The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1939-09-28
CAPITOL
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by COnSressn,anKnlttsOn

After an absence of six weeks in
Northern Europe it is good to be
back home again. 1t is great
privilege to be a citizen of the
United States Of America. No land
can begin to compare with ours,
especially in these troubled times.
AS my readers know, went to
Europe to attend the Interparlia-
mentary conference at Oslo, which
met the third week of August.
The meeting this year commemor-
ated the fiftieth anniversary of it's
founding. Thirty-five nations were
represented but little was or could
be accomplished because of the
failure of Germany, Italy and Rus
STA to send representatives. Even
far away Japan sent delegates. We
had not been in Oslo a week before
the war clouds began to gather and
the delegates to make hurried pre-
parations for returning to their
homes before the storm burst.
Hamilton Fish, the Chairman of
our group, had previously conferred
with Lord Halifax, Bonet and Rib
bentrop, all of whom had assured
him that war was inevitable. Upon
arriving in Oslo Mr.. Fish present
ed to the conference a proposal
that a thirty day armistice be ar
ranged to give representatives of
neutral powers an opportunity to
work out solution. His proposal
was not kindly received, opponents
to his plan contending there could
be no armistice where there was
no war, and that war was highly
improbable. How far wrong they
were was shown on September Bird
when England and France declared
war.
Among those attending the Oslo
conference was Lord David Davies
a member Of the British delegation
He is a thoroughgoing democrat
whose boast it is that his father
worked his way up from the Goa
pits of Wales and was knighted in
recognition of his great work fol
humanity. This work his able sor
has carried on. Lord Davies col
leagues told me that he has spent
a fortune in lettering living condi
tons of the poor and in promoting
international good will. He is in
every sense a man of the people.
While enroute home, 1 spent ar
evening with him at his London
club, when we reviewed many OF
the important happenings since the
close of the World war. At that
time he told me that he was work
ing on plan for the next peace
treaty that would obviate the blum
ders committed at Versailles. This
he will submit to his government
in the near future as a basis fol
securing lasting peace. In the out
line of his plan, which he kindly
sent to my hotel the following day
1 found this unique but worthwhile
proposal.
"The conflict in which we are
now engaged will therefore decide
whether Europe is to become ar
empire under the hegemony of Ger.
many, or federation of free states
each retaining it's internal and
domestic liberties, but conforming
to the public law of the federation
Through a procedure of peaceful
settlement, it would deal with all
disputes arising between it's mem.
bers, it would constitute and con-
troll a common defensive force, and
would create zollverein and a
commission to administer all the
non self-governing colonies belong
ing to its members, not as in the
past as private estates, but as a
common trust to be administered
in the interests of civilization"
Lord Davies frankly gave it as
his opinion that the contest being
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