Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-03
DISCUSS PLAN OF
PEACE CONCLAVE
DELEGATES TO THE HAGUE TO
BE WELL ENTERTAINED
Many Favor Issuance of Daily State
nent of Progress, So That No
Garbled Accounts Will
Be Sent Out
BY Associated Press.

plan of the proceedings at the second
closely Che procedure of the first con-
gress held in 1S99 Practically nothing
has been worked out in advance. The
arrangements up to the present time
simply cover the opening session, when
Mr.. Nelidoff the Russian ambassador
to France, will call the conference to
order and make an address extending
his sovereigp's greetings to the dele
gates. Mr.. Jonkheer, d. A. w. Van
Tells Van Gourdain, the Dutch minis
ter for foreign affairs, will reply in an
address of welcome on behalf of Queen
Wilhelmina. Thereafter it will remain
for the conference to decide how 1t will
proceed.
1t is safe to assume, however, that
the general line of procedure of the
former conference will be duplicated.
The first thing in order will be the
appointment of committees to consider
the various subjects inscribed upon
the Russian program. These will hard
ly number more than five. Unless the
question of the reduction or limitation
of armaments is injected into the pro-
ceedings at the outset, in which event
the main struggle may be at once pre-
cipitated, the penary body probably
will not meet again for ten days or a
fortnight, in order that the committees
have an opportunity to prepare reports
for submission. In general it is not
expected that the full conference will
meet more than once a week until the
work of the committees justify more
frequent sessions.
Opening Session Public
The opening session, it is expected,
will be public to the extent, at least
of admitting a few distinguished guests
and press representatives, but the ses-
sions of the conference and of the COM
mittees will be secret.
The question of giving out public
statement for the progress made Will be
decided by the conference itself
In 1899 Russia attempted to shroud
the proceedings in mystery and secrecy,
but after a fortnight 1t was found tnat
this course led to the publication OF
so many mischievous rumors that sew
eral semi-officlal statements were IS
sued. This year many of the delegates
realizing the advantage of stopping the
mouths of the sensation mongers, favor
the issuance daily, If possible, OF
brief semi-official statement. Inc
French language, as in 1899, VIII De tne
official language of the conference, al
though the advent of the South Amer
leans and the growing influence of Eng.
lish may lead to some relaxatlon OIL
the rule with regard to the depates'
and may result in compromise SUCH
as was arranged at the peace confer
ence at Portsmouth whereby the pro
tocols, or minutes, were 1nscrlped IN
both French and English, although the
French text was to be regarded as
official in case of dispute.
To Entertain Delegates
The entertainment of the delegates
will not be lavish, but rather VIII pc
in the same good taste. Nothing Will
be arranged which could in any way
interfere in the work OF the conIero sro
ence. Parliament appropriated 100000
gulden (S40,000) for the reception of the
country's guests, and this covers the
exnenses in connection with the sit
tings in the Hall of knights. In addl-
tion the government, will give an en-
tertainment, the nature of Whlch mas
NOT vet been definitely determined ex-
cent that it will not be an evening re-
ception. More probably 1t Will take the
form of day trip or excursion 10
some interesting historical spot Inc
n,unicipaliay will give a formal re-
cantion Queen Wilhelmina, out of her
nrivv purse, will also entertain the
dalegates as a body. In 1899 she re-
ceived them in the old royal palace at
Amsterdam, but this year she VIII
offer her hospitality at Hatloo, her
country seat, about an hours run from
The Hague. .,.o
Reyond these official functions there
will he much private entertaining py
the Dutch aristocracy and among the
din1omats themselves. In addltlon the
delegates will not lack for distraction
Y,an01antG
The CITY is almost ideal in the sum-
r,er It lies picturesquely IN low
ereen landscape, threaded with canals
end dotted with characteristic Dutch
,rindmills, and is always cooled by the
,oreezes of the seas, two miles away.
Tbe streets are quiet and the homes
and Villas of the Dutch aristocracy,
hearing testimony to the fortunes
u anoassed in the East indies, give 1t an
air of elegant cosmopolitanism. Min
ister Hill is extremely anxious that tne
ceremony of the laying of the corner
stone of the Palace of Peace, TO Wnlch
Andrew Carnegie has subscribed $l'ooo,-
ooo shall take place before the CONFER
onca oJ adiourns. The site of the build
;1a hos heen chosen in park called
the Renoordenhoutsche Pelder, out tne
.aIors have not yet been definitely ap-
The lowest estimate of the duration
of the conference is six weeks ana tne
belief is that it will be IN session pe-
tween two and three months.