Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-05-04
TTo BE CONTINUED.
VIEW OF THE HAGUE.
WHERE THE CARS PEACE CONFER
ENCE WILL MEET.
An Especially Appropriate Place For
Such Gathering The House of
the Woods, Where the Sessions VIII
BE Held-Attractions of the City.
ISpecial CorresDondence.1

Especial Correspondence
THE HAGUE April 20.-Dropping
down from Paris into this quaint old
Dutch town l find the sturdy burghers
polishing up the handle of the big
front door, - preparatory to the admis-
sion of the delegates to the czar's peace
convention which meets here on May
1S. The Hollanders take it as great
compliment that their ancient city of
The Hague should have been chosen as
the meeting place for this international
conference of distinguished personages
and are making the city as attractive
as possible. To this end not few i'm
provements are being made in public
buildings and streets, and altogether
this is a general housecleaniDg time.
1t is quite pertinent that the confer
ence looking toward the reduction of
the world armaments should he held
within the realm of that fair young
queen at whose coronation last autumn
there was very little Of that military
display and pomp of arms which usually
attend the enthronement of monarchs.
There were of course ON that occasion
soldiers galore in gorgeous trappings,
but it did not partake of the charac-
ter of great military demonstration.
As the winsome girl queen, clad in
white, the emblem of peace, journeyed
from the palace to the modest Nieuwe
kerk to receive the diadem of Nassau
and Orange, the pageant of which she
was the central and adored figure was
decidedly one of peace, and the demon
strations of love and loyalty which
greeted her were inspired by the feeling
that she would rule her subjects with
gentleness and benignity as becometh
the sovereign of peace loving people
The place selected for the holding of
the sessions of the peace conference is
ideal. 1t is the Huis ten Bosch, or the I
House of the Woods, splendid little
castle in the suburbs of The Hague, re-
mote from the noise and hustle of the
city. 1t is about mile from the city.
It, is embowered III wood of oak and
Beech and covered with dark green ivy.
Near it is a placid lake, mirroring the
beautiful surroundings. The still wa
ters and the quiet trees seem to suggest
the idyllic air in which a peace conven-
tion should assemble. 1t is certainly one
of the most delightful spots on earth.
The castle was built in 1647 by Ar
chitects Van Campen and Post for the
Princess Amelia Won Solms. the widow
of Prince Frederik Henrik. 1t contains
many beautiful paintings from De Greb-
ber and various pupils of Rubens.
When Queen Wilhelmina is in The
Hague she usually makes her home in
the House of the Woods, which is her
favorite palace The Bosch, from which
the palace takes its name, is forest
park, which begins at the fashionable
end of the town and extends for three
or four miles. The park is full of lofty
oaks, which have been allowed to grow
TO their natural size and in their nat
ural way, contrary to the usual Dutch
custom, which is to trim trees in SYM
metrical shape. The room in the House
of the Woods in which the peace con-
ference will meet is the 'orange zaal,"
un octagonal hall, % feet in diameter