The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-05-23
CHARS PEACE CONFERENCE
DELEGATES SUMMONED TO ASSEM-
 BILE AT NOON TO-DAY.
First Session at 4 P. m.-Hostile Per- sons Bustly Engaged Spreading Dis- trust-Statement That Count VOn Munster Would Withdraw Untrue,


 trust-statement That Count Von
 Munster Would Withdraw Untrue,
 The Hague, May 22.-The disarma- ment committee of the peace conference meets at o'clock on Tuesday after noon, the committee on the laws of war fare also meets during the afternoon of the same day, and the committee on arbitration meets on Wednesday. The first session of each committee will be devoted to the election of officers. Af- ter an active exchange of views during the last twenty-four hours the chiefs of the various delegations arrived this evening at an agreement regarding the selection of the presidents of the vari- ous committees. This agreement will be communicated to the delegates, who have been summoned to meet in plenary session in the Huis ten Bosch at noon tomorrow for the sole purpose of for mally confirming the agreement.
 Many false and exaggerated reports have been circulated regarding these hitches. For instance 1t has been said that Count von Munster, the German ambassador at Paris and head of the German delegation, would withdraw from the conference. Such stories must be received with caution, as persons hos tile to the aims of the conference have been busily engaged in spreading mis- trust The story about Count von Mun- ster probably arose from the fact that his name does not appear as member of any of the committees while all the other delegates have joined one or more committees. But it is pointed out that delegates although not members of a committee, are privileged to attend it's sessions and participate in the discus sions,
 Andrew D. White the United States ambassador at Berlin and head Of the American delegation, in an interview here with a representative of the Asso- ciated Press said that he regarded the situation as promising and that the first work of the organization was well done. He added: T am full of hope that it will be possible to reach practical con- clusions. The scepticism of the first few days must yield to serious hopes without at the same time tndulging in exaggerated expectations The words of Emperor William .have contributed l to improve the situation. I think we | may arrive at some result on the sub l ject of mediation and arbitration AL though 1t is undoubtedly impossible to make such action obligatory, it can be rendered at least optional and l believe that after the conference the powers will recognize that they have at their disposal a means of regulating their diff ferences otherwise than by war That will be an immense advance. I am also confident that important improvements are achievable, in the laws and usages of war, to humanize war, especially in extending to naval battles the Geneva convention of 1866 and increasing the protection of private property in naval wars Relative to the reduction of ar maments am not in position to speak on the subject
 Other ambassad dors who are delegates to the conference were also interviewed and expressed similar views. They said they were most hopeful that the deib- erations of the conference would result in the adoption of practical recommend ations tending toward peace and rem dering war more humane All were dominated by a sense or immense re- sponsibility to achieve something, espe- cially in the direction of arbitration. The delegates were unanimously of the opinion that the question of the reduc- tion of armaments would be the most difficult to meet, and they believed that it would be relegated to the rear Of the other two features, especially since the special object of the conference is now to be an endeavor to es- tablsh means for the solving of inter- national difficulties without recourse to war, thus increasing the rarity of wars and, as a natural consequence, leading to the reduction of armaments They seemed convinced however, that nu- differences of detail would arise in the various committees and that the conference would be protracted.
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