Minister and Minister of Public Education, eminent Chapter V both as an orator and as a statesman of practical judgment, in other words, a happy combination of idealist and opportunist. The honorary Presidents, Count Nigra and Lord Pauncefote, were both renowned in diplomacy. Count Nigra had an unparalleled experience at Paris, London, and Vienna. Lord Pauncefote had won high distinction by his brilliant service in Washington during a particularly critical time, and especially by the Pauncefote-Olney Treaty of Arbitration, between the United States and Great Britain, which failed of ratification by the United States Senate. The Vice-Presidents were M. de Bille of Denmark, The ViceBaron d'Estournelles de Constant of France, Count Presidents. Macedo of Portugal, M. Mérey de Kapos-Mére of Austria-Hungary, M. Pompilj of Italy, and Professor Zorn of Germany. The other members of the committee were either diplomatists or lawyers, Germany alone having added General von Schwarzhoff and Captain Siegel, military and naval experts, whereas Prince Münster was the only chief delegate from any country who was not a member, it being understood that the reason was his advanced age. The complete list of members was as follows:Germany: Dr. Zorn, General Gross von Schwarzhoff, Captain Siegel. United States of America: Mr. White, Mr. Low, and Mr. Holls. Members. Chapter V Austria-Hungary: Count Welsersheimb, M. Okoliscanyi von Okoliscna, M. de Mérey de Kapos-Mére. Belgium: Count de Grelle Rogier, Chevalier Des camps. China Yang Yu, Hoo-Wei-Teh, Lou-Tseng-Tsiang. Spain The Duke of Tetuan, M. de Villa Urrutia. Great Britain Lord Pauncefote, Sir Henry Howard. Greece M. Delyannis. Italy: Count Nigra, Count Zannini, M. Pompilj. Netherlands: Jonkheer van Karnebeek, M. Asser, Persia: General Mirza Riza Khan, Arfa-ud-Dovleh. Russia M. Staal, M. de Martens, M. de Basily, Servia M. Mijatovitch, Dr. Veljkovitch. Siam M. Phya Suriya, M. Corragioni d'Orelli, Sweden and Norway: Baron Bildt, M. Konow. Odier. Turkey Turkhan Pacha, Noury Bey. The full Committee held nine meetings, on May 23 Chapter V and 26, June 5, and July 7, 17, 19, 20, 22, and 25. tions to the press. At the first meeting on May 23, Baron de Bildt Communicaof Sweden and Norway expressed the hope that the communications to be made to the press, on the subject of the work of the Committee, should be as full as possible. of the press. The eminent Scandinavian diplomatist and scholar gave expression to a wish which was shared by many of his colleagues, but which, as it soon became evident, was utterly incapable of realization. In some respects this was most regrettable. No important undertaking, it may safely be said, has suffered more from misunderstanding and hostile or unjust criticism, than the Peace Conference, and this was largely, if not wholly, due to the attitude of the daily press during The attitude the continuance of the sessions. Prominent journalists from both hemispheres were present in great number on the day of the opening. Many of them apparently expected dramatic or even sensational developments, exuberant oratory, or perhaps interesting diplomatic combinations and intrigues. The spectacle of a hundred representative men, avoiding all ostentation or display, quietly and seriously proceeding to consider practical questions in a practical manner, seemed an anticlimax, and the "failure" of the Conference to "decree disarmament" was eagerly seized as a welcome pretext for a dismissal of the subject of the Conference with a contemptuous smile or a shrug of the shoulders. Most of the journalists left The Hague before the end of May. Chapter V secrecy. Possibly fuller reports of the discussions, even in the Committees, would have sufficed to change the attitude of the press, but it may well be doubted. On the other hand, there can be no question that but Necessity of for the secrecy surrounding the deliberations, especially of the Comité d'Examen, it would have been impossible to remove some of the more serious difficulties, and the Conference would have broken up without, perhaps, accomplishing anything, and having by its very failure done immense and irreparable damage to every peaceful, progressive, and civilizing interest in the world. As it was, votes of no significance whatever, on purely routine questions, which leaked out, were magnified into alliances, and various myths about the attempts of this or that Power to "sow discord" or to "thwart the objects of the Conference" obtained currency and belief, which lingered after the adjournment of the Conference. A departure for any reason from the safe rule of privacy during the continuance of the work would have done irreparable damage at The Hague, and the same is likely to remain true in future Conferences. That this need not imply the slightest neglect of the tremendous power of the press is shown by the fact that a thoughtful and thoroughly competent journalist, such as the correspondent of the London Times, found no difficulty in furnishing reports which, while violating no confidence, still kept his constituency fully and accurately informed of the general progress of the work of the Conference. As in the case of the discussion of the work of the Chapter V First and Second Committees, repetition has been avoided by describing the action both of the various Committees and of the Conference under the head of the appropriate articles of the proposed treaties. A separate account of the consecutive meetings of the Third Committee is thereby rendered unnecessary. THE COMITÉ D'EXAMEN At the session of the Third Committee on May 26, the Chairman, M. Bourgeois, suggested that all propositions on the subject of Good Offices, Mediation, and Arbitration should be first referred to a Special Committee of Examination (Comité d' Examen) which should be directed to report the text of a proposed treaty to the full Committee. Count Nigra of Italy made a formal motion to this effect, which was unanimously adopted. appointment. On motion of Chevalier Descamps of Belgium the Mode of appointment of this Special Committee was left to the "Bureau" of the Committee: viz., the Honorary Presidents, President, and Vice-Presidents, subject to the ratification of the full Committee. A recess was taken for the purpose of giving these officers an opportunity to confer. Upon the reassembling of the Committee, the Membership. following members were appointed on the Comité d'Examen: Messrs. Asser of Holland, Descamps of Belgium, Baron d'Estournelles de Constant of France, Holls of the United States of America, Lammasch of Austria-Hungary, De Martens of Russia, Odier of |