CHAPTER XLIX 



AS PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN DELEGATION AT THE 

 PEACE CONFERENCE OF THE HAGUE: V 1899 



July 4. 



ON this day the American delegation invited their 

 colleagues to celebrate our national anniversary 

 at the tomb of Grotius, first in the great church, and 

 afterward in the town hall of Delft. Speeches were made 

 by the minister of foreign affairs of the Netherlands, 

 De Beaufort ; by their first delegate, Van Karnebeek ; by. 

 Mr. Asser, one of their leading jurists; by the burgo 

 master of Delft ; and by Baron de Bildt, chairman of the 

 Swedish delegation and minister at Eome, who read a 

 telegram from the King of Sweden referring to Grotius s 

 relations to the Swedish diplomatic service; as well as 

 by President Low of Columbia University and myself : the 

 duty being intrusted to me of laying the wreath upon 

 Grotius s tomb and making the address with reference 

 to it. As all the addresses are to be printed, I shall give 

 no more attention to them here. A very large audience 

 was present, embracing the ambassadors and principal 

 members of the conference, the Netherlands ministers of 

 state, professors from the various universities of the 

 Netherlands, and a large body of other invited guests. 



The music of the chimes, of the organ, and of the royal 

 choir of one hundred voices was very fine ; and, although 

 the day was stormy, with a high wind and driving rain, 

 everything went off well. 



After the exercises in the church, our delegation gave 



327 



