AT THE HAGUE PEACE CONFERENCE: 11899 257 



expressing the hope that Peace, having entered the hall, 

 would go forth bearing blessings to the world. Another 

 representation, which covers one immense wall, is a glori 

 fication of various princes of Orange : it is in full front of 

 me, as I sit, the Peace fresco being visible at my left, and 

 a lovely view of the gardens, and of the water beyond, 

 through the windows at my right. 



The &quot;House in the Wood&quot; was built early in the seven 

 teenth century by a princess of the house of Orange, 

 the grandmother of William III of England. The central 

 hall under the dome, above referred to, is now filled up 

 with seats and desks, covered with green cloth, very neat 

 and practical, and mainly arranged like those in an Eng 

 lish college chapel. Good fortune has given me one of the 

 two best seats in the house ; it being directly in front of the 

 secretaries, who are arranged in a semicircle just below 

 the desk of the president; at my left are the other mem 

 bers of our delegation, and facing me, across the central 

 aisle, is Count Miinster, at the head of the German dele 

 gation. This piece of good luck comes from the fact that 

 we are seated in the alphabetical order of our countries, 

 beginning with Allemagne, continuing with Amerique, 

 and so on down the alphabet. 



The other large rooms on the main floor are exceedingly 

 handsome, with superb Japanese and Chinese hangings, 

 wrought about the middle of the last century to fit the 

 spaces they occupy; on all sides are the most perfect 

 specimens of Japanese and Chinese bronzes, ivory carv 

 ings, lacquer-work, and the like: these rooms are given 

 up to the committees into which the whole body is divided. 

 Up-stairs is a dining-hall in which the Dutch Govern 

 ment serves, every working-day, a most bounteous lunch 

 to us all, and at this there is much opportunity for in 

 formal discussion. Near the main hall is a sumptuous 

 saloon, hung round with interesting portraits, one of them 

 being an admirable likeness of Motley the historian, who 

 was a great favorite of the late Queen, and frequently her 

 guest in this palace. 



n. i? 



