328 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE-XXIV 



a breakfast, which was very satisfactory. About three 

 hundred and fifty persons sat down to the tables at the 

 town hall, and one hundred other guests, including the 

 musicians, at the leading restaurant in the place. In 

 the afternoon the Americans gathered at the reception 

 given by our minister, Mr. Newel, and his wife, and in 

 the evening there was a large attendance at an &quot;Ameri 

 can concert&quot; given by the orchestra at the great hall in 

 Scheveningen. 



July 5. 



Early in the morning to the second committee of the 

 conference, where I spoke in behalf of the Beldiman 

 resolution, doing justice to Switzerland as regards the 

 continuance of the Red Cross interests in Swiss hands; 

 and on going to a vote we were successful. 



Then, the question of a proper dealing with our memo 

 rial regarding the immunity of private property on the 

 high seas coming up, I spoke in favor of referring it to 

 the general conference, and gave the reasons why it 

 should not simply be dropped out as not coming within 

 the subjects contemplated in the call to the conference. 

 Though my speech was in French, it went off better than 

 I expected. 



In the afternoon, at the full conference, the same sub 

 ject came up ; and then, after a preface in French, asking 

 permission to speak in English, I made my speech, which, 

 probably, three quarters of all the delegates understood, 

 but, at my request, a summary of it was afterward given 

 in French by Mr. van Karnebeek. 



The occasion of this speech was my seconding the mo 

 tion, made in a very friendly manner by M. de Martens, 

 to refer the matter to a future conference ; but I went into 

 the merits of the general subject to show its claims upon 

 the various nations, etc., etc., though not, of course, as 

 fully as I would have done had the matter been fully 

 under discussion. My speech was very well received, 

 and will, I hope, aid in keeping the subject alive. 



