462 



The Review of Reviews. 



November z, 1906. 



consideration, and insisted that the subject should be 

 passed on till next Conference. 



As the Hague Conference will have met before 

 the next meeting of the Interparliamentary Union, 

 this would never have done. But the authoritv of 

 M. Beernaert was supreme. The most vehement 

 remonstrances from the most influential members 

 failed to move him. Fortunately the situation was 

 saved by the tact and adroitness of Baron D'Estour- 

 nelles de Constant, the head of the French group, 

 who, after Count Apponyi and Mr. W. J- Bryan, 

 loomed most conspicuously before the public at this 

 Conference. M. D'Estournelles de Constant was 

 charged with the Report on the Limitation of Arma- 

 ments, which was the foundation for a resolution 

 calling upon each group to urge its own Govern- 

 ment to set on foot at once the preliminary' studv of 

 the question of the possibility of restricting arma- 

 ments. This resolution was no sooner put and car- 

 ried than M. DTlstournelles de Constant stated that 

 it was important the Conference should express an 

 opinion in favour of the Budget of Peace. He 

 moved, therefore, that the Conference recommends 

 each group to press its Government to make an 

 annual appropriation for the promotion of peace and 

 internationalism. Mr. Bartholdt sprang into the 

 tribune to second it. He stated succinctly the argu- 

 ment in favour of devoting a cent for peace for 

 even,- ten dollars for war. His speech was cheered, 

 and when he sat down the resolution was put and 

 carried unanimously. 



AN ITALIAN EEINFOECEMENT. 



At the Conference, although not in an official 

 capacity, were two Italian officers, who had come to 

 advocate a similar proposal. They had conceived 

 the idea of a civilisation tax to be devoted to the 

 propaganda of peace and of internationalism, not 

 of decimal one per cent., but of one pet cent. 

 They calculate that by this means a sum of 

 ;^4, 000,000 per annum would be available, and thev 

 are full of magnificent ideas as to how this enormous 

 sum can best be employed to prevent the outbreak 

 of war and to promote the growth of international 

 fraternity. The success which has attended the Inter- 

 national Institute of Agriculture leads them to dream 

 of an International Institute on a still larger scale 

 to promote the co-operation of the whole human 

 race in the formation of a universal conscience and 

 the organisation of thought. One of these idealists 

 was Signor Fabio Ranzi, the other Signor Taddei. 

 They brought with them a pamphlet by the former 

 entitled " L'Initiative du Roi d'ltalie et le Temple 

 de la Civilisation a Rome." Against them there 

 stood M. Horrex, with his scheme for an Interna- 

 tional City at the Hague. Neither scheme came 

 before the Conference, but there was much talk of 

 them in the lobbies. Baroness von Suttner and M. 

 Myatovitch interested themselves in the Italian pro- 

 ject, of which we shall hear more in vears to come. 



■G.B.'s" SPEECH. 



The impression produced by the speech of S;r 

 Henry Campbell-Bannemian was to some extent 

 obscured by the natural but extraordinary sensation 

 created by his sentence about the Duma. But 

 among the older members of the Conference the 

 significance of the Prime Minister's declaration was 

 instantly recognised. - What is there now left for us 

 to do ?■' exclaimed M. Beernaert. " The English 

 Prime Minis!:er has undertaken our task. We may 

 now go home, foi our work is done." ■' Never has 

 such a speech been delivered by any Prime Minis- 

 ter," said Count .Apponyi. " It was an inspiration t> < 

 hear it.'' Delegates from all nationalities vied with 

 each other in expressing the delight with which thev 

 heard the familiar doctrines so often stated on their 

 platforms, repeated with the utmost earnestness and 

 fenour by the Prime Minister of Great Britain." 

 The speech was a portent of progress and of peace, 

 and to W. J. Bryan it was an unexpected reveljition 

 of the faith and coun gc which animate Sir Henrv 

 Campbell-Bannerman. 



THE BELGIAN DELEGATES. 



Belgium sent more representatives than any other 

 nation in proportion to its size. Count Goblet 

 D'Alviella, who is just bringing out a book about 

 America, was conspicuous from his height and his 

 clear, frank speech. He is a leader among the 

 Liberals. M. La Fontaine and M. Vander\elde 

 represented the Socialists, while of others there were 

 no fewer than seventy-seven. Much curiosit\- was 

 expressed as to the sentiments of the English to- 

 wards Belgium. ■' We feel unhappy to think that 

 you no longer regard Belgium with the affection 

 which used to prevail in your country. '• Sir,'' I 

 always replied, " we love Belgium as much as ever, 

 and the Belgians as well. But we cannot stand the 

 Emperor of the Congo." " Oh !' was the answer, 

 " but what we think is that England wants the Cop.go 

 for herself. Were it not for that suspicion things 

 would be very different." To which, of course, I 

 could only reply that not even our Jingoes, who are 

 now stretched out fiat, wanted the Congo. But that 

 the one thing absolutely intolerable was that King 

 Leopold, whose title was created by an Intem-tional 

 Conference in order to civilise and open up the 

 Congo, should ise the authority so acquired to con- 

 vert it into a huge monopoly and collect rubber bv 

 torture and murder. 



I asked one of the Belgians how things had gone 

 at the General Election. " Excellently well," he siid. 

 " and the strange thing is that everyone is satisfied. 

 The Clericals, who lost many seats, are delighted 

 they escaped being turned out. The Socialists are 

 pleased because they gained tvvo seats, although 

 they lost votes, and the Liberals are also pleased 

 because they gained both seats and votes." 



The Spaniards and Portuguese were represented, 

 but they were silent. The most important German 



