The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-19
1HE PEACE CONFERENCE
Delegates Assembled at The Hague
to Discuss Disarmament.
THE SESSIONS TO BE SECRET.

| >A'i oi" W thU ouuS Vuctl VI Ln0
Netherlands-M. De staal Elected
President of the Conference.
The Hague, May 19.-The peace con-
ference, called by the czar of Russia,
was opened at Q o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon In the hall of the Huisten
Bosch, or the House in the Woods"
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. He concluded
by calling attention to the allegorical
group over the doorway of the hall,
Peace entering to close the temple of
Janus, and said:
| II trust this beautiful allegory will
be good augury Of your labors, and
that after you have completed them
you will be able to say that Peace
whom Art introduced into this hall.
left it to spread its blessings among
the whole Of humanity"
The delegates decided to send the
following telegram to the czar:
The peace conference lays at the
feet OF your majesty its respectful con-
sratulatlons upon the occasion OF your
birthday and expresses its sincere de-
sire 10 cooperate in the great and
noble work IN which your majesty has
taken generous initiative, and for
which it begs you to accept its humble
ana pfotound gratitude,
NJ. lie Staal the Russian ambassador
10 Great Britain and head of the Rus
sian delegation, assuming the presi-
dency OF the conference. said his first
duty was to express to M. De Beaufort
his sincere gratitude for the noble
terms in which he had referred to his
august master, adding that his ma
JesIy would be deeply touched as well
as Dy the spontaneity with which the
nigh assembly had associated itself
thereWith.
continuing M. De Staal said:
lhoush TO the czar is due the initfa-
i've OF the conference, we owe much to
tne queen OF the Netherlands for in
Vlting us TO her capital. 1t is happy
augnry OF success that we have met
under the auspices Of the young SOW
erelgn whose charge is felt In wide
circle, whose heart is open to every |
.nlhs great ana generous and who has
ulspiayeu muen sympathy with the
cause which brings us here. 1t is on
the historic SOIL OF the Netherlands
,ha' .he greatest political problems
nave oeeh discussed. Here is the
cfaaie OF science and international law
cannot consider my election other
wise than inspired by my position as
pltHlDOJontlHlV or the who
was tne lnltlator OF the conference.
On this ground / accept with deem
gratltude the distinguished honor, and
l. snail use every endeavor to justify
your commence.
AFTER making his address M. De
otaai' IN eehalf OF the conference, tele-
graphed 10 the queen of the Neither
laiiuS as 1oliows:
me members OF this conference, as
semoled Tor the first time in this beau
ti1ui Huis Ten Bosch. hasten to lay
at tne feet of your majesty their best
wishes, praying you to accept their
homage ana gratitude for the hos
pl'aiatv you nave SO graciously deigned
u oHer them.
Ihe reading of the message was
warmly applauded.
NJ. De Beaufort was appointed honor
ary president and the leading Dutch
aelesate, A. r. Z. Van karnObeck, for.
mer minister of foreign affairs and
aeputy, was appointed vice president.
AFTER the appointment Of nine sec.
retarles M. De Stalls proposal that
me sessions be secret was adopted.
The next session will take place on
a dali ~,iIN 0
'ange a program and appoint com
nlttees.
The session yesterday lasted only 25
minutes. and the apparent unanimity
displayed was considered to augur well
or the outcome.
The delegates to the conference from
he principal sections are as follows:
Austria -Hungary-Count Won VOL
ersheimb, first secretary of the Aus
rian foreign Office, ambassador extra
M. Okoliosanyo Okalicona
minister at The Hague, and Court and
Ministerial Councillor Mercy,
Belgium-M. Boornaert, minister of !
Oreign affairs; CheyelIer Descbamn- {
David, senator, and Count de Grelle- :
logiar, minister at The Hague.
Denmark-Fr. q. de Billie. mipister
t the court of st. James. and Colonel t
an schmack, former minister of war !
France-M. Bourgeois, former nre. t
nier; M, Bihourd minister at Tho '
Iague: Baron Estournelles do Con. t
tant deputy; Vice Admiral ponba '
rigadier General Monnier and louis r
.enault, professor of law v
Germany-Count Won Munster-I,e. t
enburg. ambassador st PARIS. Prof t,
on Stengel of the Munich univer,itv.
rof zorn Of the universitv ~ IT,, r
issbera. Cantain SIeoeI naval o.
che at the German embassy In paris r
~ Ea,o, . C. i' oiio''s'y III alis' n
III Cololiei Hross Won SchWarzhon, y