CHAPTERXLVIII
ASPRESIDENTOFTHEAMERICANDELEGATIONATTHEPEACECONFERENCE
OFTHEHAGUE:IV——1899
June16。ThismorningCountMunstercalledandseemedmuchexcitedbythefactthathehadreceivedadespatchfromBerlininwhichtheGermanGovernment——which，ofcourse，meanstheEmperor——hadstronglyandfinallydeclaredagainsteverythinglikeanarbitrationtribunal。Hewasclearlydisconcertedbythistooliteralacceptanceofhisownearlierviews，andsaidthathehadsenttoM。deStaalinsistingthatthemeetingofthesubcommitteeonarbitration，whichhadbeenappointedforthisday（Friday），shouldbeadjournedonsomepretextuntilnextMonday;"for，"saidhe，"ifthesessiontakesplaceto—day，ZornmustmakethedeclarationinbehalfofGermanywhichthesenewinstructionsorderhimtomake，andthatwouldbeamisfortune。"
Iwasverygladtoseethisevidenceofchangeofheartinthecount，andimmediatelyjoinedhiminsecuringtheadjournmenthedesired。Themeetingofthesubcommitteehasthereforebeendeferred，thereasonassigned，asIunderstand，beingthatBarond’Estournellesistoomuchoccupiedtobepresentatthetimefirstnamed。LaterCountMunstertoldmethathehaddecidedtosendProfessorZorntoBerlinatonceinordertolaythewholematterbeforetheForeignOfficeandinducetheauthoritiestomodifytheinstructions。Iapprovedthiscoursestrongly，whereuponhesuggestedthatIshoulddosomethingtothesamepurpose，andthisfinallyendedintheagreementthatHollsshouldgowithZorn。
InviewofthefactthatVonBulowhadagreedthattheGermandelegatesshouldstandsidebysidewithusintheconference，I
immediatelypreparedaletterofintroductionandapersonallettertoBulowforHollstotake，andhestartedaboutfiveintheafternoon。Thislatterisasfollows:
（Copy。）（Personal。）
June16，1899
DEARBARONVONBULOW:
Itrustthat，inviewofthekindlyrelationswhichexistbetweenus，succeedingastheydosimilarrelationsbeguntwentyyearsagowithyourhonoredfather，youwillallowmetowriteyouinformally，butfullyandfrankly，regardingtheinterestsofbothourgovernmentsinthepeaceconference。Therelationsbetweenyourdelegatesandourshave，fromthefirst，beenofthekindest;yourassurancesonthispointhavebeenthoroughlycarriedout。Butweseemnowtobeat"thepartingoftheways，"
andonthegreatestquestionsubmittedtous，——thegreatest，asI
believe，thatanyconferenceoranycongresshastakenupinourtime，——namely，theprovisionforatribunalofarbitration。
ItisgenerallysaidherethatGermanyisopposedtothewholething，thatsheisutterlyhostiletoanythinglikearbitration，andthatshewilldoallinherpower，eitheraloneorthroughherallies，tothwarteveryfeasibleplanofprovidingforatribunalwhichshallgivesomehopetotheworldofsettlingsomeofthemanydifficultiesbetweennationsotherwisethanbybloodshed。
Norationalmanhereexpectsallwarstobeendedbyanythingdonehere;nooneproposestosubmittoanysuchtribunalquestionsinvolvingthehonorofanynationortheinviolabilityofitsterritory，oranyofthosethingswhichnationsfeelinstinctivelymustbereservedfortheirowndecision。Nordoesanythinkingmanhereproposeobligatoryarbitrationinanycase，save，possibly，insundrypettymatterswheresucharbitrationwouldbeahelptotheordinaryadministrationofallgovernments;and，evenastothese，theycanbeleftoutoftheschemeifyourgovernmentseriouslydesiresit。
Thegreatthingisthattherebeaprovisionmadeoreasilycallingtogetheracourtofarbitrationwhichshallbeseenofallnations，indicateasinceredesiretopromotepeace，and，insomemeasure，relievethevariouspeoplesofthefearwhichsoheavilyoppressesthemall——thedreadofanoutburstofwaratanymoment。
InotethatithasbeenbelievedbymanythatthemotivesofRussiainproposingthisconferencewerenonetoogood，——indeed，thattheywerepossiblyperfidious;but，evenifthisbegranted，howdoesthisaffecttheconductofGermany？ShoulditnotratherleadGermanytogoforwardboldlyandthoughtfully，toacceptthechampionshipoftheideaofarbitration，andtotaketheleadinthewholebusinesshere？
Germany，ifshewilldothis，willcertainlystandbeforethewholeworldastheleadingpowerofEurope;forshecanthensaytothewholeworldthatshehastakentheproposalofRussiaauserieux;hassupportedathoroughlygoodplanofarbitration;hasdonewhatRussiaandFrancehavenotbeenwillingtodo，——favoredthepresentationtotheconferenceofaplanprovidingfortheimmunityofprivatepropertyfromseizureonthehighseasduringwar，——andthatwhile，asregardstheproceedingsoftheconference，Russiahaswishedsecrecy，Germanyhassteadily，fromthefirst，promotedfranknessandopenness。
Withthesethreepointsinyourfavor，youcanstandbeforethewholeworldasthegreatContinentalpowerwhichhasstoodupforpeaceasneitherRussianorFrancehasbeenabletodo。Ontheotherhand，ifyoudonotdothis，ifyouputastumbling—blockinthewayofarbitration，whatresults？Theotherpowerswillgoonandcreateasgoodatribunalaspossible，andwhateverfailuremaycomewillbeimputedtoGermanyandtoitsEmperor。
Inanycase，whetherfailureorsuccessmaycome，theEmperorofRussiawillbehailedinallpartsoftheworldasadelivererand，virtually，asasaint，whiletherewillbeawide—spreadoutburstofhatredagainsttheGermanEmperor。
Andthiswillcomenotalonefromtheanti—socialforceswhicharehopingthattheconferencemayfail，inorderthattherebytheymayhaveanewweaponintheirhands，butitwillalsocomefromthemiddleandsubstantialclassesofothernations。
ItissuretomaketherelationsbetweenGermanyandtheUnitedStates，whichhavebeenoflateimprovinginfinitelymorebitterthantheyhaveeverbeforebeenanditisnolesssuretoprovokethemostbitterhatredoftheGermanmonarchyinnearlyallothernations。
Shouldhisadviserspermitsonobleandsogiftedasovereigntoincurthispoliticalstormofobloquy，thisconvergenceofhatreduponhim？Shouldarulerofsuchnobleambitionsandsuchadmirablepowersbeexposedtothis？Ifullybelievethatheshouldnot，andthathisadvisersshouldbeghimnottoplacehimselfbeforetheworldastheantagonistofaplantowhichmillionsuponmillionsinallpartsoftheworldaredevoted。
FromtheUnitedStatescomeevidencesofafeelingwide—spreadanddeeponthissubjectbeyondanythingIhaveeverknown。ThisverymorningIreceivedaprayersetforthbythemostconservativeofallProtestantreligiousbodies——namely，theAmericanbranchoftheAnglicanChurch——tobesaidinallchurches，beggingtheAlmightytofavortheworkofthepeaceconference;andthisiswhatisgoingoninvariousotherAmericanchurches，andinvastnumbersofhouseholds。SomethingofthesamesortistrueinGreatBritainand，perhapsinmanypartsoftheContinent。
Grantedthatexpectationsareoverwrought，stillthisfactindicatesthathereisafeelingwhichcannotbedisregarded。
Moreover，tomycertainknowledge，withinamonth，aleadingsocialistinFrancehasboastedtooneofthemembersofthisconferencethatitwouldendinfailure;thatthemonarchsandgovernmentsofEuropedonotwishtodiminishbloodshed;thattheywouldrefusetoyieldtothedesireofthepeoplesforpeace，andthatbytheresentmentthusarousedanewpathtovictorywouldbeopentosocialism。
Grant，too，thatthisisoverstated，stillsuchadeclarationissignificant。
Iknowithasbeensaidthatarbitrationisderogatorytosovereignty。IreallyfailtoseehowthiscanbesaidinGermany。GermanyhasalreadysubmittedagreatpoliticalquestionbetweenherselfandSpaintoarbitration，andtheEmperorWilliamIwashimselfthearbiterbetweentheUnitedStatesandGreatBritaininthematterofournorthwesternboundary。
BearinmindagainthatitisonlyVOLUNTARYarbitrationthatisproposed，andthatitwillalwaysrestwiththeGermanEmperortodecidewhatquestionshewillsubmittothetribunalandwhathewillnot。
IthasalsobeensaidthatarbitrationproceedingswouldgivetheenemiesofGermanytimetoputthemselvesinreadinessforwar;
butifthisbefearedinanyemergency，theEmperorandhisgovernmentarealwaysfreetomobilizetheGermanarmyatonce。
Asyouareaware，whatisseriouslyproposedherenow，inthewayofarbitration，isnotatribunalconstantlyinsession，butasystemunderwhicheachofthesignatorypowersshallbefreetochoose，foralimitedtime，fromaninternationalcourt，saytwoormorejudgeswhocangotoTheHagueiftheirservicesarerequired，buttobepaidonlywhileactuallyinsessionhere;
suchpaymenttobemadebythelitigatingparties。
Astothemachinery，theplanisthatthereshallbeadignifiedbodycomposedofthediplomaticrepresentativesofthevarioussignatorypowers，tositatTheHague，presidedoverbytheNetherlandsministerofforeignaffairs，andtoselectandtocontrolsuchsecretariesandofficersasmaybenecessaryfortheordinaryconductofaffairs。
Suchcouncilwouldreceivenoticefrompowershavingdifferenceswitheachotherwhicharewillingtosubmitthequestionsbetweenthemtoacourt，andwouldthengivenoticetothejudgesselectedbytheparties。Thewholeofthepresentplan，exceptsomesubordinatefeaturesoflittleaccount，whichcaneasilybestrickenout，isvoluntary。Thereisnothingwhateverobligatoryaboutit。Everysignatorypowerisfreetoresorttosuchatribunalornot，asitmaythinkbest。Surelyaconcessionlikethismaywellbemadetothedeepandwidesentimentthroughouttheworldinfavorofsomepossiblemeansofsettlingcontroversiesbetweennationsotherthanbybloodshed。
Pardonmeforearnestlypressinguponyouthesefactsandconsiderations。Ibegthatyouwillnotconsidermeasgoingbeyondmyprovince。Ipresentthemtoyouasmantoman，notonlyintheinterestofgoodrelationsbetweenGermanyandtheUnitedStates，butofinterestscommontoallthegreatnationsoftheearth，——oftheircommoninterestingivingsomethinglikesatisfactiontoadesiresoearnestandwide—spreadasthatwhichhasbeenshowninallpartsoftheworldforarbitration。
Iremain，dearBaronvonBulow，Mostrespectfullyandsincerelyyours，（Sgd。）ANDREWD。WHITE。
P。S。Thinkhoweasily，ifsomesuchtribunalexisted，yourgovernmentandminecouldrefertoitthewholemassofminorquestionswhichourrespectiveparliamentarybodieshavegotcontrolof，andentangledinallsortsofpettyprejudicesanddemagogicalutterances;forinstance，Samoa，thetonnagedues，thes...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：