The fifteenth Congress of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which is being
attended by seventy British M.P.'s, las opened in Berlin on Thursday. After the foreign delegates had been greeted by the President, Prince Schonaich-Carolath, who bracketed the pacific speeches of King Edward with the recent utterances of the German Emperor, Prince Billow addressed the Congress in French. He said there was no doubt that the desires of the people were in the main favour- able to peace and concord. " The Governments are at one, both among themselves and with you, as to the end in view. and, if there are any differences of opinion, they concern the means to be employed in achieving this end in the best and surest manner." After boldly claiming that Germany had actively supported, and in the case of the International Prize Court taken the initiative in upholding, the principle of arbitra- tion at the Hague Conference, Prince Billow asserted that the love of peace was in itself an act of patriotism, and concluded by declaring that Germany, while desiring and compelled by the teaching of history to be strong enough to defend her soil, her dignity, and her independence, " does not and will not abuse her power."
