The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-21

The Hague, May 2O.-The second sit
ting of the peace conference took place
this morning and lasted thirty-fiVe
minutes. The president of the confer
ence, Baron de Staal, read of the re-
plies of the car and Queen WIhelmina
to the kilograms sent them by tie con-
ference on Thursday.
The president then addressed the
delegates on the subject of the lapo:s
before them, and it was decided not 10
publish the speech.
The president proposed the adoption
OF arrangements for the committees,
which was agreed to without discus
sion. Baron de Staal further proposed
that although the principle CT secrecy
should be maintained, communicatloils
might be made through the press bu-
reau, subject to the approval OF TIE
president. This was also adopted
The Delegates Separate.
At the conclusion of the conference
today, M de Staal, Sir Julian Paunce-
fote. the British ambassador nj WASH
ington and the head of the British
delegation, and the United states am
bassador at Berlin, Mr.. Andrew j.
White. head of the American deleSa.
ton, with several of the other cnlef
delegates, returned to The Hague for
lunch. NJ Bourgeois, formerly pre-
lnier of France, and head of the French
delegation. and almost all the technl-
cal delegates who will form a part OF
committees, remained at The House in
the Woods to draw up certain lists.
They were occupied also with the Or
gan1zation of committees.
The proceedings today passed off
without any incident. Only the presi-
dent spoke the others manifesting
their appreciation by slight, discreet
murmurs.
Several of the chief delegates are
leaving The Hague for few days,
pending the preliminary work Oh the
commission.
Baron de Staal, during the course Of
the day, received the following dis
patch:
THE emperor begs you to be the in
terpreter TO the conference of his sim
cere thanks and warmest wishes. My
august master charges me TO impress
upon your excellency how much his
majesty is touched by the telegram ad-
dressed TO him. MURAVIEF."
Mediation and Arbitration.
1t was learned during the day that
NJ. de Staal placed the question or me-
diation and arbitration in the fore
front during his speech today. The
question of the laws of war rendering
war as humane as possible by the eN-
tension OF regulations already existing,
was then touched upon by the presl-
dent, and he relegated the question OF
the reduction of the ornaments to the
third place.
This modifies the order in which the
three points are placed in the circular
of the Russian minister OF foreign al
fairs. Count Muravief. but it has the
merit of corresponding more closely TO
the views of the delegates, and 1t Is
now considered certain that mediation
and arbitration Will have the chief
place in the work Of the conference.
Further, the opinion is unanimous that
the American and British delegates Wll
take the most important part in the
study of this question.
The conference decided today that all
delegates. including the technical rep
resentatives, are to participate IN the
sittinss and JOIN in the discussions.
The date of the next sitting has not
vet been fixed. 1t depends upon the
progress which will be adopted by the
committees.
Nj. De Staale announced today that
the government of The Netherlands
would give an artistic fete on June 10,
in honor OF the conference.