No ostentation or display. CHAPTER VII THE CONFERENCE FROM DAY TO DAY; ADDRESSES, A HISTORY of a diplomatic gathering like the Peace Conference would be incomplete without some reference, however brief, to its daily and social life and surroundings. Beyond the decorations of the opening day, and the continued flying of flags of the various delegations at their hotels, there was little to attract the notice of the average resident or stranger at The Hague, or to inform him that anything unusual was going on. The Conference was eminently a businesslike body, without ostentation or display of any kind. On two occasions only, namely, at the reception by the Queen at the Palace in The Hague and at the Royal dinner at the palace in Amsterdam, did the members appear in full uniform. At all other times the spectacle of about one hundred strangers walking or driving about in the streets and parks, and at Scheveningen, was not of a kind to impress the imagination or to attract particular attention. The meetings, which were usually held from ten o'clock in the morning until noon, and from two until five or six o'clock in the afternoon, Chapter VII were so arranged, that in general no single member of the Conference should be required to attend more than four or five meetings during the week, but this rule was by no means absolute, and especially the expert members of the First and Second Committees. were kept extremely busy from day to day during the term of their deliberations. ity of the The Netherlands Government extended a hospital- The hospitality which could not have been more complete, more Netherlands thoughtful, or more generous. One of its pleasantest Government. features was certainly the daily luncheon at the House in the Wood, sumptuously served, and affording an opportunity of daily intimate and unrestrained personal intercourse and acquaintance, the value of which can hardly be overestimated. The grouping of the various delegates at the luncheon tables changed from day to day, with the result that rarely if ever has a gathering of this size and character been attended with such complete personal acquaintance among all the members, even those whose duties and tastes were most diverse. tion and dinner. On the evening of May 24. Their Majesties the Royal recepQueen of the Netherlands and the Queen Mother gave a grand soirée in honor of the Conference at the Royal Palace at The Hague. Besides the members of the Conference, the Diplomatic Corps and the entire court society of The Hague had been invited, and the scene was one of great brilliancy. Before the general reception the members of the Conference were individually presented to Their Majes Chapter VII ties, who spoke to each of them most gracious words of welcome. On July 6, Their Majesties gave a state dinner in honor of the Conference at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, the guests being conveyed to and from Amsterdam by special train. At this occasion the members were again presented to Their Majesties, who congratulated them upon the progress of their work, and after the dinner Queen Wilhelmina proposed the toast to the health of all the Sovereigns and heads of state represented at the Conference. In response Baron de Staal proposed the health of Their Majesties, which toast it is needless to say was received with great enthusiasm. Festivities. Private hospitality. On May 27 the Burgomaster and Municipal Council of The Hague gave a grand concert to the Conference, in the Hall of Arts and Sciences, and on June 17 the Netherlands Government gave a musical and artistic festival, the climax of which was an historical dance illustrating the costumes of the various Dutch provinces. A great floral and equestrian fête and contest at Haarlem on June 4 was also given in honor of the Conference, and will remain a most beautiful recollection for all who were privileged to take part. The same is true of the grand concert and ball at Scheveningen, given by the Societé des Bains de Mer de Scheveningue on June 12. Besides these entertainments it is needless to add that official society at The Hague was profuse in its social attentions, and the same is true of the Diplomatic Corps, whose members vied with each other in making the stay of their visiting colleagues agree- Chapter VII able. A full description of the celebration of the anniversary of American Independence on July 4, at Delft, will be found in the Appendix, together with the addresses delivered on that occasion. The present writer ventures to hope that the remembrance of this festival will not be the least pleasant among the recollections of the members from other countries. shown by The Conference took a recess from July 7 to 17, Recess. for the purpose of giving the various delegations an opportunity of consulting their Governments, especially with reference to the Arbitration Treaty. On The interest the part of the Japanese Delegation, this involved Japan. cabling the entire text of the Treaty to Tokio, the cost of the cablegram, according to information received, being 35,000 francs. This incident is here. referred to as an illustration of the care with which the work was done, and the seriousness with which it was regarded. It may also serve to illustrate the completeness with which the great and enterprising Empire of the far East entered into judicial relations with the rest of the civilized world. In view of later events in China, it should also be The Chinese remarked that the distinguished Chinese delegate and his associates followed the discussions most carefully, as was stated to the Conference on July 27 by Lou Tseng Tsiang. China did not, however, ratify the Treaty on the Laws and Customs of War. The distinguished first Chinese delegate, Yang Yu, was the author of two mots, which deserve to be attitude. Two mots by Yang Yu. Chapter VII included in this record. After a session of the Arbitration Committee devoted to apparently fruitless debate, Yang Yu, in descending the steps of the House in the Wood with one of the American delegates, pointed back to the meeting room, and sadly but smilingly shaking his head remarked, "Too much talkee-talkee, too little doee-doee." It may confidently be assumed that the report of this bit of Oriental philosophy, as applied to the progress of the Conference up to that date, had considerable effect in thereafter accelerating the progress of the debates, and in bringing about an agreement. about an agreement. When the articles concerning Mediation were translated and explained to Yang Yu, he thoughtfully but solemnly nodded his assent, but remarked that the articles seemed incomplete, in that they ought to provide that the mediating Power should not charge too high a price for its services in the cause of humanity." When it is remembered that the Chinese diplomat was speaking to a continental delegate, a mischievous twinkle of his eye may be imagined, as he made this allusion to the various compensations in the way of harbors and territory, which the celestial empire was obliged to pay for the mediation of the Western Powers at the end of the Japanese-Chinese war.' Addresses and communications. At an early session of the Conference, a committee, consisting of Jonkheer van Karnebeek. M. Mérey de Kapos-Mére of Austria-Hungary, M. Eyschen of Luxemburg, M. de Basily of Russia, and M. Roth of Swit 1 Another record in lighter vein may be permitte 1. being a copy of the menu of the farewell dinner of the Conité d'Ezamen. The origi |