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part05+-第67部分

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an evident feeling of disappointment; which was presently voiced



by Sir Julian Pauncefote; who; in the sort of plain; dogged way



of a man who does not purpose to lose what he came for; presented



a resolution looking definitely to the establishment; here and



now; of an international tribunal of arbitration。 After some



discussion; the whole was referred to a subcommittee; to put this



and any other proposals submitted into shape for discussion by



the main committee。 In the course of the morning the American



delegation received an answer to its telegram to the State



Department; which was all that could be desired; since it left us



virtually free to take the course which circumstances might



authorize; in view of the main object to be attained。 But it came



too late to enable us to elaborate a plan for the meeting above



referred to; and I obtained permission from the president; M。



Leon Bourgeois; to defer the presentation of our scheme until



about the middle of next week。







Just before the session of the main committee; at which the



Russian plan was received; I had a long and very interesting talk



with Mr。 van Karnebeek; one of the leading statesmen of the



Netherlands; a former minister of foreign affairs; and the



present chief of the Dutch delegation in the conference。 He seems



clear…headed and farsighted; and his belief is that the



conference will really do something of value for arbitration。 He



says that men who arrived here apparently indifferent have now



become interested; and that amour propre; if nothing else; will



lead them to elaborate something likely to be useful。 He went at



considerable length into the value of an international tribunal;



even if it does nothing more than keep nations mindful of the



fact that there is some way; other than war; of settling



disputes。







A delegate also informed me that in talking with M。 de Staal the



latter declared that in his opinion the present conference is



only the first of a series; and that it is quite likely that



another will be held next winter or next spring。







In the evening I made the acquaintance of Mr。 Marshall; a



newspaper correspondent; who is here preparing some magazine



articles on The Hague and the conference。 He is a very



interesting man on various accounts; and especially at present;



since he has but just returned from the Cuban campaign; where he



was fearfully wounded; receiving two shots which carried away



parts of the vertebral column; a bullet being left in his body。



He seems very cheerful; though obliged to get about on crutches。











May 27。







In the morning; calls from various people urging all kinds of



schemes for arbitration and various other good things for the



human race; including considerable advantages; in many cases; for



themselves。







Best of all; by far; was John Bellows of Gloucester; our old



Quaker friend at St。 Petersburg; whom I was exceedingly glad to



take by the hand: he; at least; is a thoroughly good



mansincere; honest; earnest; and blessed with good sense。







The number of documents; printed and written; coming in upon us



is still enormous。 Many are virtually sermons displaying the



evils of war; the blessings of peace; and the necessity of



falling back upon the Bible。 Considering the fact that our



earlier sacred books indicate approval by the Almighty of some of



the most bloodthirsty peoples and most cruel wars ever known;



such a recommendation seems lacking in 〃actuality。〃







This morning we had another visit from Sir Julian Pauncefote;



president of the British delegation; and discussed with him an



amalgamation of the Russian; British; and American proposals for



an arbitration tribunal。 He finds himself; as we all do;



agreeably surprised by the Russian document; which; inadequate as



it is; shows ability in devising a permanent scheme both for



mediation and arbitration。







During the day President Low; who had been asked by our



delegation to bring the various proposals agreed to by us into



definite shape; made his report; it was thoroughly well done;



and; with some slight changes; was adopted as the basis for our



final project of an arbitration scheme。 We are all to meet on



Monday; the 29th; for a study of it。







In the evening to the concert given to the conference by the



burgomaster and city council。 It was very fine; and the audience



was large and brilliant。 There was music by Tschaikovsky; Grieg;



and Wagner; some of which was good; but most of it seemed to me



noisy and tending nowhither; happily; in the midst of it came two



noble pieces; one by Beethoven and the other by Mozart; which



gave a delightful relief。







May 28。







Drove with Dr。 Holls to Delft; five miles; and attended service



at the 〃New Church。〃 The building was noble; but the service



seemed very crude and dismal; nearly the whole of it consisting



of two long sermons separated by hymns; and all unspeakably



dreary。







Afterward we saw the tombs of William of Orange and Grotius; and



they stirred many thoughts。 I visited them first nearly forty



years ago; with three persons very dear to me; all of whom are



now passed away。 More than ever it is clear to me that of all



books ever writtennot claiming divine inspirationthe great



work of Grotius on 〃War and Peace〃 has been of most benefit to



mankind。 Our work here; at the end of the nineteenth century; is



the direct result of his; at the beginning of the seventeenth。







Afterward to the Prinzenhof; visiting the place where William of



Orange was assassinated。 Was glad to see the new statue of



Grotius in front of the church where he lies buried。







May 29。







In the morning President Low and myself walked; and talked over



various proposals for arbitration; especially our own。 It looks



much as if we can amalgamate the Russian; British; and original



American plans into a good arrangement for a tribunal。 We also



discussed a scheme for the selection; by disagreeing nations; of



〃seconding powers;〃 who; before the beginning of hostilities; or



even after; shall attempt to settle difficulties between powers;



or; if unsuccessful; to stop them as soon after war begins as the



honor of the nations concerned may allow。 The Germans greatly



favor this plan; since it resembles their tribunal of honor



(Ehrengericht); it was originally suggested to us by our



secretary; Dr。 Holls。







In the evening; at six; the American delegation met。 We had



before us type…written copies of our whole arbitration project as



elaborated in our previous sessions; and sundry changes having



been made; most of them verbal; the whole; after considerable



discussion; was adopted。







At ten I left; via Hook of Holland and Harwich; for London;



arriving about ten the next morning; and attending to various



matters of business。 It was fortunate for me that I could have



for this purpose an almost complete lull in our proceedings; the



first and second committees of the conference being at work on



technical matters; and the third not meeting until next Monday。







In the evening I went to the Lyceum Theatre; saw Henry Irving and



Ellen Terry in Sardou's 〃Robespierre;〃 and for the first time in





my life was woefully disappointed in them。 The play is wretchedly



conceived; and it amazes me that Sardou; who wrote 〃Thermidor;〃



which is as admirable as 〃Robespierre〃 is miserable could ever



have attached his name to such a piece。







For the wretchedness of its form there is; no doubt; some excuse



in the fact that it has been done into English; and doubtless



cut; pieced; and altered to suit the Lyceum audiences; but when



one compares the conspiracy part of it with a properly conceived



drama in which a conspiracy is developed; like Schiller's



〃Fiesco;〃 the difference is enormously in favor of the latter。 As



literature the play in its English dress is below contempt。







As to its historical contents; Sardou resorts to an expedient



which; although quite French in its character; brings the whole



thing down to a lower level than anything in which I had ever



seen Irving before。 The center of interest is a young royalist



who; having been present with his mother and sister at the



roll…call of the condemned and the harrowing scenes resulting



therefrom; rushes forth; determined to assassinate Robespierre;



but is discovered by the latter to be his long…lost illegitimate



son; and then occur a series of mystifications suited only to the



lowest boulevard melodrama。







As to the action of the piece; the only thing that showed



Irving's great ability was the scene in the forest of



Montmorency; where; as Robespierre; he reveals at one moment; in



his talk with the English envoy; his ambition; his overestimate



of himself; his suspicion of everybody and everything; his



willingness to be cruel to any extent in order to baffle possible



enemies; and then; next moment; on the arrival of his young



friends; boys and girls; the sentimental; Rousseau side of his



character。 This transition was very striking。 The changes in the



expression of Irving's face were marvelousas wonderful as those



in his Louis XI; but that was very nearly all。 In everything



else; Coquelin; as I had seen him in Sardou's 〃Thermidor;〃 was



infinitely better。







Besides this; the p
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