The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-19
OPENING SESSION LASTED LESS
THAN TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES
OF TIME
nlRMONY Was in EVIDENCE
DISPATCH WITH WHICH PRELIM-
INARIES WERE DISPOSED OF
REGARDED FAVORABLY
HAPPY INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Council and Minister of Foreign
Affairs for the Netherlands, Wei
coined the DeIegates-He Was
Followed by Nj. de StaaI, Who
Represents the Gar.
THE HAGUE, May 1S-A more peace
full corner of the woods would be hard
to find than the palace where will be held
the sessions of the peace conference in
augurated today. The octagonal hal
lends itself to an admirable arrangement,
the center aisle dividing rows Of green
baize desks, marked with the names of
the delegates.
The hour of assembling was O'Clock
and NJ. de Beaufort, followed by his ex-
cellency Yang Yu, China's representative,
in rich robe of peacock blue, was first
to arrive. A little later came Sir Julian
Pauncefote and Seth Low, whose views
regarding Anglo-American arbitration
encourage hopes of wider scheme. After
them came Andrew White and Capt. Ma
han, the latter wearing the dark blue
uniform of the service of which he is the
literary expert. The other delegates en-
tered as the taps of the gavel opened the
proceedings.
M de Beaufort, president of the council,
minister of foreign affairs for the govern
ment of the Netherlands, delivered the
inaugural address and welcomed the dele
gates. NJ de Beaufort spoke of the high
honor of the choice of The Hague as the
meeting place of the conference, and ex-
tolled the noble initiative of the czar, say
ing this was red letter day In history
and expressing the hope that his majesty
would be able to look back at today as
the most glorious of his life. He con-
cluded with calling attention to the allie
gorical group over the doorway of the
hall, Peace entering to close the temple
of Janus, and said;
- Il trust this beautiful allegory will be
a. good a0gury of your labors, and that
after you have completed them you will
he able to say that Peace, whom art intro
duced into this hall, left it to spread her
blessings among the whole of humanity"
CZAR CONGRATULATED.
The delegates decided to send the fol-
lowing telegram to the czar:
,,"The peace conference lays at the feet
of your majesty it's respectful congratu-
lations upon the occasion of your birth
dayA and expresses its sincere desire to
cooperate in the great and noble work
in which your majesty has taken gener-
Gus initiative, and for which 1t begs you
to accept its humble and profound graft
tude."
NJ. de Staal, the Russian ambassador to
of ha
delegation, Informally assuming the pres
idency of the conference, said his first
duty was to express to NJ de Beaufort his
sincere gratitude for the noble terms in
which he referred to his august master,
adding that his majesty would be deeply
touched as well by the spontaneity with
which the high assembly had associated
Herewith. Continuing, M. de Staal said:
Though to the czar is due the initia-
tive of the conference, We owe much 10
the queen of the Netherlands for inviting
us to her capital. 1t is a happy augury of
success that we have met under the
auspices of the young sovereign, whose
charge is felt in a wide circle whose
heart is open to everything great AMI
generous and who has displayed much
sympathy with the cause which brings US
here. 1t Is on the historic soil of the
Netherlands that the greatest political
problems have been discussed. Here is
the cradle of science and international
law
After brief reference to the historic
peace treaties concluded at The Hague,
and expressing regret that M. de Beaufort
had not accepted the presidency of the
conference, M. de Staal said in conclu-
sion: 'I cannot consider my election
otherwise than inspired by my position
as plenipotentiary Of the emperor who
was the initiator of the conference On
this ground I accept with deep gratitude
the distinguished honor, and 1 shall use
every endeavor to justify your confidence
] am perfectly aware that advanced age
is, alas, sad privilege and weak aux
iliary, but hope that 1t will at least con-
stitute claim upon your indulgence
TO QUEEN wILHELMINA.
After making his address, M de StaaI,
in behalf of the conference, telegraphed
to the queen of the Netherlands as fol-
lows: 1.-The members of this conference.
assembled for this time, in this beautiful
Huis ten Bosch, hasten to lay at the feet
Of your majesty their best wishes, praying
you to accept their homage and gratitude
for the hospitality you have graciousy
deigned to offer them.'
The reading of the telegram was warm
ly applauded.
NJ. de Beaufort was appointed honor
ary president and the leading Dutch dele
gate, A. P c. van Karnobeck, former
minister of foreign affairs and deputy,
was appointed vice president
After the appointment of nine secre-
taries, M. de StaaIs proposal that the
sessions be secret was adopted.
The next session will take place on Sat-
urday, when the delegates will arrange
a programme and appoint committees.
The session today lasted only twenty
five minutes, and the apparent unanimifv
displayed was considered to augur we'll
for the outcome.
The following is list of the delegates
so far as is known, to the peace con-
ference:
Austria a-Hungary-Count Won Welser-
sheimb, first secretary of the Austrian
foreign office, ambassador extraordinar nv
his eXcellency, M. Okoliesanye Okalico1, /,
ci, minister at the court of The Haeun.
Court and Ministerial Councillor Meroy.
Belgiun1-M. Borneat, minister of for
eign affairs; Chevalier Descamp-Dayid
senator, and Count de Grelle-Rogiar'
minister at The Hague.
China-HiS excellency, Hang Yu. min
lister at the court of st. Petersburg.
Denmark-His excellency, Fr E. de
Col. van Schnack, former minister of
war.
France-M de Bourgeois, former pre-
mier; his excellency, NJ Biourvak, min
ister at The Hague; Baron Estournelles
de Constant, deputy; Vice Admiral Pep