Another conference has been held at Berlin after twenty years
of absence which should help international understanding, especially in showing backward nations how their more fortunate neighbours are governed or govern themselves. This was the Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Naturally disgruntled Parliamentarians,- including those who have genuine grievances, use the Conference to air their own domestic troubles. A nice question was raised by the Croats, whether they should represent the Yugo-Slav Skupstina which they themselves disowned and declared unworthy to have any official representation. However, the committee of the Union decided to accrept the official delegation. Mr. de Valera used the occasion for making wild charges against Great Britain and the Treaty " forced upon " Southern Ireland in 1921. More serious was the action of the Egyptian delegation. Parlia- mentarians must sympathize with members of an arbi- trarily closed assembly, but the speaker's appeal was for syfripathy with. Egypt against Great Britain. Sir Arthur Shirley Benn seems to have treated this unjustifi- able action with tact. He spoke, but pointed out that the British delegation in no sense officially represented His Majesty's Government, which was engaged in negotiations with the Egyptian Government on several delicate matters, and had so far gained the approval of other Powers, and of public opinion generally.
* * * *
Previous page
