Interparliamentary

To Manhattan, they came from half the world around, a brood of nearly 400, from 41 countries, for the 23rd meeting of the Interparliamentary Union. They came in high ships up the harbor and debarked along the drab waterfront, some of them met by friends, many of them by Communists, AntiFascists, any expatriated faction which disrelished what they did at home. But Mayor Hylan's policemen preserved them from harm, and Mayor Hylan himself spoke to them.

A special meeting of the Council of the Union was held at the Hotel Pennsylvania, and it was decided: 1) that the U. S. was within its rights in excluding (TIME, Sept. 28 CABINET) Saklat-vala, British Communist delegate to the meeting; and 2) that U. S. Senator William B. McKinley of Illinois should be presiding officer of the meetings in Washington.

Finally they were marshalled in the Pennsylvania Hotel and again in the Pennsylvania station, and Senator McKinley, President of the U. S. section of the Union, got them aboard a special train. It was an unusual train, several baggage cars, three diners, and the rest day coaches. (Congress appropriated $50,000 for entertainment, which was not enough to pay for parlor cars.)

At Philadelphia the delegates debarked and were carried to Independence Hall and saw the Liberty Bell and Mayor Kendrick. As they were leaving some Irish Republicans rushed the police guard and almost "got" General Mulcahy, former Minister of the Free State. Afterwards Magistrate Fitzgerald fined one Michael McFadden $13.50, and gave one Daniel O'Rourke 3G days for saying he did not like the U. S. and wanted to go back to Ireland. But the delegates went on to a reception at former Governor Sproul's and then entrained once more, getting to Washington late in the evening.

Next morning they turned up at the Capitol, silk hatted, with varicolored spats, and walked all over the bright white lines in sym-were tacked up in the great semicircles of seats, making it look metrical designs, and the diligently pointing arrows which the local Traffic Director had just painted on the pavement.

Inside, they assembled in the great pit of the House of Representatives. There little placards were tacked up in the great semicircle of seats, making it look almost like a political convention. Japan and Great Britain took up most of the space and the Republican side of the house, and all the Americans Charles Curtis and Theodore Burton and Fred Britton, as well as "Joe" Robinson and Claude Swanson, sat on the Democratic side.

Baron Theodore Adlswaerd, President of the Union's Council and Swedish senator, introduced Senator McKinley who exclaimed:

"The future of our Interparliamentary Union is a challenge to every parliament of the world. Our work has just begun. We are a non-partisan bodyt concerned with the international problems of today in the light of a better tomorrow. It is not unreasonable to expect that we shall become more and more, albeit unofficially, a 'parliament of parliaments.'"

Secretary Kellogg was also introduced and declared: "The principal causes of war are national ambitions, national jealousies and racial hatreds."

The proceedings were rather long winded, because the Union has three languages (English, French and German) ; all speeches-were translated at least twice.

Paul Loehe, President, of the

German Reichstag, spoke advocating disarmament.

The Mayor of Stockholm wanted the U. S. to join the League of Nations (his motion was tabled).

Sir Robert Home, onetime Chancellor of the British Exechequer, spoke against communism. Manv others joined in.

The proceedings on succeeding days were much th same. One session was held in the Pan American building. (The South American Republicans, having been urged earnestly, by President McKinley, had sent representatives to the Union for the first time). Several speeches were made in Spanish and had to be translated and repeated three times in the 'official languages.' "

An address written by Elihu Root, on the subject of international law, was read. Ben Riley, British Laborite, said that the Union was out to take some action to prevent its delegates, such as baklatvala, being excluded from its meeting place because of their opinions. So the conference wound on, with expectation that after it had finished at Washington it would go on to Ottawa for more sessions.