part05+-第93章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





urging　him　to　use　it　in　every　way　to　show　what　a　boon　the　failure



of　arbitration　would　be　to　the　anti…social　forces　in　all　parts　of



Europe。







In　the　intervals　during　the　day　I　busied　myself　in　completing　the



memorial　to　the　conference　regarding　the　immunity　from　seizure　of



private　property　at　sea。　If　we　cannot　secure　it　now；　we　must　at



least　pave　the　way　for　its　admission　by　a　future　international



conference。















CHAPTER　XLVIII







AS　PRESIDENT　OF　THE　AMERICAN　DELEGATION　AT　THE　PEACE　CONFERENCE



OF　THE　HAGUE：　IV1899







June　16。　This　morning　Count　Munster　called　and　seemed　much



excited　by　the　fact　that　he　had　received　a　despatch　from　Berlin



in　which　the　German　Governmentwhich；　of　course；　means　the



Emperorhad　strongly　and　finally　declared　against　everything



like　an　arbitration　tribunal。　He　was　clearly　disconcerted　by　this



too　literal　acceptance　of　his　own　earlier　views；　and　said　that　he



had　sent　to　M。　de　Staal　insisting　that　the　meeting　of　the



subcommittee　on　arbitration；　which　had　been　appointed　for　this



day　（Friday）；　should　be　adjourned　on　some　pretext　until　next



Monday；　〃for；〃　said　he；　〃if　the　session　takes　place　to…day；　Zorn



must　make　the　declaration　in　behalf　of　Germany　which　these　new



instructions　order　him　to　make；　and　that　would　be　a　misfortune。〃



I　was　very　glad　to　see　this　evidence　of　change　of　heart　in　the



count；　and　immediately　joined　him　in　securing　the　adjournment　he



desired。　The　meeting　of　the　subcommittee　has　therefore　been



deferred；　the　reason　assigned；　as　I　understand；　being　that　Baron



d'Estournelles　is　too　much　occupied　to　be　present　at　the　time



first　named。　Later　Count　Munster　told　me　that　he　had　decided　to



send　Professor　Zorn　to　Berlin　at　once　in　order　to　lay　the　whole



matter　before　the　Foreign　Office　and　induce　the　authorities　to



modify　the　instructions。　I　approved　this　course　strongly；



whereupon　he　suggested　that　I　should　do　something　to　the　same



purpose；　and　this　finally　ended　in　the　agreement　that　Holls



should　go　with　Zorn。







In　view　of　the　fact　that　Von　Bulow　had　agreed　that　the　German



delegates　should　stand　side　by　side　with　us　in　the　conference；　I



immediately　prepared　a　letter　of　introduction　and　a　personal



letter　to　Bulow　for　Holls　to　take；　and　he　started　about　five　in



the　afternoon。　This　latter　is　as　follows：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



（Copy。）　（Personal。）







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　June　16；　1899



DEAR　BARON　VON　BULOW：







I　trust　that；　in　view　of　the　kindly　relations　which　exist　between



us；　succeeding　as　they　do　similar　relations　begun　twenty　years



ago　with　your　honored　father；　you　will　allow　me　to　write　you



informally；　but　fully　and　frankly；　regarding　the　interests　of



both　our　governments　in　the　peace　conference。　The　relations



between　your　delegates　and　ours　have；　from　the　first；　been　of　the



kindest；　your　assurances　on　this　point　have　been　thoroughly



carried　out。　But　we　seem　now　to　be　at　〃the　parting　of　the　ways；〃



and　on　the　greatest　question　submitted　to　us；the　greatest；　as　I



believe；　that　any　conference　or　any　congress　has　taken　up　in　our



time；namely；　the　provision　for　a　tribunal　of　arbitration。







It　is　generally　said　here　that　Germany　is　opposed　to　the　whole



thing；　that　she　is　utterly　hostile　to　anything　like　arbitration；



and　that　she　will　do　all　in　her　power；　either　alone　or　through



her　allies；　to　thwart　every　feasible　plan　of　providing　for　a



tribunal　which　shall　give　some　hope　to　the　world　of　settling　some



of　the　many　difficulties　between　nations　otherwise　than　by



bloodshed。







No　rational　man　here　expects　all　wars　to　be　ended　by　anything



done　here；　no　one　proposes　to　submit　to　any　such　tribunal



questions　involving　the　honor　of　any　nation　or　the　inviolability



of　its　territory；　or　any　of　those　things　which　nations　feel



instinctively　must　be　reserved　for　their　own　decision。　Nor　does



any　thinking　man　here　propose　obligatory　arbitration　in　any　case；



save；　possibly；　in　sundry　petty　matters　where　such　arbitration



would　be　a　help　to　the　ordinary　administration　of　all



governments；　and；　even　as　to　these；　they　can　be　left　out　of　the



scheme　if　your　government　seriously　desires　it。







The　great　thing　is　that　there　be　a　provision　made　or　easily



calling　together　a　court　of　arbitration　which　shall　be　seen　of



all　nations；　indicate　a　sincere　desire　to　promote　peace；　and；　in



some　measure；　relieve　the　various　peoples　of　the　fear　which　so



heavily　oppresses　them　allthe　dread　of　an　outburst　of　war　at



any　moment。







I　note　that　it　has　been　believed　by　many　that　the　motives　of



Russia　in　proposing　this　conference　were　none　too　good；indeed；



that　they　were　possibly　perfidious；　but；　even　if　this　be　granted；



how　does　this　affect　the　conduct　of　Germany？　Should　it　not　rather



lead　Germany　to　go　forward　boldly　and　thoughtfully；　to　accept　the



championship　of　the　idea　of　arbitration；　and　to　take　the　lead　in



the　whole　business　here？







Germany；　if　she　will　do　this；　will　certainly　stand　before　the



whole　world　as　the　leading　power　of　Europe；　for　she　can　then　say



to　the　whole　world　that　she　has　taken　the　proposal　of　Russia　au



serieux；　has　supported　a　thoroughly　good　plan　of　arbitration；　has



done　what　Russia　and　France　have　not　been　willing　to　do；favored



the　presentation　to　the　conference　of　a　plan　providing　for　the



immunity　of　private　property　from　seizure　on　the　high　seas　during



war；and　that　while；　as　regards　the　proceedings　of　the



conference；　Russia　has　wished　secrecy；　Germany　has　steadily；　from



the　first；　promoted　frankness　and　openness。







With　these　three　points　in　your　favor；　you　can　stand　before　the



whole　world　as　the　great　Continental　power　which　has　stood　up　f



or　peace　as　neither　Russia　nor　France　has　been　able　to　do。　On　the



other　hand；　if　you　do　not　do　this；　if　you　put　a　stumbling…block



in　the　way　of　arbitration；　what　results？　The　other　powers　will　go



on　and　create　as　good　a　tribunal　as　possible；　and　whatever



failure　may　come　will　be　imputed　to　Germany　and　to　its　Emperor。



In　any　case；　whether　failure　or　success　may　come；　the　Emperor　of



Russia　will　be　hailed　in　all　parts　of　the　world　as　a　deliverer



and；　virtually；　as　a　saint；　while　there　will　be　a　wide…spread



outburst　of　hatred　against　the　German　Emperor。







And　this　will　come　not　alone　from　the　anti…social　forces　which



are　hoping　that　the　conference　may　fail；　in　order　that　thereby



they　may　have　a　new　weapon　in　their　hands；　but　it　will　also　come



from　the　middle　and　substantial　classes　of　other　nations。







It　is　sure　to　make　the　relations　between　Germany　and　the　United



States；　which　have　been　of　late　improving　infinitely　more　bitter



than　they　have　ever　before　been　and　it　is　no　less　sure　to　provoke



the　most　bitter　hatred　of　the　German　monarchy　in　nearly　all　other



nations。







Should　his　advisers　permit　so　noble　and　so　gifted　a　sovereign　to



incur　this　political　storm　of　obloquy；　this　convergence　of　hatred



upon　him？　Should　a　ruler　of　such　noble　ambitions　and　such



admirable　powers　be　exposed　to　this？　I　fully　believe　that　he



should　not；　and　that　his　advisers　should　beg　him　not　to　place



himself　before　the　world　as　the　antagonist　of　a　plan　to　which



millions　upon　millions　in　all　parts　of　the　world　are　devoted。







From　the　United　States　come　evidences　of　a　feeling　wide…spread



and　deep　on　this　subject　beyond　anything　I　have　ever　known。　This



very　morning　I　received　a　prayer　set　forth　by　the　most