The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-23

Stael gave a fairly close guess as to
the number on each side, and the fate
of the motion was decided. Such was
the procedure of the peace conference
from the beginning.
There was as little of ceremony about
the way in which the delegates were
treated by the Dutch government as
| there was about the way in which they
conducted their deliberations. One or
two official receptions and dinners at
which Hollands charming little queen
played lier part pleasantly. as she ever
does. constituted all the official enter
tanning. There were few exchanges OF
social visits between the delegates.
The quarters of the American dele
cation at the Hotel Vieux-Doelen were
elegant and commodious. 1t is one OF
the most extraordinary structures IN
Europe, and dates back to about 1870
1t is at the same time, however, much
better managed and equipped than
most European hotels. In view of the
coming of the American delegation, its
owner bought large adjoining resi-
dence, which he turned over entirely 10
our representatives, giving them their
own entrance, and at the same time
| connecting them by means Of new
| doors and new corridors with the body
of the hotel proper. The rooms. We're
| furnished in the fiorld gold and red
which is likely to prevail wherever a
Dutchman thinks elegance is neces-
sary. For some reason Seth Low did
not take advantage of these fine quar-
| tiers. but went alone to the Hotel Belle
Vue, where Mrs. Low Joined him short
| ~ after the sessions of the conference
began.
The complete apathy of the Dutch
| public concerning the doings and per-
sonality of the peace delegates was
quite as surprising as their own lack
| of ceremony in conducting the confer
ence. Only one delegate went habitu-
ally TO the sessions of the conference
in uniform, and he, strangely enough,
was Captain CroZier. the American
attache. l believe, although 1 am not
certain, that some regulation of the
service made it necessary for him to
wear the sober and impressive uniform
of the United States army at the ses-
sions of the conference. The car sent
special photographer to The Hague
for the purpose of making pictures of
the delegates for a great album to be
kept in the winter palace at st. Peters
burg. When this photographer was at
work the foreign delegates made bright
spots of color in the courtyard of the
uXDoelen. Characteristic uniforms
covered with decorations and bedecked
with gold lace appeared by the dozen,
but the moment the photographer went
away the informal dress which was
worn at the sessions of the conference |
was Immediately resumed. The only |
decorations indicating that a great in
ternational gathering was in session at |
The Hague were the dozen or so of |
flags, whose gorgeous folds draped i'm |
pressively against the old red of the |
bricks in the Hotel Vieux-Doelen's |
front. They We're the flags of the dele
cations quartered there.
The coming of the delegates from all |
parts of the earth on their tremendous |
mission attracted no attention what |
ever from the lay citizens of this pic
turesque military-ridden, gin besotten, |
beautiful old town. During all my stay !
here ! have seen practically no mani
festation of any interest in the pres
ence of the delegates. A company of
stupidfaced Dutch soldiers, tight
trousered and Scotch-capped, with a
discordant band at its head, never
failed to draw the people of Craven
hagen from their homes and their bus
mess places in curious mobs. But dur
ing my stay at The Hague 1 have not
at one time seen more than dozen
people gathered to watch the delegates
or do honor TO the conference.
Whatever happens before the con-
ference adjourns; whatever results are
achieved by it; whatever failures mark
its sessions; whatever successes are its
may feel perfectly certain that its in
terests have been guarded carefully,
that its dignity has been preserved
and that its influence on this most i'm
portant international movement has
been felt as strongly, if not more
strongly than that of any other nation
represented.
While am writing this it looks as if
practical provision for mediation and
will really be incorporated
into international law. Hon. Seth Low,
whose influence toward good internal
tional government has been exerted at
The Hague with as much earnestneSS
as he ever eXerted toward the promul-
CATION of his ideas of good government
in municipal, state or national matters
at home, expressed to me this opinion:
1T must be by the route of media
ton and arbitration that will recognize
the interdependence of nations that the
world Will progress towards the poets
dream of the parliament of man. In
the meanwhile. l think the steps likely
to be taken will depend so entirely on
the voluntary actions of the nations
that no reaction is to be dreaded. In
other words. | think we shall give pop
ular opinion chance easily to substi-
tute arbitration for war, and this being
done, public opinion must do the rest"
With as the member of its delegation.
next most important to Andrew D.
White, its chairman, a man with ideas
as simple and as sensible as these.
America would need to have no fear of
the record she would make at the peace
conference, even without the all-seeing
and all-managing Secretary Hollis,
without the greatest naval expert in
The world, Captain Alfred 7. Mahan.
and without the intimate knowledge of
affairs possessed by Captain
Willard F. CroZier. 1t is impossible to
doubt that the businesslike attitude
taken from the first by the American
and British delegations has done moe
han any other one thing to save the
conference FROM practical failure.
EDWARD MARSHALL.
A-FoLLOWRIN' THE BAND.