief stay in the



above…named capital of the empire。 I also receive very many



letters of introduction; which of course make large demands upon



my time。 The number of epistles; also; which come in from public



meetings in large and small American towns is very great; some



evidently representing no persons other than the writers。 As I



write the above; I open mechanically a letter from a peace



meeting assembled in Ledyard; Connecticut; composed of 〃Rogerine



Quakers〃; but what a 〃Rogerine Quaker〃 is I know not。 Some of



these letters are touching; and some have a comic side。 A very



good one comes from May Wright Sewall; would that all the others



were as thoughtful!







It goes without saying that the Quakers are out in full force。 We



have been answering by cable some of the most important



communications sent us from America; the others we shall try to



acknowledge by mail; though the
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!