Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1899-05-25
BURDEN OF ARMIES
Cars Peace Conference Be.
gins Its Work.
THE FIRST OPEN SESSION HE'LL
AZ. dc Beaufort Welcomes tho Dele
gates-McKinlcy's Cablegram
to Emperor Nicholas.

The Hague, May 20.-The peace con-
ference called bv the czar of Russia was
opened this afternoon in the hall OF the
blouse OF Wood" two miles from The
Hague, NJ. de Beaufort, president OF
the council and minister Of foreign
affairs of the government of the
Netherlands, delivered the inaugural
address and welcomed the delegates.
Then De Beaufort spoke of the high
honor of the choice of The Hague as
the meeting place of the conference,
and extolled the noble initiative OF the
ear, saying this would be Ied-letter
day in the history Of the country, and
expressing the hope that his majesty
would he able to look back at the day
as the most glorious of his life. He
concluded with calling attention to
the alleeorical group over the door way
of the hall, "Peace entering to close
the temple of Janus" and added:
81 trust tits beautiful allegory will
be an augu1y of your labors. and that
after you have completed them you
will be able to say that peace, whom
art introduced to the hail. left it to
spread its blessings among the whole Of
humanity"
The delegates decided to send the
following telegram to the cazr:
"The peace conference lays at the
feet OF your majesty Its respectful con.
CALCULATIONS upon the occasion Of your
birthday, and expresses its sincere de-
sire to cooperate in the great and noble
work in which your majesty has taken
the generous initiative, and for which
it begs you to accept its humble and
profound gratitude.
NJ. de Staal, the Russian ambassador
to Great Britain, and head of the Rus
sian delegation, informally assuming
the presidency Of the conference. said
| his first duty was to express to NJ de
Beaufort his sincere gratitude for the
noble terms in which he had referred
to his august majesty, adding that hit
majesty would be deeply touched.
After making his address. NJ. de
Staal, in behalf of the conference, tele
graphed to the queen Of the Neither.
lands as follows:
'The members Of this conference,
assembled for the first 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 hos
pitality you have graciousy deigned to
offer them.'
The reading of the message was
warmly applauded.
NJ. de Beaufort WAS appointed hon
orary president. and the leading Dutch
delegate. A. p. G. Van Karnobeok, ex.
minister of foreign affairs, and deputy,
was appointed vice. PRESIDENT. After
the appointment of nine secretaries,
NJ. de Stalls proposal that the ses-
sions be secret was adopted.
President Mckinley to the Gar.
Washington. May 2O-The follow
ing cablegram has been addressed by
the president to the emperor of Russia
on the occasion of the opening OF the
disarmament conference:
Washington. May 2O.-To His Ma.
jesty Nicholas II. Emperor of all the
Russias, St. Petersburg: On this da,
OF good omen l send my heartfelt con-
gratulalions on the opening of the con-
ference at The Hague. which had its
origin in the enlightened and generous
initiative of your majesty.
civilian M'KINLEY.