DESCRIPTION OF THE PALACE

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14758, 30 August 1913, Page 12

DESCRIPTION OF THE PALACE

The Palace of Peace is to bt> the headquarters of \\w International Court of Arbitration. lv IUO3 -Mr Andrew Carnejiio handed to tho Netherlands Government the sum of .traOO.OOO for iis erection and maintenance. •'bMic-v.ng, j as tim trust deed ha.s it, "that tinestablishment of a Permanent Court ot Arbitration by tho Treaty ot July - K Jth, ]899. is the most important step torward of » world-wide humanitarian character which has ever been taken by the joint Powers, as it must ultimately Lanish war, and further being <>i opinion that tho cause of the reace Conference will greatly benefit by the erection of a Court, House and library for tlio Permanent Court of Arbitration." Tho Palace is described by a special correspondent of 'Tho Times" as having the noble- proportions of some of the old town halls of Belgium. The writer goes on to cay: "It consists of a halfoasement containing Press rooms, a telegraph and other offices, a heating jind lighting plant with 14 boilers, accommodation for the staff of the building, and (most important of all) a spacious restaurant. It is credibly asserted that tho more tangible success of the first Pence Conference as compared with that of the second was largely due to tho facilities afforded tho plenipotentiaries at the House in the Wood of getting to know one another over their junch. However that may be, the convenience of being able to feed on tho ppot and smoke a long cigar in the garden afterwards will be immensely appreciated by those whose duties bring them to conferences or arbitrations in tho Palaco of Peace. The main entrance is approached by curving slopes, not steps. An arcade, with balusters in front extends on either side. On the left rises a squaro tower to a height of about 2Goft. At tho opposite corner of the facade and in the outer wall of the Groat Court is the foundation stone, laid on July 30th, 1907, by M. de Nelidoff, president of the second Peace Conference, with the inscription "Pad Justitia firmandao Hanc aedem Andreae Carnegii Munificentia T>edicavit." The Great Court, which is, of course, the inner shrino of this Temple, of Peace, is a hall about 70ft long, .10ft wide, and 33ft high. On one side arc three large windows, on the other three galleries. At one end is a fourth large window; at the other the dais for the Tribunal. At the other end of a corridor lined with beautiful Greek and Italian marble,,and behind tho base of the tower above-mentioned is the Small Court, almost exactly half the size 0? the Great, and having also three galleries. The ceiling of tho Great Court has a barrel-vaulting; that of the Small is flat and heavily moulded. The latter seems likely to nroduco tho better acoustic properties of the two. The remainder of this floor is occupied by reading rooms, a map room, consultation rooms, and other appropriate accommodation for tho parties to a case. On the upper floor, approached by a magnificent staircase projecting into the central courtyard, are tho rooms of the Administrative Council and other officials of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and a library capable of containing 200.000 volumes, with a book-lift to the reading-rooms below. The centre of the building is occupied by a courtyard 144 ft long and 111 ft tride, with a fountain in the centre where tho air to be breathed-in the building will be ivashed before being filtered and otherwise dealt with by the ventilating apparatus. The whole building is, roughly, 260 ft square. All countries have contributed to tho adornment of tho Palace. Great Britain gave tho four stained-glass windows of the Great Court; France a picture by Besnard for this Court and Gobelins tapestries for the Small: tho Dutch Government a. collection of paintings for a room over the Small Court and seven stained-glass windows for the staircase: Germany the monumental entrance gates to tho grounds; part of the ninrblo for tlie corri*dor: Austria tho bronzo and crystal candelabra; Norway the granite for the entrance slopes: Sweden granite for the basement and certain columns; Denmark tho porcelain for the fountain in the courtyard ; Switzerland the worka of the clocks; Russia a jasper vase over lift high for the central hall; the United States a large marble group representiug the purnoso of the building. ''Pence, through Justice,-' for the first landing of the staircase; Mexico onyx for tho staircase: Belgium, probably, tho bronze doors of the building; and Japan some gold-ombroidered tapestries fin- tho room of tho Administrative Council, which is panelled in wood from Brazil.