The Babble Machine Wo shall catch it, probably, from some readers for the irreverent headline put upon the telegram day reporting the inauguration of the _Inter-Parliamentary Union conference at Washington. But really the notion of 400 delegates from 38 different parliaments, every one of whom will have to contrive to say something in order to ju: ity his presence, appeals one. Wh: earth do they think they are going to do? Mr. Kellogg is reported as saying that "nothing could be more stimulating for the advancement of end of August, and in the refreshing mountain remoteness of Kuling? Mr. Hayes, in his introductory article, describes the statement a highly successful attempt to see all sides of a very complex problem, The statement itself hardly bears out this complacent opinion, The, only reference it contains to the possibility that internal Chinese problems may have had something to do with the present situation appears in the fourth paragraph, in which the 72 subscribers to the Pronouncement seem only to have noticed these problems in order to ibera' ideas of "conttse moss [22 A"aY shy away from them again as lo, with the com-certainly to peace, than such fortable expression of "our con-change of views as the delegates fidence in the ability of the Chinese were engaged in." With all respect, and sympathy for a prominent! people" to solve them. The rest of the statement is largely devoted to man, obliged to say something and doubtless feeling the ridiculousness, a denunciation of foreigners in of his and all the delegates' position China and an abject cry "peccavimus," which is much more acutely, this is the sheer, conventional nonsense that such occasions likely to earn the contempt of the Chinese the The always bring forth. According to statement is guilty of what the figures, each parliament can only be called strange imper-Tepresented by a fraction over 10/tinences. By what right do its! delegates apiece. Now does Mr. authors consider themselves entitled Kellogg or any one else rot any sense imagine that, if confronted with something of its members having attended this conference—supposing none of them die in the meantime—would make the faintest difference either way?
Of course: not.
(See the German socialists in, 1914, who—and we heartily applaud them—stood in with their country and not with fond, deluded treves abroad). As for the "ad-vaneement of liberal ideas,' phrase has worn threadbare in the Past 30 years, and the most ticeable manifestation of it has been the steady deterioration of the prestige of all parliaments with which it has synchronized. The conference no doubt provides 400 gentlemen with some pleasant} sight-seeing and great deal of to write to the American Secretary of State urging the abolition of extraterritoriality, foreign concessions, ete? On what grounds do they hold themselves qualified to pass the sort of judgment they have: passed on the altair of May 30, to, establish the truth of which the} Powers have found it necessary to send the three best available Judges, to Shanghai to hold a special inquiry? We regret to have to speak strongly about this statement, but we cannot believe that the persons who drew it up are likely to do the cause that they have at heart anything but harm, 'And may it, with all respect, be suggested that, while laymen do not presume to Pronounce upon religious matters or to teach the missionary body how' to manage their own affairs, it is, to say the least, a little out of place that some members of the latter rs to the introduction
Io is, however, conceivable that dis Bojderiim into weajern Europe, raptivé elements. i@trodueed from cat. induce such an tation in her policy, and that ie a fact the duty of these to avoid,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.