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part05+-第72部分

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from the subcommittees; especially those on arbitration and on



the Brussels Conference rules。 Both have intensely interested me;



my main attention being; of course; centered on the former; but



the Brussels rules seem to me of much greater importance now than



at first; and my hope is that we shall not only devise a good



working plan of arbitration; but greatly humanize the laws of



war。







At four o'clock in the afternoon met the four other ambassadors



and two or three other heads of delegations; at the rooms of M。



de Staal; to discuss the question of relaxing the rules of



secrecy as regards the proceedings of committees; etc。 The whole



original Russian plan of maintaining absolute secrecy has



collapsed; just as the representatives from constitutional



countries in the beginning said it would。 Every day there are



published minute accounts in Dutch; French; and English journals



which show that; in some way; their representatives obtain enough



information to enable them; with such additional things as they



can imagine; to make readable reports。 The result is that various



gentlemen in the conference who formerly favored a policy of



complete secrecy find themselves credited with speeches which



they did not make; and which they dislike to be considered



capable of making。







After a great deal of talk; it was decided to authorize the



chairman of each committee to give to the press complete reports;



so far as possible; keeping in the background the part taken by



individuals。







At six the American delegation met; and the subject of our



instructions regarding the presentation of the American view of



the immunity of private property on the high seas in time of war



was taken up。 It was decided to ask some of the leading



supporters of this view to meet us at luncheon at 12。30 on



Monday; in order to discuss the best way of overcoming the



Russian plan of suppressing the matter; and to concert means for



getting the whole subject before the full conference。











June 11。







Instead of going to hear the Bishop of Hereford preach on



〃Peace;〃 I walked with Dr。 Holls to Scheveningen; four miles; to



work off a nervous headache and to invite Count Munster to our



luncheon on Monday; when we purpose to take counsel together



regarding private property on the high seas。 He accepted; but was



out of humor with nearly all the proceedings of the conference。



He is more than ever opposed to arbitration; and declares that;



in view of the original Russian programme under which we were



called to meet; we have no right to take it up at all; since it



was not mentioned。 He was decidedly pessimistic regarding the



continuance of the sessions; asking me when I thought it would



all end; and on my answering that I had not the slightest idea;



he said that he was entirely in the dark on the subject; that



nobody could tell how long it would last; or how it would break



off。











June 12。







At half…past twelve came our American luncheon to Count Munster;



Mr。 van Karnebeek; and Baron de Bildt; each of whom is at the



head of his delegation;our purpose being to discuss with them



the best manner of getting the subject of immunity of private



property at sea; not contraband; before the conference; these



gentlemen being especially devoted to such a measure。







All went off very well; full interchange of views took place; and



the general opinion was that the best way would be for us; as the



only delegation instructed on the subject; to draw up a formal



memorial asking that the question be brought before the



conference; and sending this to M。 de Staal as our president。







Curious things came out during our conversation Baron de Bildt



informed me that; strongly as he favored the measure; and



prepared as he was to vote for it; he should have to be very



careful in discussing it publicly; since his instructions were to



avoid; just as far as possible; any clash between the opinions



expressed by the Swedish representatives and those of the great



powers。 Never before have I so thoroughly realized the difficult



position which the lesser powers in Europe hold as regards really



serious questions。







More surprising was the conversation of Count Munster; he being



on one side of me and Mr。 van Karnebeek on the other。 Bearing in



mind that the Emperor William during his long talk with me just



before I left Berlin in referring to the approaching Peace



Congress had said that he was sending Count Munster because what



the conference would most need would be 〃common sense;〃 and



because; in his opinion; Count Munster had 〃lots of it;〃 some of



the count's utterances astonished me。 He now came out; as he did



the day before in his talk with me; utterly against arbitration;



declaring it a 〃humbug;〃 and that we had no right to consider it;



since it was not mentioned in the first proposals from Russia;



etc。; etc。







A little later; something having been said about telegraphs and



telephones; he expressed his belief that they are a curse as



regards the relations between nations; that they interfere with



diplomacy; and do more harm than good。 This did not especially



surprise me; for I had heard the same opinions uttered by others;



but what did surprise me greatly was to hear him say; when the



subject of bacteria and microbes was casually mentioned; that



they were 〃all a modern humbug。〃







It is clear that; with all his fine qualities;and he is really



a splendid specimen of an old…fashioned German nobleman devoted



to the diplomatic service of his country; he is saturated with



the ideas of fifty years ago。







Returning from a drive to Scheveningen with Major Burbank of the



United States army; I sketched the first part of a draft for a



letter from our delegation to M。 de Staal; and at our meeting at



six presented it; when it met with general approval。 President



Low had also sketched a draft which it was thought could be



worked very well into the one which I had offered; and so we two



were made a subcommittee to prepare the letter in full。











June 13。







This morning come more disquieting statements regarding Germany。



There seems no longer any doubt that the German Emperor is



opposing arbitration; and; indeed; the whole work of the



conference; and that he will insist on his main allies; Austria



and Italy; going with him。 Count Nigra; who is personally devoted



to arbitration; allowed this in talking with Dr。 Holls; and the



German delegatesall of whom; with the exception of Count



Munster; are favorably inclined to a good arbitration planshow



that they are disappointed。







I had learned from a high imperial official; before I left



Berlin; that the Emperor considered arbitration as derogatory to



his sovereignty; and I was also well aware; from his



conversation; that he was by no means in love with the conference



idea; but; in view of his speech at Wiesbaden; and the petitions



which had come in to him from Bavaria; I had hoped that he had



experienced a 〃change of heart。〃







Possibly he might have changed his opinion had not Count Munster



been here; reporting to him constantly against every step taken



by the conference。







There seems danger of a catastrophe。 Those of us who are faithful



to arbitration plans will go on and do the best we can; but there



is no telling what stumbling…blocks Germany and her allies may



put in our way; and; of course; the whole result; without their



final agreement; will seem to the world a failure and; perhaps; a



farce。







The immediate results will be that the Russian Emperor will



become an idol of the 〃plain people〃 throughout the world; the



German Emperor will be bitterly hated; and the socialists; who



form the most dreaded party on the continent of Europe; will be



furnished with a thoroughly effective weapon against their



rulers。







Some days since I said to a leading diplomatist here; 〃The



ministers of the German Emperor ought to tell him that; should he



oppose arbitration; there will be concentrated upon him an amount



of hatred which no minister ought to allow a sovereign to incur。〃



To this he answered; 〃That is true; but there is not a minister



in Germany who dares tell him。〃











June 14。







This noon our delegation gave a breakfast to sundry members of



the conference who are especially interested in an effective plan



of arbitration; the principal of these being Count Nigra from



Italy; Count Welsersheimb; first delegate of Austria; M。 Descamps



of Belgium; Baron d'Estournelles of France; and M。 Asser of the



Netherlands。 After some preliminary talk; I read to them the



proposal; which Sir Julian had handed me in the morning; for the



purpose of obviating the objection to the council of



administration in charge of the court of arbitration here in The



Hague; which was an important feature of his original plan; but



which had been generally rejected as involving expensive



machinery。 His proposal now is that; instead of a council



specially appointed and salaried to watch over and provide for



the necessities of the court; such council shall simply be made



up of the ministers of sundry powers residing here;thus doing



away entirely with the trouble and expense of a special council。







This I
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