New-York tribune., 1907-06-16
PARLIAMENT OF PEACE.
MEETING At THE HAGUE.
The Opening Exercises Lack I'm
pressiUeness.
Especial by French Gable TO The Trsprne-l

! greatest event of the nineteenth century The
/ second peace congress. with nearly twice as
many nations represented in a genuine am
/ phictyOnic council, without racial or religious
distinctions. ought also to- be epoch making IN
| moral influence 1t may fulfil the dreams OF
/ optimism. but nobody looking on the prOsalc
/ opening would have surmised that any,
| thing of momentous Importance was in prog
/ ress It was dull uninpressfve and perfunctory-
| The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs welcomed
/ the delegates and nominated the Russian AM
] bassador at Paris as the chairman. The prece-
/ dents of the first congress were repeated. and a
] cautious cOncatory address the motives for
| the second session was delivered with signs or
/ nervousness There was neither oratory nor
| enthusiasm There was not a note of cOnvtC-
! tion or Of earnestness Of purpose in either
/ speech, and the delegates, who had not mus
tered in full force. did not appear deeply inter-
ested IN the proceedings Everything was sase
! and deccrous Yet the delegates seemed i'll az
ease, and relieved when they could get away and
! talk over their secrets by themselves. The stage
/ setting was as duh and sedate the drama
/ itself The old brick Hall of Knights. with It's
/ gables and turrets is not unpicturesque as 20
i exterior in touch with the fantastic tumble OF
! styles and periods in Binnenhof. but II is PLAIN
/ and has a gloomy interior that does not ehi
itself to decorative effects. It is more convent
I
villa with the octagonal orange saloon where
! the first congress met and il is fairly good
! auditorium where the correspondents can hear
/ the debates If the full measure of publicity
( favored by the American delegates. be granted
NAVY NATIONS REPRESENTED.
More interesting than the speeches or the
quaint building was the study of racial lines and
tendencies in the faces of the delegates There
yt-as- -aTri6
Of the diversity of elements entering into the
| problem Of thN solidarity of the human family
| More eloquent than any diplomatic common
place or sentimental aspiration in the speeches
was the fact that many nations were repre-
sented In a pacific struggle for higher civtiiza-
ton with the moral force of public opinion be-
| hind them optimism is needed A few lines OF
! division sharper in the second than tney
we're in the first congress. The question OF re-
duced ornaments cannot be discussed without
/ Irritation and sudden discomfort on the part ot
/ the military empires. and the proposals for resu-
I lating naval warfare and prohibiting the use OF
neutral ports may also be resented by the naval
powers. The attempts of the extremists 10 mako
arbitration compulsory viii end in failure. and
there are grounds for apprehension lest the dis
cussion of several controversial subjects may do
more harm than good The American delegates
admit this, but contend that there are many safe
subjects. such as the improvement of arbitra-
tion processes the revision OF the Red Cross
code the close definition OF contraband and In
creased safeguards for neutral commerce, which
can be taken up.
NEED Of LEADERSHIP.
There is nobody in the British delegation so
conciliatory and broad minded Lord Paunce-
fote was in the last congress- and decisive lead
ership is OF the utmost Importance when there -
so great diversity of interests and there are
| jealousies among the great powers The Amer
| lean delegation may supply it. although so large
| a body may prove as unmanageabe a town
! meeting Mr.. Choate Will have great influences
over the British delegation, and General Porter
is On accomplished diplomatist. i'm close touch
with France and Italy Bur Germany will be-
the chief source of obstruction. and there is no
member of the American delegation we'll fitted
/ for CouuteraCting it. NIr Buchanan viii he thu
| natural leader OF the Spanish-American states
il the Draeo doctrine is debated. and the dele
CATION is admirably equipped for the discussion,
of questions of International law and military
science. Tue members of the delegation ara
reticent. since they have not found leisure for
full consultation. They will strenuously advo-
. cate Secretary Roots plan for the esta blisa-
ment of a permanent peace tribunal. with the
members appointed for lite and living at Tho
Hague. where they can devote time and energies
/ 10 the settlement of the differences among
they Will exercise discretion in adapting them
selves 10 the situation.
PEACE PALACE PROGRESS.
The opening of the congress would have been
a less humdrum affair if Mr.. Caruegie's peace
palace could have been substituted for the
gloomy Hall of knights Much time has been
wasted through Dutch inertia but the money
turned into the treasury is drawing interest
and the commission in charge of the project "a
I admirable one and is acting with sound
Judgment 1t is possible that the conversions os
the Palace of Peace may be laid while the con-
greSs is in session. The site while inferior to
Koekamp, where the Dutch could not be in
duced cut down the trees is a fine one. in
line with the improvements which are trans
forming the district between The Hague and
the North Sea. The building plan. while requir-
ing adaptation TO the requirements Of an inter-
national body is brilliant architectural scheme
The palace. when completed will be embowered
with verdure. the site contains twenty-five
! acres.
GROJ PING or THE POWERS.
There is much irresponsible talk about the
grouping of the powers various questions.
but no forecast can have value until the or
sanization Of the congress is completed. ths
order of discussions arranged and the delegates
are ready for work Sir Edward Grey is re-
ported to have diluted the British instructions
out of Difference to German feeling. The cur
rent reports that the German Emperor is bent
upon regaining at The Hague the prestige los-
at Algecras are premature Russia and Aus
tria are strongly influenced from Berlin, but
Anglo American cooperation, with French sup