Evening star., 1899-06-15
Arbitration Commission at Work in
Paris.
OPENING FORMALITIES TODAY
Decided That There VIII Be Foul
Meetings a Week
FEW SPECTATORS PRESENT

PARIS, June 15.-The first formal meet
ing of the Venezuelan arbitration commits
sion opened this morning. The weather
was cool and the sky was clouded.
Arbitrators, counsel and others began as
sembling at the foreign office shortly before
IL They were received by the minister of
foreign affairs. NJ Delcasse. in the apart
ment in which the tribunal will sit. These
are the rooms used at the meeting of the
Spanish-American peace conference and
during the Bering sea arbitration. The
main room is an oblong chamber luxurious
ly decorated, having rich holdings on the
walls and ceilings and heavy gilt ornamen-
tations, relieved by frescoes in light tones.
The ceiling is light blue, and in its center
are magnificent gilt chandeliers. On 4
raised dais at the end of the room, facing
the entrance, are five massive gilt arm
ctairs for the arbitrators. with a table in
front of them. Below the dais are half a
dozen long tables, placed across the room,
for counsel and the clerical staff. All the
furniture is upholstered in bright red, with
gilt frames. A large colored map of the
disputed territory hangs on the wall to the
right of the arbitratorS, with a smaller
map of the whole of South America beside
1t. Altogether there were about forty per.
sons connected with the tribunal present.
The arbitrators and most Of their staffs
were dressed in frock coats.
Few Spectators Present.
There were less than a dozen spectators
in the portion Of the apartment roped off
for the general public. and half a dozen
ladies, including Mrs. Benjamin Harrison
and others belonging to the American
party.
The arbitratOrs took their seats soon after
IL o'clock Chief Justice Melville E. Fuller
and Sir Richard Hem Collins, lord chief
justice of appeals, sitting on the right of
Professor de Martens, the umpire, and
Baron Russell of Killowen. lord chief JUS
tice of England, and Justice David J. Brew
er sitting at his left hand.
Former President Benz Harrison, Gen.
Benz. f. Tracy and thu remainder of the
Americans sat at the tables at the left side
of the room, facing the court, and the
other British representatives were seated
at tables at the right side. A feature of the
proceedings was that counsel used the desk
which served during the Bering sea tribunal
deliberations.
The proceedings opeced at IL 20 when M
Delcasse briefly addressed the tribunal in
French. He said 1t gave him special pleas
ure to welcome the high commission In be-
half of the government of the republic
Whlch, ne added was greatly pleased at
the fact Paris had been chosen for the sit
ting of the tribunal, among whom he saw
such eminent men, some of whom had oc-
cupied with distinction the highest posi-
tions. Under the presidency of NJ de Mar
tens who was universally acknowledged as
an authority on international law, he
continued, their labors could only result
happily n the interests of the dispute and
in the interests of humanity, for it would
constitute another step toward the realiza-
ton Cf the noble project which, launched
from an illustrious throne was making
rapid way into the hearts and copSciences
of the pc )ples, and had thus imposed itself
with singular force on the solicitude of
those who govern them
NJ. Delcasse concluded with thanking the
arbitrators for having accepted the hospi-
tality of Franco.
Prof. Martens Replies.
Prof Martens replied, thanking the
French foreign minister for his welcome
and for the hospitality extended to the ar
bitrators. The speaker recalled the fact
that he came here seven years ago to at
tend the Bering sea arbitration.
Referring to the work being done at The
Hague in the matter of arbitration, he said
the peace conference sought not merely to
arrange settlement of conflicts, but the
avoidance of conflicts, and expressed the
nope that the present tribunal would have
the result of promoting the welfare and
prosperity of the two countries interested
The professor announced the rules of pro-
cedure agreed upon at yesterdays confer
ence, and said the arbtrators would meet
every day excepting Sundays.
Sir Richard Webster thereupon arose and
said that in order to meet the views of for
Iner PRESIDENT Harrison and the other
American counsel, in which the English
representatives concurred. he proposed
that they only meet four days in the week,
In view of the extremely heavy work be-
fore them.
be in four days work enough for ordinary
men, and he evoked a general smile as
looking round on the gathering of the most
eminent jurists of Great Britain and Amer
lea, he added:
And we are ali ordinary men,"
Ihe work before them. he added would
be tremendous strain upon counsel.
Meet Four Times "A Week.
frof Martens thereupon agreed that four
days meeting per week would be sufficient,
arranging that the arbitrators would not
meet on Fridays. Saturdays or Sundays.
Sir Richard Webster asked: LAS the
learned Prof. Martens is going back to The
hague tonight. what days does he propose
to give us next week?'
The professor replied that he hoped to
give them two days during the latter half
OF next week. and that he would write
from The Hague on Sunday, fixing the day
of his arrival
After this Sir Richard Webster announced
that counsel had arranged he should speak
first, then two Venezuelan counsel next
Great Britain with possibly two counsel
then Venezuela and next Great Britain.
The final speech was to be made by Ven
ezuela.
Sir Richard then opened the British case
and spoke until lis PM, when the COM
mission adjourned for luncheon
Sir Richard Webster occupied the re-
mainder of the day in an explana tion with
the aid of the map on the wall, of the geo
graphical difficulties of the dispute, and
concluded the opening stage of his speech
shortly before O'clock when the tribunal
adjourned. Prof. Martens saying he hoped
to be able to hold the next meeting on the
coming Wednesday.
The members of the tribunal were photo
graphed this afternoon, grouped on the
steps at the entrance of the foreign office.
The officials of the foreign office provided
the commissioners and their staffs with a
substantial luncheon in hall adjoining the
court room.