Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-18
THE CONF [R[NCE TOWN
Where Delegates From Thirteen
Countries Are Meeting.
A COMIC OPERA VILLAGE
White or Yellow Houses With Green
Balconies.
SCENE OF THE DELIBERATIONS
Discussing the Future of Morocco
High Regard for the American
Representatives.
SCENE OF THE DELIBERATIONS

/
that the thirteen governments interested in
| the Moroccan controversy regard the pres
ent strained relations between France and
nificance to the world at large than was
the struggle under arms between the SUBJ
| jects of the czar and the mkado.
| OF all the out-of-way towns of Spain this
seems to be the most remote. Five miles
across the boy the great rock of Gibraltar
| 1uts out of the sea On a clear day the
| Tangier coast lire can be seen
Landing at the pier from Gibraltar the
| first thing that strikes the eye is a gigan-
| tic sign pointing the way to the leading
| hotel. 1t is printed In Spanish and English,
! so that all who come may read. Ana SINH
| lar signs are to be found in other parts
| of the town. The hotel is the best in
| southern Europe Typically Spanish it
| forms a pleasing oasis of comfort and ce-
| gance in a desert of bare homes and white
| walls Its gardens laid out in English
style and its patio, or inner court, forms a
| cool retreat from the heat of the day.
Where Diplomats Chat,
Here the diplomats may be seen morning
noon and night. Some of them live here
most of them have their MONDAY meal
here, and all of them meet in the corridors
on the balconies or in the gardens in the
evening TO talk over the events of the day
Raised above the beach on a terrace twenty
feet high the view from the verandas and
balconies is charming at all times Gibral-
tar stands out majestically and the coast
of Africa looms up blue and mysterious on
the far horizon. At one end of the gar
dens can be seen the house that has been
leased by the English delegate to the con-
ference, Sir A Nicholson, the ambassador
to Spain. Further down the beach toward
the pier float the flags Of Morocco and
France over the dwelling places of their
Ge1apatpS Tho other jpfepatpS live a bp
hotel or in Gibraltar.
All the delegates assemble at midday in
the dining room, where the best meals are
served in the best European style. After
luncheon the visitor leaves for the con-
ference hall. But he walks. Not because
there are no carriages. But the visitor
has lunched and counts his pesetas with
greater care One tourist was asked the
equivalent of 500 a day for quarters for
himself and wife week ago, and the prices
were said to be ascending.
The Correspondents.
1t is but a short walk from the hotel to
the principal street, on which Is situated
the hotel where the newspaper men have
their quarters. Portsmouth never had III
it's palmiest days such a conglomeration OF
gentlemen of the press as has swooped
down on this poor town to attend the con-
ference There are said to be more than
hundred journalists here from every part
of Europe and they are the bane of the
diplomats lives. If there is anything
European statesman is averse 10 giving
out. it is news. He regards newspaper
man pest, curse, something TO De
carefully avoided and the men who are
gathering news of the conference are
forced to apply 10 secretaries. OF whom
there are a drove. the American dele
gates who are most optimistic and are al
ways looking for the best from every stu
alton OF the entire corps OF correspond
ents there is but one American, and from
the appearance of the European newspapers
he appears to be getting all the news.
The walk from the hotel to the conference
rooms or chambers reminds one of the old
fashioned labyrinths or mazes that were tea-
lures of the gardens Of our ancestors. The
streets run every which way but they all
lead to one place, the plaza In its center
is a tall shaft, with no historic significance,
and at It's base is a fountain that never
plays. Facing the plaza are the dead white
or yellow houses of the typical Spanish
village, all decorated with quaint little bal
comics that have green iron ratings
wrought In artistic shapes. From behind
the blinds the Andalusian senoritas gaze
down into the street and in the evening
listen to the serenade5 Of their caballeros
The cathedral, with its front doors tightly
closed and boarded and its side entrance
thrown wide open to the populace, fronts
upon the plaza. and diagonally across is
located the building in which the Moroccan
conference sits.
The Scene of the Conferences.
Spain has endeavored TO do everything in
It's power for the diplomats and stepping
into the building from the street, is like
walking frCm an eighteenth century road
way in a modern hotel lobby. On one side
a sign, "correos. announces that post
Office has been established beneath it. and
on the other side of the entrance hall the
faint clicking of telegraph Instruments
through half open doorway notifies the
visitor that instant communication with the
outside world is not SO difficult. after al
The entrance hall is lighted from the roof
by skylight that gives soft glow to the
white marble fittings and tiled floor, The
second floor, where the conference rooms
are located, is reached by massive stair
case. When the diplomats assemble Tor a
conference bright red carept Is laid from
the door to the stairs and the stairs them
selves are covered with red. The confer
ence room is hung with fine red tapestry
The carpet and all of the decora tions are
bright red, which Is considered quite ap-
propriate, that being the Moroccan color
The chairs and tables are made OF light
wood. resembling polished ash. The dele
gates sit at a table that extends the length
of the room. The chair of the president Is
in the center of the table and at the end
nearest the entrance are the tables for the
official stenographers and secretaries. Tel
| ephones, call bells and electric lights are
| at hand. II is actually shock to find such
| modern conveniences In the primitive town.
| Several excellent paintings adorn the walls
| firing chamber for the delegates. which Is
| in frequent request The conference seems
| to be In love with the recess idea one or
| two being taken at, every sitting. Time
| seems to be the biggest asset of all the del
egateS.
The American Delegates.
To the American visitor the conference Of
/ the powers at Algeciras holds more than an
| ordinary interest. There are at least four
| members OF the commission who are known
| to Americans and liked by them. M.
| Henry White the ambassador of the United
! States to Rome and Mr.. s. r. Gummers.
/ American minister to Morocco. are the two
/ American delegates on the commission. IL
1 Is not merely patriotic gush to call these
gentlemen the two most important members
1 of the commission. outside the representa-
| tiyes of France and Germany. for they are
| locked up to and respected by all their as
| sociates. Ambassador White is the au-
/ thority who is invariably consulted In Tho
| meetings on all questions of international
| Law and usage, and he Is the arbitrator who
settles ell disputes or NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
between delegates. Mr.. 6ummere is the
| one member Of the commission whose
| statements regarding Morocco and Meroc-
/ can affairs are not contradicted or disputed,
/ He Is looked upon as the supreme authority
| on the country under consideration. Not