Evening journal., 1910-09-26
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Yankees Secret Visit
to Berlin

BY "HolIand."

The secretary and counsel of the
American delegation to the first
peace conference at the Hague called
in 1899 at the instance Of the Car.
was the late George Frederick VIII
liam Hollis who. for many years prior
TO his death. enjoyed q large German
American law practice in New York
city Mr. Hollis was especially uuali-
fed TO act as the delegations secre-
tary and counsel. partly through his
ability as a lawyer and his familiarity
with international law. partly by rea-
son Of the very cordial relations he
had established at the German court
the year before, and partly because he
spoke German as though II we're his
native tongue.
when / first arrived at the Hague"
/ Mr.. Hollis said TO me shortly after he
returned therefrom 81 was a little
| difiident about taking any active part
| in the conference. Andrew u. White.
one of my associates, was universally
known abroad because he had served
as ambassador 10 Germany. and also
because Of his Identification with Coz
nell University. He was we'll ac-
| quainted with the Kaiser. My other
associate. Seth Low. was also a man
OF International reputation. SO, you
see my first inclination was to Keep
in the background as much as possi-
BILE.
But I'm the course of the delibera-
tions Of the conference a matter that
] deemed most vital TO American in
terests came up for discussion am
under pledge mol to reveal its nature
almost before ! realized IL ] had
lost my shyness and was in the thick
Of the deliberations. For several days
we Americans pressed for the adop-
tion of our point of view. only TO dis
cover eventually that the German rep
| resentatives. the French, and at least
one of the British delegates were op-
posed to H. And when we sought for
! the real reason Of the opposition We
discovered that II was based upon a
statement made privately by one of
the German representatives that the
feature would not be favorably regard
! cd by the German Emperor. or, at
| least, by those who were high in his
official family
Il for one did not believe that to
be true. ! made up my mind that I
would verify or dlsprove the state
ment Of the German delegate. and to
!
Of a day or two in the final discussion
without saying anything TO any one
Of my purpose Then. quietly.
slipped out of the Hague by a night
train, and the following day was in
close touch with the Emperor Of Ger
many himself. little inquiry satis-
fed me that the Kaiser and his Of
fetal family had been misrepresented.
I hoI fnH rrf q
TO he a delicate matter 10 make a
report of that kind at the Hague The
German delegate who had either de-
/ liberately or inpocently misrepresent-
ed his imperial master might feel
offended. and he certainly would not
be disposed TO feel very kindly to-
wards me.
However. was authorized tact
fully TO report that the feature which
we Americans We're especially desir
/ GUS of seeing adopted would not b'
regarded with disapproval by the En-
peror or his official family That an
nouncement I made In due course. ant
as tastfully apd politely as I knew
how. You can imagine the surprise tina
was caused by what I had TO say
was asked how ] knew. 4 took thi
night train to Berlin and spent a few
hours there since I last say you
replied
THAT reply was sufficient W.
Americans had our way: and what w
regarded as one Of the most import
ant matters brought before the Hague
peace conference was In that wal
made certain of final adoption"
Copyright. 1910. by p. ]. Edwards
All rights reserved.)
! Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell o
~The Accounts That General Gran