ing the political relations of States, and the order of Chapter I things established by Treaties, as in general all questions which do not directly fall within the programme adopted by the Cabinets, must be absolutely excluded from the deliberations of the Conference. "In requesting you, Sir, to be good enough to apply to your Government for instructions on the subject of my present communication, I beg you at the same time to inform it that, in the interest of the great cause which my August Master has so much at heart, His Imperial Majesty considers it advisable that the Conference should not sit in the capital of one of the Great Powers, where so many political interests are centred which might, perhaps, impede the progress of a work in which all the countries of the universe are equally interested. "I have, etc., "COMTE MOURAVIEFF." from the British 12, Ambassador In communicating this circular note to Lord Salis- Despatch bury, Sir Charles Scott, the British Ambassador at St. Petersburg, in a despatch dated January 1899, and printed in the British Blue Book, mis- Petersburg. cellaneous, No. 1, 1899, states: "It will be observed that, in this note, after acknowledging the sympathetic reception which the Emperor's original suggestion has met with on the part of most of the foreign Governments and nations, the Russian Government refers to the change which has since been remarked in the aspect of the political horizon, and to increased armaments by certain in St. Chapter I Despatch from the British Ambassador in St. Petersburg. Powers as having possibly suggested a doubt whether the present moment was an opportune one for holding such a Conference as His Majesty had contemplated. "As I was reading this paragraph of the note, Count Moura vieff remarked that Great Britain had been one of the Powers which had been recently arming. I replied that I had seen this stated in irresponsible organs of the public press, but that I was not aware that any unusual or alarming military preparations or armaments had been made in England, and that I thought that all such reports should be received with a considerable amount of distrust. "The note goes on to state the Emperor's opinion, that, if the Powers agree, an exchange of views might at once take place between the Governments on the subject of a programme for the deliberations. of a Conference, the aims of which should be twofold: "1. To check the progressive increase of military and naval armaments, and study any possible means of effecting their eventual reduction. "2. To devise means for averting armed conflicts between States by the employment of pacific methods of international diplomacy. "With this object, the note suggests several themes as possibly suitable for discussion, and Count Mouravieff begged me to observe that the various points which the note enumerates are not to be regarded as put forward by the Russian Government, as prop ositions to which they are definitely committed, as Chapter I they might possibly find themselves unable to support some of them in the Conference, but as mere indications of the class of subjects on which an exchange of views is invited. meeting. "While requesting me to seek the instructions of The place of Her Majesty's Government on this communication, the note adds that, in the Emperor's opinion, the proposed Conference should not be held in the capital of any of the Great Powers. "On this point, Count Mouravieff said, in reply to my inquiry, that the Emperor had no particular capital of a smaller Power in view, but that a suggestion might be made later on, if the Powers shared His Majesty's view of the unsuitableness of a capital where large political interests might be unavoidably influenced by the presence of the Conference. In any case, he said, it was not desired that the Conference should be held in St. Petersburg." The reply of Lord Salisbury to this despatch is dated London, February 14, 1899 (Blue Book, p. 4), as follows: from Lord second "FOREIGN OFFICE, February 14, 1899. "SIR-I have duly laid before the Queen your Despatch Excellency's despatch of the 12th ultimo, forward-Salisbury in ing copy of a further note from the Russian Minister reply to the for Foreign Affairs with regard to the Conference circular. proposed by His Majesty the Emperor of Russia to consider the means of insuring the general peace and of putting a limit to the progressive increase of armaments. Chapter I Despatch from Lord reply to the second circular. "Her Majesty's Government have learnt with satisfaction that the Russian Government persevere in Salisbury in their efforts towards this desirable object. It is undoubtedly true, as stated in Count Mouravieff's note, that since the first proposal made on this subject, in August, 1898, there has been some increase in the armament of several Powers, but this increase, in which, unless Her Majesty's Government are erroneously informed, the Russian Government have themselves in some degree participated, has, in their opinion, been more of a precautionary than of an aggressive nature, and need not be considered as indicating any diminution of the general interest and sympathy with which the Emperor's first proposal was received. "Her Majesty's Government will, therefore, gladly accept the invitation which Count Mouravieff contemplates for a Conference to discuss the best methods of attaining the two objects specified in his Excellency's note, namely: the diminution of armaments by land and sea, and the prevention of armed conflicts by pacific, diplomatic procedure. With regard to the eight points enumerated by Count Mouravieff as proper subjects for discussion by the Conference, Her Majesty's Government would prefer for the present to abstain from expressing any definite opinion. They note that Count Mouravieff himself stated to your Excellency that the Russian Government must for the present observe a similar attitude. It is indeed clear that, in regard to some of these points, much must depend upon the views and intentions which may be found to be Chapter I entertained by the majority of the Powers, and a conclusion in respect to them can scarcely be arrived at without careful expert examination. As regards the eighth point, it is not necessary for Her Majesty's Government to make any fresh declaration of their earnest desire to promote, by all possible means, the principle of recourse to mediation and arbitration for the prevention of war. "Her Majesty's Government accept willingly the proviso made by Count Mouravieff, that questions concerning the political relations between States, the order of things established by Treaties, and generally all questions not directly included in the programme of the Conference, should be excluded from its deliberations. "They also agree with Count Mouravieff that it may be desirable that the meeting should be held at some other place than the capital of one of the Great Powers, although it would have been a satisfaction to them that the Conference, which owes its initiative to the Emperor, should have assembled at St. Petersburg, had His Imperial Majesty thought fit to propose it. "You will read this despatch to Count Mouravieff and leave his Excellency a copy of it. The Hague On February 9 (January 28, old style), Count selected as the Mouravieff informed the invited Governments that meeting. place of |