The Portland daily press., 1899-07-05
Great Dutch Statesman, Father In.
ternatiOnaI Law.
Silver Wreath Laid On
His Grave
By American Delegation at The
Hague.

Delft, Holland. July :4.--There was q
picturesque and impressive ceremony at
Nieuwe Kirk this morning. The church
was oiled with delegates, diplomats, high
officials and ladies. The ceremony began
with the chorus singing Mendelssohn' d
"How Lovely are the messengers that
bring up good tiding of peace" after
which, A. P. @. Van Karnebeok, the
former minister and head of the Dutch
delegation. at the peace conference, who
presided at today's ceremony, briefly
outlined its nature. He said:
"Nowhers has the conference met with
heartier sympathy than in the United
Stsses and 1t Is as a to ken OF this feeling
and in acknowledgement of the recep-
tion Of the conference by the Netherlands
that the American delegates, in the
name of their government, desire 10 pay
tribute TO the memory OF Hugo Grotius,
known as the father of international
lawl In order to give this additional
significance they have chosen for its &C.
complishment, their great national feast
day."
After the national ymn of the Neither.
lands had been sung, Mr.. Andrew ID.
White, 1.-THE United States ambassador to
Germany and head OF the American peace
delegation, in a long, scholarly address,
paid an eloquent tribute to Grotins, ''to
carry out whose ideas are now assembled
delegates from all nations"
After tracing Grotius's work and the
effect Of his ideas, Mr.. White said:
From this tomb of Grotius seem
TO hear a message to go on with the work
of strengthening peace and humaniziDg
war and. above all, to give to the world
at least beginning Of an efectual, prsc-
tical scheme Of arbitratieL."
At the end Of NJ address Mr. White
laid ON the tom p Grotius in behalf of
his oolleagur wreath of silver, oak
and Ter bearing the inscrip-
TO the Memory of Hugo Grotius,
81 ths occasion Of the peace conference
at The Hague in reyerance and graft
tude from the United States. -
The wreath is three feet in diameter
and was in a beech case, ornamented
with silver, which bears the inscription:
ITO the government of the Netherlands
from the United States on the occasion
of the conference, 1897
The names of the delegates to the peace
conference follow. The address of ac-
oeptancs was made 10y DIR. W. II. De-
Beaufort, the minister of foreign affairs
and president of the ministerial council
of the Netherlands. He said: 20
Today's ceremony will make a,deep
impression throughout the. countrys 1--WE
Hollanders are proud Of ourseoHntry,
its glorious history and the mernefys of
our great men. We are pleased to see
them appreciated by foreigners and the
citizens of oountryIfor which we have
such respect and regard. We are closely
connected with the history and traditions
of America. The first settlers on the
banks Of the Hudson were Hollanders and
we shall always remember with certain
pride. that 1t WAS Dutch captain who
first saluted the Stars and Stripes. To-
day we salute your Star Spangled Banner
in our own country. Your country Is one
of the largest in the world bui we are one
Of the smallest. But we have one thing
in common which is that we both won
our country and Its independent by
our valor.'' {H
In conclusion DR.. De Beaufort said
he hoped todayss ceremony and
wreath would act as stimulus to future
generations in their exertions in. behalf
Of still further reforms in intetnatio nal
law and that the wreath would be AM
everlasting emblem of the historical
friendship Of America and Holland.
President Seth Low of Columbia uni
versity, u returning thanks said "We
do not make light of whabwe owe to
England but We gladly bslisvs we owe
in a large measure TO the Dutch many Of
the things which we count as most preci-
GUS in our heritage"
The osFenony concluded with sing
ing The Star Spangled Banner"