264 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE-XX 



The president of the first committee is M. Bernaert, a 

 leading statesman of Belgium, who has made a most ex 

 cellent impression on me from the first ; and the two hon 

 orary presidents are Count Minister, German ambassador 

 at Paris, and myself. 



The president of the second committee is M. de Martens, 

 the eminent Eussian authority on international law; and 

 the two honorary presidents, Count Welsersheimb of Aus 

 tria-Hungary, and the Duke of Tetuan from Spain. 



The third committee receives as its president M. Leon 

 Bourgeois, who has held various eminent positions in 

 France ; the honorary presidents being Count Nigra, the 

 Italian ambassador at Vienna, and Sir Julian Paunce- 

 fote, the British ambassador at Washington. 



There was much discussion and considerable difference 

 of opinion on many points, but the main breeze sprang 

 up regarding the publicity of our doings. An admirable 

 speech was made by Baron de Bildt, who is a son of my 

 former Swedish colleague at Berlin, has held various 

 important positions at Washington and elsewhere, has 

 written an admirable history of Queen Christina of Swe 

 den, and is now minister plenipotentiary at Borne. He 

 spoke earnestly in favor of considerable latitude in com 

 munications to the press from the authorities of the con 

 ference; but the prevailing opinion, especially of the 

 older men, even of those from constitutional states, 

 seemed to second the idea of Russia, that communica 

 tions to the press should be reduced to a minimum, com 

 prising merely the external affairs of the conference. I 

 am persuaded that this view will get us into trouble ; but 

 it cannot be helped at present. 



May 24. 



As was to be expected, there has begun some reaction 

 from the hopes indulged shortly after the conference 

 came together. At our arrival there was general skep 

 ticism; shortly afterward, and especially when the or 

 ganization of the arbitration committee was seen to be 



