Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-05-23
SESSIONS TO BE SECRET
Not Much Official Publicity to be
Given at the Meeting at
The Hague.

The Hague, May 20.-The second sit
ting of the peace conference took place
this morning and lasted thirty five min
utes.
The president of the conference, Baron
de Stael, read the replies of the Car
and Queen Wilhelmina to the kilograms
sent 20 them by the conference Thurs
day.
The president then addressed the dele
gates on the subject Of the labors be-
fore them, and it was decided not to
publish the speech.
1t was learned during the day that
nj. de Stael placed the question of medi-
alton and arbitration in the foreground
during his speech today. The question of
the laws OF war rendering war as hu-
name as possible by the extension of the
regulations already existing was then
touched upon by the President and he
relegated the question of the reduction Of
ornaments to the third place.
This indication modifes the order in
which the three points were placed in the
circular Of the Russian minister of for
eign affairs, Count Muravieff, but it has
the merit of corresponding more closely
to the views of the delegates and IS now
considered certain that mediation and
arbitration will have the chief place III
the work of the conference. Further,
the opinion is unanimous that the Amer
lean and British delegates will take the
most important part in the study of this
question.
The conference decided today that all
delegates, including the technical repre-
sentatives, are to participate in the sit
tings and join III the discussions.
The date of the next sitting has not
yet been fixed 1t depends upon the
progress which viii be made by the COM
mitteeS.
NJ de Staal announced today that the
government of the Netherlands would
give an artistic fete on June Is in honor
of the conference.
The president proposed the adoption of
arrangements for the committees, which
was agreed to without discussion. Barren
de Stael further proposed that, although
the principle of secrecy should be main
tanned, communications might be made
through the press bureau, subject to the
approval of the president. This was also
adopted
At the conclusion of the conference to-
day NJ. de Stael, Sir Julian PauncefOte,
the British ambassador at Washington
and the head Of the British delegation,
and the United States ambassador at
Berlin, Andrew u. White head of the
American delegation, with several other
chief delegates, returned to The Hague
for lunch. But NJ. Bourgeois, former
premier of France and head of the
French delegations, and almost all the
second technical delegates, who form
part Of the committees. remained at the
House in the Woods to draw up GER
tain lists. They were occupied also with
the organization of the committees.
The proceedings today passed off with
out any incident; only the president
spoke, the others manlfeSting their APP
probation by slight, discreet murmurs
Several of the chief delegates are leav-
Ing The Hague for a few days, pending
the preliminary work of the committees.
Baron de Stael during the course of
the day, received the following dispatch:
The Emperor begs you to be the inter
prefer to the conference OF his sincere
thanks and WarmeSt wishes
My august master charges to impress
upon your excellency how much his mai
esty is touched by the telegram addressed
to him. MURAYIEFF.