290 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE -XXII 



allowing any two nations drifting into war to appoint 

 * seconding nations, who, like i i seconds &quot; in a duel, shall 

 attempt to avert the conflict ; and, if this be unsuccessful, 

 shall continue acting in the same capacity, and endeavor 

 to arrest the conflict at the earliest moment possible. 



Very general good feeling was shown, and much en 

 couragement derived from the fact that these preliminary 

 matters could be dealt with in so amicable and business 

 like a spirit. 



Before the meeting I took a long walk in the garden 

 back of the palace with various gentlemen, among them 

 Mr. van Karnebeek, who discussed admirably with me 

 the question of the exemption of private property from 

 seizure on the high seas. He agreed with me that even 

 if the extreme doctrine now contended for namely, that 

 which makes ships, coal, provisions, and very nearly 

 everything else, contraband be pressed, still a first step, 

 such as the exemption of private property from seizure, 

 would be none the less wise, leaving the subordinate 

 questions to be dealt with as they arise. 



I afterward called with Dr. Holls at the house of the 

 burgomaster of The Hague, and thanked him for his 

 kindness in tendering us the concert last Saturday, and 

 for various other marks of consideration. 



On the whole, matters continue to look encouraging as 

 regards both mediation and arbitration. 



June 6. 



In the morning Sir Julian Pauncef ote called, and again 

 went over certain details in the American, British, and 

 Eussian plans of arbitration, discussing some matters 

 to be stricken out and others to be inserted. He declared 

 his readiness to strike out a feature of his plan to which 

 from the first, I have felt a very great objection namely, 

 that which, after the tribunal is constituted, allows the 

 contesting parties to call into it and mix with it persons 

 simply chosen by the contestants ad hoc. This seems to 

 me a dilution of the idea of a permanent tribunal, and a 



