Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-06-23
Searcely Enough Space at Huis Ten
Bosch for All Delegates.
MORE COMMITTEE ROOMS NEEDE
Suitable Quarters This Year on East
Side Of Binnehof.
INTERESTING HOLLAND BUILDING
Structure Gives Feeling of SoIidity
and siren Eth-Massive Archi-
lecture Lends ReDOse-
CoIora Are Perfect.

THE HAGUE June 22.-(Special. 1.-The
eyes OF the civilized world have for some
time been fixed on The Hague, the scene
OF the Hague Peace Conference. Hence the
place OF the assembly is of unusual in
terest just at the present time.
The new palace of peace in which the
representatives of the worlds powers are
TO conduct their deliberations in the future
has not yet been built The old meeting
place of the last conference, the "Huis
ten Bosch" near The Hague was not
found entirely convenient for so large a
gathering. There was hardly enough room
for all the representatives in the great
hall and the various committee rooms in
which the multifarious details of the work
OF the conference had to be discussed
were located in the Blnnenhof, a mile
and half away, the south bank of
tho Vyver In The Hague. This naturally
involved some loss of time and for the
conference Of this summer more commodis
Gus and suitable quarters were found on
the east side of the courtyard of the
Binnenhof itself. where the old committee
rooms are once more at the service OF the
delegates.
Most Interesting Building.
The building is perhaps the most inter-
esting in all Holland in more ways than
one. The gable at the west end with its
rose window like that OF a cathedral rises
between two cylindrical fortress towers
on which the fiat tracery of the main
facade Is repeated and their pointed tur-
rets pierce into the air above the topmost
carving of the central roof. Between
them and beneath the rose window is a
flight of stone steps with sman Gothic
porch supported upon pillars which give
the relief of their white coloring against
the russet of the brickwork OF the main
structure. The high pitched roof with the
dormer windows on the northern side has
all Of the appearance. familiar in such
structures. as the Market Hall of Bruges
or the great town hall of Flanders. But
this is however, more severely Gothic in
Its character. It's strong, square buttresses
end In round pinnacles at the line Of the
machicolations which defend the fortress
palace OF Count Fioris and the larger
windows beneath them are inset beneath
round arches in the thickness of the ma
sonry.
Within the feeling of soIidty and
strength. of absolute fitness for It's varied
purposes of splendor or defense, OF pom
pous ceremonial or of proud security, be-
comes yet more accentuated. The western
porch opens straight into the Knights
Hall, and this is the vast and nobly-pro-
portioned apartment which entertains the
conference. The span OF its vault is the
largest known to exist and the great roof
OF open hammerbeams swings clear across
from one wall to the other without any
central lines OF pillars to support It. The
thrust is received by massive columns of
fossil marble set straight and close against
the sides on bases Of hewn granite. and
the lower part Of the walls is covered in
oak-panelling enriched with Gothic carving
Magnificent Color scheme.
In such a setting the scheme of decora-
tion is on large and dignihed scale and
magnificently has II been carried out by
the local authorities responsible in this in.
stance. The coloring is rich but substan-
tial and is chiefly obtained by the lavish
use Of gorgeous eastern tapestries and rugs
upon the floor and walls In sombrs but
magnificent tints OF crimsons, blues and
Colds; and the enormous floor space avail
able has enabled the architect to arrange
with convenience and even beauty. for the
seating OF two hundred and fifty represen
tatives from nearly fifty nations.
A strange romance at Ypres has Just cui-
minated IN the marriage Of a convict who
Is undergoing life Imprisonment in the 10.
cal prison, TO the daughter OF the gaoler
The gaoier's daughter was in the habit OF
taking food TO the convict and an attach
ment was formed which resulted IN the
convict asking permission of the gaoler 10
marry the girl. The girl admitted her love
for the prisoner and at last the gaoier con-
Bented. The convict was taken 20 the town
hall in a covered wagon escorted by four
gendarmes who acted as witnesses. After
lhe civil ceremony the bride and groom
were driven back TO the prison with the
L.
performed in the prison chapel after which
lhe convict returned to hts cell. The resi-
hents OF Ypres are now circulating a pc
htion which will be presented 20 the au-
lhorities asking that the convict be par
loned.
British-German Rivalry.
The statement of Herr Ballin. managing
director OF the Hamburg-American Steam
ship line that the superiority OF the British
over the German mercantile marine existed
on paper only and that the British ships
were mostly second hand tramps con-
Btruoted Of the cheapest material and
Bteaming only at the slowest speed has un-
doubtedly caused a great deal OF interest
bere, II is said that the statement OF Herr
Ballin Is hardly accurate. However, the
German ships DO have some advantages
i Is perhaps fair TO state that the British
Jpend the most money on the straight
bway work but that the Germans spend
The most money on the fnishinEs ana fur
hishings. Then the German government
helps In many Instances the German ship.
ping lines by grant OF preferential rail-
way rates on the state-owned railways
The agent OF a German shipping line I'm
Holland. for instance, can quote a lower
through rate 20 New York than the agent
VI British line because the German agent
gets the ADVANTAGE OF low rates through
Germany.