Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-05-18
The PEACE CONFERENCE.
OUTLINE OF THE WORK PROPOSED
BY THE GAR.
List of the Delegations First Session to
DO Held at The Hague preparations
for Receiving the Guests Tho
Political Side.

Ior hoCciNiHE ING cueSJs
Political side.
The peace conference, which has been
called by an imperial reSCript of the Car
Nicholas of Russia, Will meet at Tho
Hague, the capital of Holland, TO day. This
conference exalts, for the moment the
quiet little town into prominence be-
You'd that of any other city Of the word.
For several weeks it will be the Mecca Of
all those who are looking for universal
peace, says the New York Times
In the armed camps of Eusopc, the eff
forts of tho Czdr to bring about an era of
peace and good will have been generally
rldIculcd, although all governments nave
sclemuly appointed delegates of high rank
oC great cmincnCe, and have issued the
most serious instructions as to their con-
duct and representations at The Hague.
France. at first led the opposition to the
confesonce; but, having persuaded herself
that 1t could lead to nothing, and wou.l
not interfere with her future war for
Alsace-Lorralne, Joined in heartily with
its ally of the North
In Germany and England, however, the
motives Of the Russian government have
been most seriously challenged. Mr. Kip
ling wrote a lyric on The Truce of tire
Bear" and the latest issues of prominent
English papers sneeringly allude to the
conference as 1.-THE parliament of man."
"the federation of the world" etc. Some
of them recall that Kaiser Wilhelm imme-
diately called foS an increase of the Ger
man army by 5000 troops, that England
six days after the date of the rescrlpt
slaughtered 10000 dervishes before Khar-
toum, and even Norway and Sweden at
once voted to strengthen tn .ir fleets and
armies, and that Russia itself is IN fever
is IA 70 In ZION for.
In Germany the ridicule has gone even
further. Prof Won Stenge of the Univer-
sity of Munich, who is second on the list
of the German delegates, is the author of
a pamphlet entitled Eternal Peace" deal
ing with The Cars dream" In it he
says:
Instead of preaching eternal peace, and
raVng about the proposals of Russia, it
would be better to teach the Germans that
they must weag their warIke ornaments
on land and sea, in the interest of the
honor and welfare Of the nation" He
agrees with ven Moltke that everlasting
peace is not an ideal condition, and that
war has an educational value and a mis-
sion in the promotion Of culture He de-
clares n his pamphlet that the Cars idea
is not only Ctcpian, but pernicious. In
this he has the concurrence of such dis
tinSuished German professors as Momm-
sen, Kuno Fischer, Labaud. and Wester-
kamp. But while these professors are
ridiculinG, in public interviews and lee
lures, the idea of eternal peace, an innu-
entail committee of the German Reich
stag has issued a manifesto calling upon
the people to hold meetings "to sustain
the hands of the German commissioners
at The Hague"
THE POLITICAL SIDE.
Viewed from the political side, the con-
ference has already brought about two
very important results that may have A
tremendous bearing upon the bistcEy of
Europe. one of these is that on the pro-
test of Italy, the representative of the
Pope has been denied a participation in
the conference. 1t has been considesed
that this is the last straw that has brok
en the back of the temporal power, or
the dim claims of temporal power of the
Sec of Rome
The other result is the almost practical
recognition of the independencies of Bui-
earia. that quasi State of the Balkans
whose independence has been almost a
cdsus bclli among the countries Of the
southeast of Europe for a geneI a ton.
Tutkey refused at first to acknowledge
Bulgaria's right to take part in the con-
ference, but Austria and Russia informed
the Porte that the Porte itself had not
questioned Bulsaria's wight to representa-
ton at the autl-Anarchist conference at
Rome. Thercupon the Sultan waived his
claim that Bulgaria should not suzer-
ain OF the Porte have a distinct rerCes4n-
tation at The Hague. 1t was in a some
what similar way that CavOur obtained
the recognition of Sardinia, which led the
way to the recognition Of the unity of
Italy.
The peace conference will meet in the
beautiful palace known as the HuS int
Bosch. or the Mansion in the Wood. The
walls of the famous Orange Hall, IN which
the delegates will meet, are ornamcnted
" hn host of hp Of Pm.
bens and his pupils. There are also pic
lures by other famous artists of the Dutch
school of paintcgs. In the tea room of
Queen Sophie, which Is kept in It's former
state, the delegates will see the masnit-
cent portrait of the American minister
and historian who introduced Holland to
the modern world of scholars-John Lo-
throp Motley.
The delegates are already assembling
The first TO arrive was de Staal, the rcr-
rcsentative of Russia, who, with his as
sociates and suite arrived in The Hague
last Saturday.
When the Car issued his rescrpt 1t was
transmitted to the foreign Office Of each
Of the States of Europe and the rest of
the world accompanied by circular
drawn up by Count Muravieff. setting
forth the principal questions that might
/ come before the conference.
THE WORK AS OUTLINED.
| This circillaT was as follows:
! Il. An understanding not TO Increase
! for a fixed period the present effective OF
the armed military and naval foSces, and.
at the same time, not to incro - the bud
gets pertaining thereto, 4 pre- uiuary ex-
animation of the means by which IA reduc-
ton might even be effected in future in
the forces and budgets above mentioned.
20. To prohibit the use in the armies
and fleets of any new kind of firearms
whatever, and of new explosives, or any
powders more powerful than those now in
use either for rifles or cannon.
! 3. To restrict the use of military war
fare of the formidable explosives already
existing, and 10 prohibit the throwing OF
projectiles or explosives of any kind from
| balloons oT by any similar means,
! a. To prohibit the use in naval warfare
OF submarine torpedo boats or plungers
or other similaS engines of destruction;
to give an undertaking not to construst
vessels with rams in the future.
20, To apply to naval warfare the stip-
ulations of the Geneva convention of 1861,
on the basis of the articles added to the
convention of 1865
| 80. To neutSaliZe ships and boats en-
lployed in saving those overheard during
or after an engagement
! =. To revise the declaration concerning
the laws and customs of wur elaborated
in 1874 by the conference Of Brussels,
ent day
IS, TO accept in principle the employ
ment of the good offices of mediation and