1899.] The Netherlands.— The Peace Congress. [327
suzerain. One vassal State, however, Bulgaria, was allowed to send delegates ; but it was expressly stipulated that they should have their places after those of Turkey. The " House in the Wood," as the palace near the Hague was called, had been lent by the Queen for the congress, and the first meeting (May 18) was held in the Orange Hall, erected by the widow of Prince Frederick Henry, and decorated by Dutch artists of the seven- teenth century. The delegates having been welcomed by M. de Beaufort the Dutch Foreign Minister, M. de Staal the chief Bussian delegate was elected President of the Congress, who in his opening speech stated that among its chief objects the conference would seek to generalise and codify the practice of arbitration and mediation. Whilst admitting that the Powers attending the congress were to sacrifice nothing of their " ulterior hopes " he thought that there was reason to inquire " whether the peoples will not demand a limitation of progressive armaments." It was arranged to divide the delegates into three committees, among whom the questions enumerated in Count MuraviefPs circular were distributed, and the business thus allotted : —
" Committee on Disarmament : (1) The limitation of expen- diture ; (2) the prohibition of new firearms ; (3) the limitation of the use of explosives ; (4) the prohibition of the use of sub- marine boats. Committee on the Laws of Warfare : (5) the application of the Geneva Convention to naval warfare ; (6) the neutralisation of vessels engaged in saving the shipwrecked during or after naval engagements ; (7) the revision of the Declaration of Brussels of 1874 on the notification and the customs of war. Committee on Mediation : (8) Mediation and arbitration."
The members of the various committees were then ap- pointed : —
First Committee, Disarmament : Honorary Presidents — Count Munster and Mr. White. Effective President — M. de Beernaert Vice-President — M. de Karnebeek. Vice-Presidents of War Section — Abdullah Pacha, General Sir John Ardagh, and General Monnier. Vice-Presidents of Marine Section — Admiral Sir John Fisher, Admiral Pephau, and Captain Siegel. Second Committee, Humanitarian : Honorary Presidents — The Duke of Tetuan, Turkhan Pacha, and Count von Welser- sheimb. Effective President — Professor Martens. Vice-Presi- dents of the Bed Cross Section — General Thaulow and Dr. Both. Vice-Presidents of the Brussels Conference Section — Professor von Stengel and General Zuccari. Third Committee, Arbitration : Honorary Presidents — Count Nigra and Sir Julian Pauncefote. Effective President — M. Bourgeois. Vice-Presidents — M. de Bille, Baron d'Estournelles, Count Macedo, Herr Merey von Kapos-M6re, Sgr. Pompili, and Dr. Zorn.
No time was lost in getting to work, and before the end of the month three important proposals, neither antagonistic nor alternative were placed before the Third Committee : a Bussian
