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part05+-第70部分

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the way of the arbitration proposals。 This shows that imperfect



reports have reached the President and his cabinet。 The fact is



that the proposal of 〃seconding powers〃 was warmly welcomed by



the subcommittee when it was presented; that the members very



generally telegraphed home to their governments; and at once



received orders to support it; that it was passed by a unanimous



vote of the subcommittee; and that its strongest advocates were



the men who are most in favor of an arbitration plan。 So far from



injuring the prospects of arbitration; it has increased them; it



is very generally spoken of as a victory for our delegation; and



has increased respect for our country; and for anything we may



hereafter present。











June 2。







This morning we sent a cipher telegram to the Secretary of State;



embodying the facts above stated。







The shoals of telegrams; reports of proceedings of societies;



hortatory letters; crankish proposals; and peace pamphlets from



America continue。 One of the telegrams which came late last night



was pathetic; it declared that three millions of Christian



Endeavorers bade us 〃Godspeed;〃 etc。; etc。







During the morning De Martens; Low; Holls; and myself had a very



thoroughgoing discussion of the Russian; British; and American



arbitration plans。 We found the eminent Russian under very



curious misapprehensions regarding some minor points; one of them



being that he had mistaken the signification of our word



〃publicist〃; and we were especially surprised to find his use of



the French word 〃publiciste〃 so broad that it would include M。



Henri Rochefort; Mr。 Stead; or any newspaper writer; and he was



quite as surprised to find that with us it would include only



such men as Grotius; Wheaton; Calvo; and himself。







After a long and intricate discussion we separated on very good



terms; having made; I think; decided progress toward fusing all



three arbitration plans into one which shall embody the merits of



all。







One difficulty we found; of which neither our State Department



nor ourselves had been fully aware。 Our original plan required



that the judges for the arbitration tribunal should be nominated



by the highest courts of the respective nations; but De Martens



showed us that Russia has no highest court in our sense of the



word。 Then; too; there is Austria…Hungary; which has two supreme



courts of equal authority。 This clause; therefore; we arranged to



alter; though providing that the original might stand as regards



countries possessing supreme courts。







At lunch we had Baron de Bildt; Swedish minister at Rome and



chief of the Swedish delegation at the conference; and Baron de



Bille; Danish minister at London and chief delegate from Denmark。



De Bille declared himself averse to a permanent tribunal to be in



constant session; on the ground that; having so little to do; it



would be in danger of becoming an object of derision to the press



and peoples of the world。







We were all glad to find; upon the arrival of the London 〃Times;〃



that our arbitration project seemed to be receiving extensive



approval; and various telegrams from America during the day



indicated the same thing。







It looks more and more as if we are to accomplish something。 The



only thing in sight calculated to throw a cloud over the future



is the attitude of the German press against the whole business



here; the most virulent in its attacks being the high Lutheran



conservativeand religious!journal in Berlin; the



〃Kreuz…Zeitung。〃 Still; it is pleasant to see that eminent



newspaper find; for a time; some other object of denunciation



than the United States。











June 3。







In the afternoon drove to Scheveningen and took tea with Count



Munster and his daughter。 He was somewhat pessimistic; as usual;



but came out very strongly in favor of the American view as



regards exemption of private property on the high seas。 Whether



this is really because Germany would derive profit from it; or



because she thinks this question a serviceable entering wedge



between the United States and Great Britain; there is no telling



at present。 I am sorry to say that our hopes regarding it are to



be dashed; so far as the present conference is concerned。 Sundry



newspaper letters and articles in the 〃Times〃 show clearly that



the English Government is strongly opposed to dealing with it



here and now; and as France and Russia take the same position;



there is no hope for any action; save such as we can take to keep



the subject alive and to secure attention to it by some future



conference。















CHAPTER XLVII







AS PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN DELEGATION AT THE PEACE CONFERENCE



OF THE HAGUE: III1899







June 4。







We have just had an experience which 〃adds to the gaiety of



nations。〃 Some days since; representatives of what is called 〃the



Young Turkish party〃 appeared and asked to be heard。 They



received; generally; the cold shoulder; mainly because the



internal condition of Turkey is not one of the things which the



conference was asked to discuss; but also because there is a



suspicion that these 〃Young Turks〃 are enabled to live in luxury



at Paris by blackmailing the Sultan; and that their zeal for



reform becomes fervid whenever their funds run low; and cools



whenever a remittance comes from the Bosphorus。 But at last some



of us decided to give them a hearing; informally; the main object



being to get rid of them。 At the time appointed; the delegation



appeared in evening dress; and; having been ushered into the



room; the spokesman began as follows; very impressively:







〃Your Excellencies; ve are ze Young Turkeys。〃







This was too much for most of us; and I think that; during our



whole stay at The Hague thus far; we have never undertaken



anything more difficult; physically; than to keep our faces



straight during the harangue which followed。







Later; we went with nearly all the other members of the



conference to Haarlem; in a special train; by invitation of the



burgomaster and town council; to the 〃Fete Hippique〃 and the



〃Fete des Fleurs。〃 We were treated very well indeed; refreshments



being served on the grand stand during the performances; which



consisted of hurdle races; etc。; for which I cared nothing;



followed by a procession of peasants in old chaises of various



periods; and in the costumes of the various provinces of the



Netherlands; which interested me much。 The whole closed with a



long train of fine equipages superbly decorated with flowers。







Discussing the question of the immunity of private property; not



contraband of war; on the high seas; I find that the main



argument which our opponents are now using is that; even if the



principle were conceded; new and troublesome questions would



arise as to what really constitutes contraband of war; that ships



themselves would undoubtedly be considered as contraband; since



they can be used in conveying troops; coal; supplies; etc。











June 5。







Having given up the morning of the 5th mainly to work on plans of



arbitration; mediation; and the like; I went to the meeting; at



the 〃House in the Wood;〃 of the third great committee of the



conferencenamely; that on arbitration。







The session went off satisfactorily; our duty being to pass upon



the report from the subcommittee which had put the various



propositions into shape for our discussion。 The report was



admirably presented by M。 Descamps; and; after considerable



discussion of details; was adopted in all essential features。 The



matters thus discussed and accepted for presentation to the



conference as a whole related:







(1) To a plan for tendering 〃good offices。〃







(2) To a plan for examining into international differences。







(3) To the 〃special mediation〃 plan。







The last was exceedingly well received; and our delegation has



obtained much credit for it。 It is the plan of allowing any two



nations drifting into war to appoint 〃seconding nations;〃 who;



like 〃seconds〃 in a duel; shall attempt to avert the conflict;



and; if this be unsuccessful; shall continue acting in the same



capacity; and endeavor to arrest the conflict at the earliest



moment possible。







Very general good feeling was shown; and much encouragement



derived from the fact that these preliminary matters could be



dealt with in so amicable and business…like a spirit。







Before the meeting I took a long walk in the garden back of the



palace with various gentlemen; among them Mr。 van Karnebeek; who



discussed admirably with me the question of the exemption of



private property from seizure on the high seas。 He agreed with me



that even if the extreme doctrine now contended fornamely; that



which makes ships; coal; provisions; and very nearly everything



else; contrabandbe pressed; still a first step; such as the



exemption of private property from seizure; would be none the



less wise; leaving the subordinate questions to be dealt with as



they arise。







I afterward called with Dr。 Holls at the house of the burgomaster



of The Hague; and thanked him for his kindness in tendering us



the concert last Saturday; and for various other marks of



consideration。







On the whole; matters continue to look encour
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