PEACE MOVEMENT IN EUROPE 9
the Swiss law, but by the official consecration of the " ensemble "" of nations which, as in the case of the Helvetian and Norwegian confederacies, will not be slow in lending their support and aid. Even as I write these lines, a call has been issued by the Inter- national Bureau at Berne to all the peace societies of Europe, to assemble on the same day, February 22, and vote a unanimous res- olution, as has been done already by the English House of Com- mons and the French Chamber of Deputies, requesting all the governments of the world to adopt arbitration as a means of set- tling difficulties. Can we not see here, as M. Gaston Moch has already said in the Indcpendance Belge^ the beginning of the mobil- ization of the army of peace. In an article in the Slide I have said that M. Moch goes still farther. In support of this inter- national manifestation he would have chambers of commerce, all industrial and labor organizations, all charitable societies, in short, all corporate bodies interested in maintaining the present state of tranquillity, unite in a vote, which, while leaving perfect liberty in everything else, should bind them to work for that international peace and goodwill which is the wish of every human heart.
That which has been done by the peace societies to insure the regular performance of their functions and the propagation of their ideas, and to provide some means of action in the inter- vals between their congresses has been accomplished no less happily by the Interparliamentary Union. It is generally known, I suppose, what this union is, to which I have alluded and whose monthly bulletin, " La Conference Interparliamentaire," I have already mentioned. It is the annual assembly of the members of all the parliaments which in their respective countries, sustain the cause of justice and international union, which was decided upon at Paris, October 30, 1888 ; inaugurated June 30, the following year, during the Exposition, and con- tinued by the side of the Peace Congresses, at London, Berne, Rome, the Hague, Brussels, and this coming year, at Buda- Pesth. It is an important assembly, not only on account of the number but also the character of the members, among whom are the presidents or vice-presidents of several legislative assem-
