did not go so far as to suggest complete and immediate disarmament.  Every one knew that Europe was not ready to consider so violent a change of policy.  The Russian invitation merely proposed that the conference should try to agree upon some means for putting a limit upon the increase of armaments.  It suggested that the nations should agree not to increase their military or naval forces for a certain limited period, not to add to their annual expenditure of money for military purposes, and to consider means by which later on there might be an actual reduction of armaments.  It was necessary to avoid the jealousies which might arise among the great powers if the capital of one of them were selected for the conference, so the Czar suggested that the meeting take place at The Hague, the capital of small, peace-loving Holland.

THE FIRST HAGUE CONFERENCE.—­The conference called by the Czar met on May 18, 1899.  All the great nations of the world sent delegates, as did many of the smaller nations.  In all, twenty-six governments were represented, twenty of which were European.  The United States and Mexico were the only countries of the New World which sent representatives.  The queen of Holland showed her appreciation of the honor conferred upon her country by placing at the disposal of the conference, as its meeting place, the former summer residence of the royal family, the “House in the Woods,” situated about a mile from the city in the midst of a beautiful park.

DISARMAMENT.—­Although the menace of the tremendous armaments of Europe had been the chief reason for the conference, absolutely nothing was accomplished toward solving that problem.  This failure was largely due to the opposition of Germany, which, as the strongest military power in Europe, would listen to no suggestion looking toward the limitation of military force.  At one of the early meetings of the conference a German delegate brought out clearly and unmistakably his government’s opposition to any consideration of the subject.  In a sarcastic and arrogant speech he defended the German system of compulsory military service and her expenditures for military purposes.  While it is extremely doubtful, in view of the difficulties in the way of any general policy of disarmament, that much could have been accomplished by the conference even under the most favorable circumstances, this stand on the part of the German government meant the immediate and absolute defeat of the suggestion.  The other nations of Europe had established their large military systems as a measure of defense against Germany, so that in the face of that government’s refusal to agree to the policy of limiting armaments, no neighboring country on the European continent could adopt it.  In the conference, the matter was dismissed after the adoption of a very general resolution expressing the opinion “that the restriction of military charges ... is extremely desirable for the increase of the material and moral welfare of mankind.”