THE FOUNDING OF THE CONGO INDEPENDENT STATE £9 
a conference, and to secure a prominent place for Germany 
in colonial affairs, in which she had had almost no share 
heretofore, he pressed France to unite with him in issuing 
the invitations. Granville was reassured by such state- 
ments as that Bismarck would be glad to name a plenipo- 
tentiary to the conference suggested by Portugal, while the 
French and German Governments, from May to October, 
were coming to an agreement on the scope of the conference 
and on their joint policy. 
On October 8, they issued invitations for a conference to 
meet at Berlin, within the month, if possible, to discuss 
“freedom of commerce in the basin and mouths of the 
Congo; application to the Congo and Niger of the principles 
adopted at the Congress of Vienna with a view to preserve 
freedom of navigation on certain international rivers... 
and a definition of formalities to be observed so that new 
occupations on the African coasts shall be deemed effective.” 
Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Portugal, Spain, and the 
United States received invitations at this time, and a little 
later, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Turkey, and the 
Scandinavian states were included. 
Most of the powers accepted promptly; but Granville 
did so only “in principle” until he had received explanations 
as to the scope, interpretation, and manner of discussion 
of the three points mentioned in the invitation. At length it 
was determined that, while all accepted the principle of free 
trade on the African rivers, the regulation of the navigation 
and commerce of the Niger should be left to the powers con- 
trolling that river, — Great Britain and I'rance; that the 
Upper Congo should be included in the discussions; that 
the term “newly acquired territory” should not include 
lands under the protection of any European state when the 
conference was called; and that the “status and proceedings 
of the International Association of the Congo” should “not