part05+-第78章

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everything　about　him　evident　in　all　his　actions；　his　lack　of



force　even　in　the　simplest　efforts　for　the　improvement　of　his



people；　and；　above　all；　his　yielding　to　the　worst　elements　in　his



treatment　of　the　Baltic　provinces　and　Finland；　did　not　encourage



me　to　believe　that　he　would　lead　a　movement　against　the　enormous



power　of　the　military　party　in　his　vast　empire。　On　this　account；



when　the　American　newspapers　prophesied　that　I　was　to　be　one　of



the　delegates；　my　feelings　were　strongly　against　accepting　any



such　post。　But　in　due　time　the　tender　of　it　came　in　a　way　very



different　from　anything　I　had　anticipated：　President　McKinley



cabled　a　personal　request　that　I　accept　a　position　on　the



delegation；　and　private　letters　from　very　dear　friends；　in　whose



good　judgment　I　had　confidence；　gave　excellent　reasons　for　my



doing　so。　At　the　same　time　came　the　names　of　my　colleagues；　and



this　led　me　to　feel　that　the　delegation　was　to　be　placed　on　a



higher　plane　than　I　had　expected。　In　the　order　named　by　the



President；　they　were　as　follows：　Andrew　D。　White；　Seth　Low；



President　of　Columbia　University；　Stanford　Newel；　Minister　at　The



Hague；　Captain　Mahan；　of　the　United　States　navy；　Captain　Crozier；



of　the　army；　and　the　Hon。　Frederick　W。　Holls　as　secretary。　In



view　of　all　this；　I　accepted。











＇8＇　See　account　of　this　conversation　in　〃My　Mission　to　Russia；〃



Chapter　XXXIII；　pp。　9…10。











Soon　came　evidences　of　an　interest　in　the　conference　more　earnest



and　wide…spread　than　anything　I　had　dreamed。　Books；　documents；



letters；　wise　and　unwise；　thoughtful　and　crankish；　shrewd　and



childish；　poured　in　upon　me；　in　all　classes　of　society　there



seemed　fermenting　a　mixture　of　hope　and　doubt；　even　the　German



Emperor　apparently　felt　it；　for　shortly　there　came　an　invitation



to　the　palace；　and　on　my　arrival　I　found　that　the　subject



uppermost　in　his　mind　was　the　approaching　conference。　Of　our



conversation；　as　well　as　of　some　other　interviews　at　this　period；



I　speak　elsewhere。







On　the　16th　of　May　I　left　Berlin；　and　arrived　late　in　the　evening



at　The　Hague。　As　every　day's　doings　were　entered　in　my　diary；　it



seems　best　to　give　an　account　of　this　part　of　my　life　in　the



shape　of　extracts　from　it。











May　17；　1899。







This　morning；　on　going　out　of　our　hotel；　the　Oude　Doelen；　I　found



that　since　my　former　visit；　thirty…five　years　ago；　there　had　been



little　apparent　change。　It　is　the　same　old　town；　quiet；



picturesque；　full　of　historical　monuments　and　art　treasures。　This



hotel　and　the　neighboring　streets　had　been　decorated　with　the



flags　of　various　nations；　including　our　own；　and　crowds　were



assembled　under　our　windows　and　in　the　public　places。　The　hotel



is　in　one　of　the　most　attractive　parts　of　the　city



architecturally　and　historically；　and　is　itself　interesting　from



both　points　of　view。　It　has　been　a　hostelry　ever　since　the　middle



ages；　and　over　the　main　entrance　a　tablet　indicates　rebuilding　in



1625。　Connected　with　it　by　interior　passages　are　a　number　of



buildings　which　were　once　private　residences；　and　one　of　the



largest　and　best　of　these　has　been　engaged　for　us。　Fortunately



the　present　Secretary　of　State；　John　Hay；　has　been　in　the



diplomatic　service；　and　when　I　wrote　him；　some　weeks　ago；　on　the



importance　of　proper　quarters　being　secured　for　us；　he　entered



heartily　into　the　matter；　giving　full　powers　to　the　minister　here



to　do　whatever　was　necessary；　subject　to　my　approval。　The　result



is　that　we　are　quite　as　well　provided　for　as　any　other　delegation



at　the　conference。







In　the　afternoon　our　delegation　met　at　the　house　of　the　American



minister　and　was　duly　organized。　Although　named　by　the　President



first　in　the　list　of　delegates；　I　preferred　to　leave　the　matter



of　the　chairmanship　entirely　to　my　associates；　and　they　now



unanimously　elected　me　as　their　President。







The　instructions　from　the　State　Department　were　then　read。　These



were；　in　effect；　as　follows：







The　first　article　of　the　Russian　proposals；　relating　to　the



non…augmentation　of　land　and　sea　forces；　is　so　inapplicable　to



the　United　States　at　present　that　it　is　deemed　advisable　to　leave



the　initiative；　upon　this　subject；　to　the　representatives　of



those　powers　to　which　it　may　properly　apply。







As　regards　the　articles　relating　to　the　non…employment　of　new



firearms；　explosives；　and　other　destructive　agencies；　the



restricted　use　of　the　existing　instruments　of　destruction；　and



the　prohibition　of　certain　contrivances　employed　in　naval



warfare；　it　seems　to　the　department　that　they　are　lacking　in



practicability　and　that　the　discussion　of　these　articles　would



probably　provoke　divergency　rather　than　unanimity　of　view。　The



secretary　goes　on　to　say　that　〃it　is　doubtful　if　wars　will　be



diminished　by　rendering　them　less　destructive；　for　it　is　the



plain　lesson　of　history　that　the　periods　of　peace　have　been



longer　protracted　as　the　cost　and　destructiveness　of　war　have



increased。　The　expediency　of　restraining　the　inventive　genius　of



our　people　in　the　direction　of　devising　means　of　defense　is　by　no



means　clear；　and；　considering　the　temptations　to　which　men　and



nations　may　be　exposed　in　a　time　of　conflict；　it　is　doubtful　if



an　international　agreement　of　this　nature　would　prove　effective。〃







As　to　the　fifth；　sixth；　and　seventh　articles；　aiming；　in　the



interest　of　humanity；　to　succor　those　who　by　the　chance　of　battle



have　been　rendered　helpless；　to　alleviate　their　sufferings；　and



to　insure　the　safety　of　those　whose　mission　is　purely　one　of



peace　and　beneficence；　we　are　instructed　that　any　practicable



proposals　should　receive　our　earnest　support。







On　the　eighth　article；　which　proposes　the　wider　extension　of



〃good　offices；　mediation；　and　arbitration；〃　the　secretary　dwells



with　much　force；　and　finally　says：　〃The　proposal　of　the



conference　promises　to　offer　an　opportunity　thus　far　unequaled　in



the　history　of　the　world　for　initiating　a　series　of　negotiations



that　may　lead　to　important　practical　results。〃　The　delegation　is



therefore　enjoined　to　propose；　at　an　opportune　moment；　a　plan　for



an　International　Tribunal　of　Arbitration　which　is　annexed　to　the



instructions；　and　to　use　their　influence　in　the　conference　to



procure　the　adoption　of　its　substance。







And；　finally；　we　are　instructed　to　propose　to　the　conference　the



principle　of　extending　to　strictly　private　property　at　sea　the



immunity　from　destruction　or　capture　by　belligerent　powers



analogous　to　that　which　such　property　already　enjoys　on　land；　and



to　endeavor　to　have　this　principle　incorporated　in　the　permanent



law　of　civilized　nations。　A　well…drawn　historical　resume　of　the



relations　of　the　United　States　to　the　question　of　arbitration



thus　far　is　added；　and　a　historical　summary　of　the　action　of　the



United　States；　hitherto；　regarding　the　exemption　of　private



property　at　sea　from　seizure　during　war。







The　document　of　most　immediate　importance　is　the　plan　furnished



us　for　international　arbitration。　Its　main　features　are　as



follows：







First；　a　tribunal　〃composed　of　judges　chosen；　on　account　of　their



personal　integrity　and　learning　in　international　law；　by　a



majority　of　the　members　of　the　highest　court　now　existing　in　each



of　the　adhering　states；　one　from　each　sovereign　state



participating　in　the　treaty；　who　shall　hold　office　until　their



successors　are　appointed　by　the　same　body。〃







Secondly；　the　tribunal　to　meet　for　organization　not　later　than