Mr. Peirce to Mr. Hay.
St. Petersburg, November 24, 1898.
Sir: Referring to my No. 179, of November 9, I have the honor to say that yesterday being Count Mouravieff’s first reception day since his return from abroad, I called upon him for the purpose of paying my respects.
Referring to the conference on the subject of arresting the growth of national armaments, his excellency informed me that he had not yet formulated any programme, but that he should now set about doing so. He said that too much must not be expected in the way of immediate results. The phase of the matter which seems at present to occupy his attention is the economic one demanding a halt in the ever-increasing cost of national defenses and in the development and adoption of new inventions and discoveries which render useless to-morrow the improvements of yesterday. It is his opinion that the scope of the conference should be, first of all, to try and discover what is the consensus of opinion of the powers as to the best way to remedy the present evil.
He expressed also the opinion that the delegates should be the diplomatic representatives accredited here, where the conference will be held, at the time, and without the association with them of military representatives.
I have, etc.,
Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.