312 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE -XXIII 



Moreover, to my certain knowledge, within a month, a 

 leading socialist in France has boasted to one of the 

 members of this conference that it would end in fail 

 ure; that the monarchs and governments of Europe do 

 not wish to diminish bloodshed; that they would refuse 

 to yield to the desire of the peoples for peace, and that 

 by the resentment thus aroused a new path to victory 

 would be open to socialism. 



Grant, too, that this is overstated, still such a declara 

 tion is significant. 



I know it has been said that arbitration is derogatory 

 to sovereignty. I really fail to see how this can be said 

 in Germany. Germany has already submitted a great 

 political question between herself and Spain to arbitra 

 tion, and the Emperor William I was himself the arbiter 

 between the United States and Great Britain in the mat 

 ter of our northwestern boundary. 



Bear in mind again that it is only voluntary arbitration 

 that is proposed, and that it will always rest with the 

 German Emperor to decide what questions he will sub 

 mit to the tribunal and what he will not. 



It has also been said that arbitration proceedings would 

 give the enemies of Germany time to put themselves in 

 readiness for war ; but if this be feared in any emergency, 

 the Emperor and his government are always free to 

 mobilize the German army at once. 



As you are aware, what is seriously proposed here 

 now, in the way of arbitration, is not a tribunal con 

 stantly in session, but a system under which each of the 

 signatory powers shall be free to choose, for a limited 

 time, from an international court, say two or more 

 judges who can go to The Hague if their services are 

 required, but to be paid only while actually in session 

 here ; such payment to be made by the litigating parties. 



As to the machinery, the plan is that there shall be a 

 dignified body composed of the diplomatic representa 

 tives of the various signatory powers, to sit at The 

 Hague, presided over by the Netherlands minister of 



