The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-28
CONFERENCE IN
 AN OLD CASTLE Hague Peace Delegates to Meet at Scene of Dark
 Tragedies. AN ANCIENT FORTRESS. First stMeetingPlace too Small for the Number of Rep resentatives.
AN ANCIENT FORTRESS.

The SlILMSS OI lue SeSolu pettNe will be held in q thir- teenth century castle built for the counts of Holland in the old days when they, together with the bish- ops of Utrecht and the dukes of Guel- ders, ruled the low country. The TO- mantle house in the woods,' the for mer royal villa in the Haagsche forest, in the Orange salon of which the origi- nal conference met in 1899, was found too small to accommodate the dele gates of the forty-six countries to be represented at the present conference, and the Dutch government decided to fit up and place at the disposal of it's distinguished guests the ancient castle latterly known as the "hall of knights Now, on the very eve of the conference, the work of preparing the interior Is only being completed. The hall of knights is large, gloomy structure ot stone and brick, surrounded in the heart of an interesting, irregular pile of old, but more modern buildings, which, taken together, form the Bin nenhoff, the fortress of the city, The Binnenhoff is the most historical spot in Holland, about it clustering the memories of the eighty-year struggle which finally resulted in relieving the Dutch of the Spanish yoke, the glories of the republic, when the states gem eral rulers and the staat holders lived here, when Dutch commerce was the most extended in the world and tri- umphant Dutch warships even ascend ed the Thames and threatened London. The building of the old states general lying to the north is now used by the upper chamber of the Dutch parlia- ment, while the ball room of the staat holders residence to the south has be- come the home of the lower house. The other buildings enclosing the square are used by the various govern ment departments. Along one side of the Binnenhoff is beautiful artificial lake called the "Vyvr," famous for its swans. The hall of knights stands in the center of a paved court, formed by the surrounding buildings, and is reached through half a dozen pictur- esque portals, over which are chiselled the arms of the counts of Holland. The Imoat and postern, which originally made the structure an impregnable fortress, have long since disappeared, and to-day the old building looks more Hike an ancient church, rescued as 1t was falling into decay, than like a castle.
 | Begun about 1240 by Count William lII., afterwards elected emperor of Ger many through the influence of Innocent ", the building was extended by his son Floris, who used 1t as hunting palace. The interior consists of q sin gle enormous hall, occupying the entire space within the church-like structure l in front, and a series of smaller halls and rooms in the rear. The large hall was the great banqueting room of the counts and their knights when they made merry here during their hunting expeditions to the North Sea marshes It is here that the plenary sessions of the conference will be held.
 l The interior of the castle was not originally decorated, it being the GUS tom of the counts, when they came tC "Gravenhage" (the Dutch name fol The Hague) to bring rich tapestries and carpets with which to adorn tho walls of the rooms given up to festivi' ties. Built to withstand a siege, tst castle, as a matter of fact, was nevel invested.
 1 After the rise of the republic tht castle became something of a white eleDhant and gradually fell into decay Its main use in those days was for the drawing of the national lottery whicl took place in the main hall, where tht conference will sit, and the name Lot
 tery hall" still clings to 1t, although
 distinctly discouraged by the, govern
 ment. Toward the close of the etch
 teenth century portion of the build llng was restored and decorated ant
 after Louis Bonaparte was expelled il 1913 it was used as the seat of the higf leivil and criminal courts. The court
 were removed several years ago, and il l 1900 the work of complete restoration Twas started Since 1902, the main hal has been annually used by the uueel fer the ceremony of reading the addres Iof the throne to the houses of Darlia Iment assembled in joint session. Tn hall is about fifty by eighty feet, vor Ilofty, but the huge beams and rafter lof the vaulted roof are bare after tn IDutch fashion, giving it a cavernou lappearance. The walls were hun lwith rich native carpets and tapestrie land these serve somewhat to softe land enl!ven the otherwise sombrc ef
 feet
 For the conference electric bulb hanging from the hammer beams hay lbeen profusey installed to reinforce th ldim light from the high stained glas
 windows. The desks for the delegates arranged like pews in a church. an
 flanked on either side by two latera lrows. are covered with green baise, an
 each has a single pewter inkwell set the right hand corner. In front is
 low rostrum for the presiding office iwith the desks of the secretaries al lranged behind in the form of q semi icircle. The whole object apparently,
 to bring the delegates as close togeth exchange of views. The general effet
 is one of extreme. not to say rigorous simplicity. The committee rooms in th Irear are conspicuous, but also sombr tcavernous on account of the sma
 amount of light Altering through th marrow windows of the thick walls
 Under the shadow of the castle too place one of the two dark tragedie
 which sullied the history of the reput lie. the execution of John Van Older Ibarneveld, the prime minister, who wa