CHAPTER XLV 



AS PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN DELEGATION AT THE 

 PEACE CONFERENCE OF THE HAGUE: 1-1899 



ON the 24th of August, 1898, the Russian Government 

 proposed, in the name of the Emperor Nicholas II, 

 a conference which should seek to arrest the constantly 

 increasing development of armaments and thus contribute 

 to a durable peace ; and on the llth of January, 1899, his 

 minister of foreign affairs, Count Mouravieff, having 

 received favorable answers to this proposal, sent forth a 

 circular indicating the Russian view as to subjects of dis 

 cussion. As to the place of meeting, there were obvious 

 reasons why it should not be the capital of one of the 

 greater powers. As to Switzerland, the number of an 

 archists and nihilists who had taken refuge there, and 

 the murder of the Empress of Austria by one of them 

 shortly before, at Geneva, in broad daylight, had thrown 

 discredit over the ability of the Swiss Government to 

 guarantee safety to the conference ; the Russian Govern 

 ment therefore proposed that its sessions be held at The 

 Hague, and this being agreed to, the opening was fixed 

 for the 18th of May. 



From the first there was a misunderstanding through 

 out the world as to what the Emperor Nicholas really 

 proposed. Far and near it was taken for granted that he 

 desired a general disarmament, and this legend spread 

 rapidly. As a matter of fact, this was neither his pro 

 posal nor his purpose ; the measures he suggested being 

 designed &quot;to put an end to the constantly increasing de 

 velopment of armaments. &quot; 



At the outset I was skeptical as to the whole matter. 



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