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engravings；　and　documents　relating　to　Olden…Barneveld　and　others



of　Grotius's　contemporaries。







The　De　Groot　family　gave　us　a　most　hearty　reception；　introducing



their　little　girl；　who　is　the　latest…born　descendant　of　Grotius；



and　showing　us　various　household　relics　of　their　great　ancestor；



including　cups；　glasses；　and　the　like。　Mr。　De　Groot　also　gave　me



some　curious　information　regarding　him　which　I　did　not　before



possess；　and；　among　other　things；　told　me　that　when　Grotius's



body　was　transferred；　shortly　after　his　death；　from　Rostock　to



Delft；　the　coffin　containing　it　was　stoned　by　a　mob　at　Rotterdam；



also　that　at　the　unveiling　of　the　statue　of　Grotius　in　front　of



the　church　at　Delft；　a　few　years　ago；　the　high…church　Calvinists



would　not　allow　the　children　from　their　church　schools　to　join



the　other　children　in　singing　hymns。　The　old　bitterness　of　the



extreme　Calvinistic　party　toward　their　great　compatriot　was　thus



still　exhibited；　and　the　remark　was　made　at　the　time；　by　a　member



of　it；　that　the　statue　was　perfectly　true　to　life；　since　〃its



back　was　turned　toward　the　church〃；　to　which　a　reply　was　made



that　〃Grotius's　face　in　the　statue；　like　his　living　face；　was



steadily　turned　toward　justice。〃　This　latter　remark　had　reference



to　the　fact　that　a　court　is　held　in　the　city　hall；　toward　which



the　statue　is　turned。







In　the　evening　to　a　dinner　given　by　Mr。　Piersoon；　minister　of



finance　and　prime　minister　of　the　Netherlands；　to　our　delegation



and　to　his　colleagues　of　the　Dutch　ministry。　Everything　passed



off　well；　Mr。　Piersoon　proposing　a　toast　to　the　health　of　the



President　of　the　United　States；　to　which　I　replied　in　a　toast　to



the　Queen　of　the　Netherlands。　In　the　course　of　his　speech　Mr。



Piersoon　thanked　us　for　our　tribute　to　Grotius；　and　showed　really



deep　feeling　on　the　subject。　There　is　no　doubt　that　we　have



struck　a　responsive　chord　in　the　hearts　of　all　liberal　and



thoughtful　men　and　women　of　the　Netherlands；　from　every　quarter



come　evidences　of　this。







A　remark　of　his；　regarding　arbitration；　especially　pleased　us。　He



said　that　the　arbitration　plan；　as　it　had　come　from　the　great



committee；　was　like　a　baby：apparently　helpless；　and　of　very



little　value；　unable　to　do　much；　and　requiring　careful　nursing；



but　that　it　had　one　great　merit：IT　WOULD　GROW。







This　I　believe　to　be　a　very　accurate　statement　of　the　situation。



The　general　feeling　of　the　conference　becomes　better　and　better。



More　and　more　the　old　skepticism　has　departed；　and　in　place　of　it



has　come　a　strong　ambition　to　have　a　share　in　what　we　are



beginning　to　believe　may　be　a　most　honorable　contribution　to　the



peace　of　the　world。　I　have　never　taken　part　in　more　earnest



discussions　than　those　which　during　the　last　two　weeks　have



occupied　us；　and　especially　those　relating　to　arbitration。







I　think　I　may　say；　without　assuming　too　much；　that　our　Grotius



celebration　has　been　a　contribution　of　some　value　to　this　growth



of　earnestness。　It　has；　if　I　am　not　greatly　mistaken；　revealed　to



the　conference；　still　more　clearly　than　before；　the　fact　that　it



is　a　historical　body　intrusted　with　a　matter　of　vast　importance



and　difficulty；　and　that　we　shall　be　judged　in　history　with



reference　to　this　fact。











July　6。







At　5。30　P。M。　off　in　special　train　with　the　entire　conference　to



Amsterdam。　On　arriving；　we　found　a　long　train　of　court　carriages



which　took　us　to　the　palace；　the　houses　on　each　side　throughout



the　entire　distance　being　decorated　with　flags　and　banners；　and



the　streets　crowded　with　men；　women；　and　children。　We　were　indeed



a　brave　show；　since　all　of　us；　except　the　members　of　our　American



delegation；　wore　gorgeous　uniforms　with　no　end　of　ribbons；　stars；



and　insignia　of　various　offices　and　orders。







On　reaching　our　destination；　we　were　received　by　the　Queen　and



Queen…mother；　and　shortly　afterward　went　in　to　dinner。　With　the



possible　exception　of　a　lord　mayor's　feast　at　the　Guildhall；　it



was　the　most　imposing　thing　of　the　kind　that　I　have　ever　seen。



The　great　banqueting…hall；　dating　from　the　glorious　days　of　the



Dutch　Republic；　is　probably　the　largest　and　most　sumptuous　in



continental　Europe；　and　the　table　furniture；　decorations；　and



dinner　were　worthy　of　it。　About　two　hundred　and　fifty　persons；



including　all　the　members　of　the　conference　and　the　higher



officials　of　the　kingdom；　sat　down；　the　Queen　and　Queen…mother　at



the　head　of　the　table；　and　about　them　the　ambassadors　and



presidents　of　delegations。　My　own　place；　being　very　near　the



Majesties；　gave　me　an　excellent　opportunity　to　see　and　hear



everything。　Toward　the　close　of　the　banquet　the　young　Queen　arose



and　addressed　us；　so　easily　and　naturally　that　I　should　have



supposed　her　speech　extemporaneous　had　I　not　seen　her　consulting



her　manuscript　just　before　rising。　Her　manner　was　perfect；　and



her　voice　so　clear　as　to　be　heard　by　every　one　in　the　hall。



Everything　considered；　it　was　a　remarkable　effort　for　a　young



lady　of　seventeen。　At　its　close　an　excellent　reply　was　made　by



our　president；　M。　de　Staal；　and　soon　afterward；　when　we　had



passed　into　the　great　gallery；　there　came　an　even　more　striking



exhibition　of　the　powers　of　her　youthful　Majesty；　for　she



conversed　with　every　member　of　the　conference；　and　with　the



utmost　ease　and　simplicity。　To　me　she　returned　thanks　for　the



Grotius　tribute；　and　in　very　cordial　terms；　as　did　later　also　the



Queen…mother；　and　I　cannot　but　believe　that　they　were　sincere；



since；　three　months　later；　at　the　festival　given　them　at　Potsdam；



they　both　renewed　their　acknowledgments　in　a　cordial　way　which



showed　that　their　patriotic　hearts　were　pleased。　Various　leading



men　of　the　Netherlands　and　of　the　conference　also　thanked　us；　and



one　of　them　said；　〃You　Americans　have　taught　us　a　lesson；　for；



instead　of　a　mere　display　of　fireworks　to　the　rabble　of　a　single



city；　or　a　ball　or　concert　to　a　few　officials；　you　have；　in　this



solemn　recognition　of　Grotius；　paid　the　highest　compliment



possible　to　the　entire　people　of　the　Netherlands；　past；　present；



and　to　come。〃











July　7。







In　the　morning　to　the　great　hall　of　the　〃House　in　the　Wood；〃



where　the　〃editing　committee〃　（comite　de　redaction）　reported　to



the　third　committee　of　the　conference　the　whole　arbitration　plan。



It　struck　me　most　favorably；　indeed；　it　surprised　me；　though　I



have　kept　watch　of　every　step。　I　am　convinced　that　it　is　better



than　any　of　the　plans　originally　submitted；　not　excepting　our



own。　It　will　certainly　be　a　gain　to　the　world。







At　the　close　of　the　session　we　adjourned　until　Monday；　the　17th；



in　order　that　the　delegates　may　get　instructions　from　their



various　governments　regarding　the　signing　of　the　protocols；



agreements；　etc。











July　8。







In　the　evening　dined　with　M。　de　Mier；　the　Mexican　minister　at



Paris　and　delegate　here；　and　had　a　very　interesting　talk　with　M。



Raffalovitch；　to　whom　I　spoke　plainly　regarding　the　only　road　to



disarmament。　I　told　him　that　he　must　know　as　well　as　any　one　that



there　is　a　vague　dread　throughout　Europe　of　the　enormous　growth



of　Russia；　and　that　he　must　acknowledge　that；　whether　just　or



not；　it　is　perfectly　natural。　He　acquiesced　in　this；　and　I　then



went　on　to　say　that　the　Emperor　Nicholas　had　before　him　an



opportunity　to　do　more　good　and　make　a　nobler　reputation　than　any



other　czar　had　ever　done；　not　excepting　Alexander　II　with　his



emancipation　of　the　serfs；　that　I　had　thought　very　seriously　of



writing；　at　the　close　of　the　conference；　to　M。　Pobedonostzeff；



presenting　to　him　the　reasons　why　Russia　might　well　make　a



practical　beginning　of　disarmament　by　dismissing　to　their　homes；



or　placing　on　public　works；　say　two　hundred　thousand　of　her



soldiers；　that　this　would　leave　her　all　the　soldiers　she　needs；



and　more；　that　he　must　know；　as　everybody　knows；　that　no　other



power　dreams　of　attacking　Russia　or　dares　to　do　so；　that　there



would　be　no　disadvantage　in　such　a　dismissal　of　troops　to



peaceful　avocations；　but　every　advantage；　and　that　if　it　were



done　the　result　would　be　that；　in　less　than　forty　years；　Russia



would　become；　by　this　husbanding　of　her　resources；　the　most



powerful　nation　on　the　eastern　continent；　and　able　to　carry　out



any　just　policy　which　she　might　desire。　I　might　have　added　that



one　advantage　of　such　a　reduction　would　certainly　be　less



inclination　by　the　war　party　at　St。　Petersburg　to　plunge　into



military　adventures。　（Had　Russia　thus　reduced　her　army　she　would



never　have　sunk　into　the　condition　in　which　she　finds　herself　now



（1905）；　as　I　revise　these　lines。　Instead　of　sending　Alexeieff　to



make　war；　she　would　have　allowed　De　Witte　to　make　peacepeace　on



a　basis　of　justice　to　Japan；　and　a　winter　access　to　the　Pacific；



under　proper　safeguards；　for　herself。）







Raffalovitch　seemed　to　acquiesce　fully　in　my　view；　except　as　to



the　number　of　soldiers　to　be　released；　saying　that　fifty　or　sixty



thousand　would　do　perfectly　well　as　showing　that　Russia　is　in



earnest。







He　is　one　of　the　younger　men　of　Russia；　but　has　very　decided



ability；　and　this　he　has　shown　not　only　in　his　secretaryship　of



the　conference；　but　in　several　of　his　works　on　financial　and



other　public　questions　published　in　Paris；　which　have　secured　for



him　a　corresponding　membership　of　the　French　Institute。







It　i