The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-06-15
THE HALL OF KNIGHTS
History Of Castle Where Peace
Delegates viii Meet.
LARGE. GLOOMY STRUCTURE.

Consists Of One Huge He'll and Series
OF Smaller Ones.
The sittings Of the second peace con-
Rerence at The Hague will be held in
thirteenth century castle built for the
counts of Holland in the days when
they, together with the bishops Of
Utrecht and the dukes Of Guelders,
ruled the Low Countries, says the New
York Tribune. The House In the
Woods" (Huis ten Bosch), the former
royal villa in the Haagsche forest, In
the orange salon Of which the first
peace conference met in 1890, was
found too small to accommodate the
delegates Of the forty-six countries to
be represented, and the Dutch govern
ment decided to at up and place at the
disposal Of its distinguished guests the
ancient castle known in recent years
aB the Hall OF Knights.
The Hall of knights IL a large
gloomy structure OF stone and brick
In the heart OF an irregular pile of old
but more modern buildings which,
taken together, form the Binnenhof,
the fortress OF the city. The Binnen-
hof ID the most historical spot In Hol-
Hand, about 1t clustering the memories
OF the eighty-year struggle which
finally resulted in relieving the Dutch
from the Spanish yoke; the glories Of
che republic, when the states general
ruled and the Stockholders lived here,
when Dutch commerce was the largest
IN the world and triumphant Dutch
warEhips even assembled the Thames
mnd threatened London.
The building or the old states gem
'ssral, lying TO the north, IL now used
ny the upper chamber Of the Dutch
parliament, while the ballroom Of the
gtnatholders' residence to the south,
mas become the home Of the lower
house. The other buildings inclosing
The square are used by the various
government departments. Along one
side of the Binnenhof is an artificial
Rake called the Vyver.
The Hall OF knights stands in the
ecenter Of paved court and Ia reached
through half dozen picturesque por-
4aiH, over which are chiseled the arms
De the counts Of Holland. The moat
and postern have long since disappear
I'd. and today the old building looks
aesa like a castle than like an ancient
church. Begun about 1240 by Count
William H., afterward elected emperor
0f Germany through the influence Of
Innocent w., the building was extend
I'D by his son Floris, who used It as q
hunting palace. The interior consists
or single enormous hall, occupying
Cha entire space within the ehurchlike
structure In front and series of small
err halls and rooms In the rear. The
large hall was the great dining room OF
1he counts and their knights when they
made their hunting expeditions to the
North sea marshes, II Is here that the
pienary sessions of the conference viii
ao6 held.
After the rise of the republic the cas-
ale gradually fell into decay, Its main
mse In those days was for the drawing
OF the national lottery, which took
place In the main hall, where the con-
ference Win sit, and the name Lottery
hair still cllngs to It. although dis
Ainctly discouraged by the government.
Toward the close Of the eighteenth
Sesntury portion of the building was
fFegtOred and decorated, and after Louis
BonRparte was expelled In 1918 II ives
Used as the seat OF the high civil and
criminal courts. The courts were NOV.
ed several years ago, and In 1900 the
work OF restoration began. Since 1902
the main hall has been annually used
ny the queen for the ceremony Of read.
ing the address of the throne to the
houses OF parliament.
The hall Is about so by so feet and
On lofty. but the huge beams and raft
sers of the yaulted roof give II a cavern.
GUS appearance. In preparation for
the conference many electric lights,
hanging from the rafters, have been
Installed to re-enforce the dim light
from the high stained glass windows.
The desks for the delegates, arranged
Ifke psws In a church and thanked on
either side by two lateral rows, are GOV.
-srad with green baize. and each has q
pewter Ink well set in the right hand
corner. In front Ii a low rOstrum for
ahe presiding officer. with the desks OF
the secretaries arranged behind In the
form OF a semiclrcle The whole oh
Ject apparently is TO bring the dele
gates rs close 10 other as possible and
geiu,lt pa eaev eX> Ian q q i3cas. The
et' ~ Que of extreme sim
- The committee rooms In the
rear are spacious, but also somber.
Under the shadow OF the castle tool
place one Of the two dark tragedies
which sullied the history OF the re
pnblic-the execution of John van OIL
who was ANONYMOUSLY hanged at tbs
1ns1lgatlon Of Prince Maurice OF Or
anga on the false charge OF treason,
A stones throw away, in the prisOl
where are still shown the torture cham
bers Of the spanish inQuisition. occur
red the other tragedy-the brutal muir
der OF the De Witt brothers. who has
devoted their lives to their country ana