Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-15

conference, were regarded by the others
with the interest shown in the Americans
The first question asked by European
delegate who had something to propose was
not what VIII Russia think of it? or what
will Germany think of it? or what will
France think of it? but what will the
United States think of it?
Poor Old Spain.
Another interesting result of the war was
the absolute unimportance of the Spanish
delegation. Poor, broken Spain. Her
naughty hidalgos received no more consid-
Grafton than did the delegates from Servia
or Siam. AS they left the door of their
apartment in the Hotel Vieux Doelen they
saw in the little flag nailed on another
door, almost adjoining, the symbol of the
nation which rose through their fall, and
they went quietly to the sessions entirely
bereft Of the pompous self-importance
which III all times gone by has marked
the conduct Of the Spaniard on such occa-
sions
Spain alone of all the nations represented
made not one single proposition to the
conference during the first three weeks of
its existence. Even little Servia had a mes
sage to the conference. but poor Spain, dis
heartened and bowed down, did naught but
listen.
The dining room of the Hotel Vieux Doe
len is a superb apartment with a ceiling
about forty feet from its highly polished
hard wood floor. At any time from s to 10
o'clock in the morning one of its small ia
bles was likely to be occupied by one or
more of the men who came here from the
land of the stars and stripes. Mr.. White
delicate and fragile in appearance with
the deep-set eyes of the penetrating think
er, with the whitened hair which is as
much the result of unremitting mental toll
as it Is of age. made the final plans of the
delegates work while he ate his simpIe
breakfast. Mr.. Hollis, tall, fat, bald-headed
good-natured, read the amazing mail which
poured in to him as the American secre-
tary, while ne drank coffee and MUNICH ed
his Dutch rolls. Capt. Mahan and Can't
Crozier frequently ate together while the
secretaries and employees of the delegation
occupied another table. The elaborate re-
spect which delegates from other countries
showed to the Americans was much great
er than the careful courtesy which men of
their stamp would naturally exhibit toward
each other.
The Russians would bow pleasantly to
the German delegates. but nothing more
and vice versa. When, however, either
passed the American delegates or met them
in the smoking room the salute was sure
to be not only pleasant, but profound.
What America Asked For.
The Americans went to The Hague in
structed to try to bring about permanent
board of arbitration made I'D of members
of the state departments of all nations; to
bring about the abolition of privateering
on the high seas during war; the neutral
lzation or all floating property owned by
private owners and not by belligerent gov
ernments. and the mea surement of indem-
nifty not by the nations at warfare but by
jury of the other nations How MANY
or these things were accomplished will be
definitely known by the time this article is
printed, for this congress will probably
have adjourned by then and the ocean tel
egraph will have told the story of its clos
ing work. But the inside tale of how that
work was done is never likely to be told in
fun, although scre interesting details can
be given here.
The secrecy which was decided upon and
widely criticised was an absolute necessity,
The admission of working newspaper rep
resentatives to the sessions of the confer
ence would undoubtedly have prevented
the accomplishment of anything whatever
Many Misunderstandings.
There were many MISUNDERSTANDING and
mistaken reports concerning the matter of
press representatives. There were no oh
jectiops whatever to the presence of jour-
| nalsts at the opening session of the con-
| ference, but the hall in which the meeting
was held was absolutely crowded merely
by the delegates themselves. Their secre-
taries and other employees literally could
! not find standing room. Sixty feet above