Mr. Pierce to Mr. Hay.
St Petersburg, March 9, 1899.
Sir: I have the honor to report that Count Mouravieff informed me yesterday that at the conference on the subject of the arrest of the present progressive increase in cost of national armaments, to be held at The Hague, Baron de Staal, ambassador at London, will be the Russian representative, assisted, in an advisory capacity, by Mr. F. de Martens, a commissioner from the ministry of finance, and one, or perhaps two, officers each of the army and navy.
Mr. de Martens is the president of the board of arbitration upon the Venezuela question, and while none of the commission but Baron de Staal will occupy any seat in the actual conference, doubtless his high [Page 557] attainments as an authority upon international law will give great weight to his opinion with his colleagues. Knowing well his personal views upon the subject, I feel confident that the tendency of his advice would naturally be favorable to any measures which might in general promote the principle of international arbitration and more firmly establish a harmonious accord upon the doctrines of international law among the powers.
The minister of the Netherlands at this court has confidentially informed me that Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands will probably appoint May 16 as the date of assembling of the conference, this day being chosen out of compliment to the Emperor, whose birthday it is.
I have, etc.,
Chargé d’affaires ad interim.