AT THE HAGUE PEACE CONFERENCE: 1-1899 259 



minister of foreign affairs, M. de Beaufort, I made fur 

 ther acquaintances and had instructive conversations. 



In addition to the strict duties of the conference, there 

 is, of course, a mass of social business, with no end of 

 visits, calls, and special meetings, to say nothing of social 

 functions, on a large scale, at the houses of sundry min 

 isters and officials; but these, of course, have their prac 

 tical uses. 



The Dutch Government is showing itself princely in 

 various ways, making every provision for our comfort 

 and enjoyment. 



In general, I am considerably encouraged. The skep 

 tical feeling with which we came together seems now 

 passing away; the recent speech of the Emperor Wil 

 liam at Wiesbaden has aroused new hopes of a fairly 

 good chance for arbitration, and it looks as if the promise 

 made me just before I left Berlin by Baron von Billow, 

 that the German delegation should cooperate thoroughly 

 with our own, is to be redeemed. That delegation assures 

 us that it is instructed to stand by us as far as possible 

 on all the principal questions. It forms a really fine body, 

 its head being Count Minister, whom I have already found 

 very agreeable at Berlin and Paris, and its main author 

 ity in the law of nations being Professor Zorn, of the 

 University of Konigsberg; but, curiously enough, as if 

 by a whim, the next man on its list is Professor Baron 

 von Stengel of Munich, who has written a book against 

 arbitration ; and next to him comes Colonel Schwartzhoff r 

 said to be a man of remarkable ability in military mat 

 ters, but strongly prejudiced against the Russian pro 

 posals. 



As to arbitration, we cannot make it compulsory, as so 

 many very good people wish ; it is clear that no power here 

 would agree to that ; but even to provide regular machin 

 ery for arbitration, constantly in the sight of all nations, 

 and always ready for use, would be a great gain. 



As to disarmament, it is clear that nothing effective can 

 be done at present. The Geneva rules for the better care 



