Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1939, Page 421
CHRONIQUE TRIMESTRIELLE 411
Lykke, presiding with unswerving
zeal, good humour and presence of
mind.
On the agenda of the conference
^ere thefollowing questions: Peace-
íul means for the settling of inter-
national conflicts, rapporteur Mr.
C. E. Bongaerts (Holland); the
rnaintenance and development of
srnall and medium-sized family
farms, rapporteur Mr. J. Sundby
(Norway); the budgetary year, rap-
Porteur Mr. A. Vougt (Sweden);
v°cational training, rapporteur Ba-
r°n J. Szterézi (Hungary).
Especially the first item on the
agenda provoked a long and at
tinies heated discussion. The ra-
Porteur had presented the following
draft resolution:
“The Inter-Parliamentary Union,
faithful to a tradition and to prin-
Clples which it had consistently
v°iced for fifty years,
considers it a duty not merely
t0 pursue, but also to increase its
efforts to obtain respect of peaceful
naethods for the settlement of all
disputes which may arise between
nations.
Since the economic, social, and
demographic problems whicb are
me main causes of international
disputes are such that they cannot
a|l be solved by legal procedure
al°ne,
the XXXVth Inter-Parliamentary
Conference,
notes that general peace can find
guarantee other than colla-
ooration between States with a
view to satisfying the economic and
foial needs of the nations by peace-
rnl methods.
It considers that such col-
laboration will only be possible if
the States, while respecting each
other’s independence and internal
and external sovereignty, agree to
seek together satisfactory solutions
to the essential problems arising out
of those economic and social needs.”
Various speakers criticized the
words “Internal and external sover-
eignty” and pointed to the diffi-
culties of harmonising absolute
sovereignty with international co-
operation. And finally it was agreed
to leave these words out.
One of the American delegates,
Mr. Hamilton Fish, in his individ-
ual name proposed the following
amendment:
“Resolved that the Inter-Parlia-
mentary Union in its session at Oslo
urges upon the Governments of
Great Britain, France, Germany,
and Italy an immediate consi-
deration of a moratorium on war
for thirty days or more with a view
to the settlement of international
disputes by arbitration, mediation,
and peaceful methods consistent
with the principles for which the
Inter-Parliamentary Union was
founded.”
This amendment being severely
criticized from many quarters, espe-
cially because there was at the Con-
ference a unanimous feeling against
any group of Great Powers being
invited to discuss international pro-
blems over the heads of govern-
ments of smaller States whose vital
interests were at stake, was finally
withdrawn. An amendment pro-