| OCR Text |
Show WISH LM LEIH SAYS I 1STJP ON Only Way Germans Can Make Peace Is to Accept Terms of President Wilson Wil-son and Lloyd George. NO SIGNS THAT THE HUNS WILL WEAKEN Nottingham Conference Is Larger in Membership Than Predecessor; Atmosphere At-mosphere Is Electrical. NOTTINGHAM, Jan. 23. The L'.ritisll Labor party today declared its position as regards war and peace. By a majority major-ity of about two-thirds in a viva voce vote, the delegates supported the war aims programme recently promulgated by their executive committee, which coitc-sponds coitc-sponds generally with the recent utterances utter-ances of President Wilson and David Lloyd George, the Britisn premier. All amendments suggested by pacifists were swept aside m favor of a single resolution of moderate lengtn, welcoming the utterances of President Wilson and Mr. Lloyd George, and an invitation was put forward to the central Powers to make known their -war aims, as the entente en-tente allies have done. One amendment, which was downed with scant consideration, was a proposal lo eliminate mention in the resolution of President Wilson and Mr. Lloyd George, although the backers of it carefully ex plained that It was offered in no spirit 01 unfriendliness, hut In the belief that the resolution would carry more weight with the German and Austrian Socialists if It avoided the appearance of approving the acts of "representatives of capitalistic governments." One. of the features of the day's business busi-ness was the postponement of the proposed pro-posed change in the constitution directing direct-ing tho enrolling of brain workers and others. This postponement is not interpreted inter-preted as a defeat, but a concession to some of tlie larger unions, which desired further to consider the matter. It is expected ex-pected that the widening of the scope of the constitution will be carried at a special spe-cial conference to be held a month from now. PRESIDENT PURDY ACCEPTS WILSON'S WAR STATEMENT NOTTINGHAM, England, Jan. 23. At the opening today of the annual labor conference, Frank Purdy, the president, said that if Germany would not accept the terms President "Wilson, Premier Uoyd George and the labor party had laid down as the minimum "we must fight on." President Purdy said that in view of the declarations of President "Wilson and Premier Pre-mier Lloyd George, Germany could claim no longer that she was fighting a defensive de-fensive war. "We soe no signs yet," he added, "that Germany and her allies are willing to accept ac-cept the principles enunciated by Mr. Uoyd George, Mr. Wilson and the labor party." Mr. Purdy said peace by negotiation while Germany was occupying territory of other countries would be a victory for Germany. Large and Important. The conference is larger In point of membership than its predecessors. It is attended by S00 delegates representing nearly two million members of trades unions. I The atmosphere was somewhat electri- eal as it was believed that the Issues to : bo raised would have a far-reaching ef- j feet on the future of the party. "Peace, when it comes, must he ai general peace, a Just peace, a lasting, poace tlmt will secure liberty and freedom free-dom for all nations, great and small; a I peace based on the will of tlie people," said Mr. Purdy. "It must he a peace in which labor, nationally and internationally, internation-ally, must play its part In order to secure full and fair consideration of its claims. "We appreciate tlie lofty ideals which induced the United States to join the allies." Russian Revolution. Whatever might be the view of the labor la-bor representatives as to the effect tlie Kussin.il revolution had exerted on the course of tho war, the president said, I they welcomed it heartily because it had released the Prussian people from thraldom. thral-dom. He continued: "If our responsible government and its allies had endeavored to appreciate the real meaning of tlie revolution they would not have been so lukewarm toward that great event." The government had sent A;t!iur Henderson, Hen-derson, then a member of the cabinet, to tvtrograd, Mr. Puiiy continued, but had declined to accept hts advice and even today to-day there was no great anxiety on the part of tlie Pritish government to recoc--nte iho.se who were representing the Russian people. Mr. Pmdy's statement that the declarations dec-larations of President Wilson and Uoyd i ;eoree made it impossible for Germany to claim she was fighting a defensive war. but that n sign could be s-'en that Germany was willinc to a.vent tbe prin- eiple? proclaimed was revived with some dissent, cries of "Oh" and with arplau.e. Way Open to Germany. "Will the German democracy rifino its war aims?" Mr. Purdy asked. "Will the German democracy face its government as we have faeed ours-1" Y"i;i Germ a ny ;,gree to evacuation of Belgium, northern France and i lie other erri tones over which she holds sway? There were cries of "Yes" and "Ireland." j "If the German people and ;he tier- j man government," Mr. Purdy corilu.ued. , "are sincere in their desire :".r pea. e j based on the principles f richteousne.- i and justice, tlio wnv is open to il-e:rb (Continued on Page Two.) 1 BRITISH LABOR TO FIGHT TO TOD (Continued from Page One.) but it must be a peace which will leave no germs behind of future wars. At present pres-ent the military party in Germany is in the ascendancy." Peace hy negotiation, while Germany held the territories she had conquered, the speaker declared, would fasten militarism mili-tarism more strongly on the people of Germany, the British empire and the whole world. The action of the United States in ioining the allies was appro- , ciated. he faid, not so much for its help as because of the unity of the English-speaking English-speaking people the world over had been demonstrated thereby. Henderson's Amendment. At the conclusion of President Purdy's address the labor conference proceeded to deal with the proposed amendment to- the party conRtitution. Arthur Henderson, former for-mer 'member of the war cabinet, on behalf of the executive committee, moved that the membership of the party should consist con-sist of all organizations, together with those men and women who were individual individ-ual members of a local labor party and that they should subscribe to the programme pro-gramme of the party. On moving the resolution, Mr. Henderson Hender-son said that the representation of people's peo-ple's bill now passing through parliament parlia-ment would have an effect on democracy democ-racy which could not be exaggerated and that the labor movement had to organize itself from top to bottom as only by that means could it secure the reins of government. It must be broad enough, he added, to include all so that when the election came, which he predicted would be in the summer, sixteen million elector elec-tor would be able to vote for labor. Postponed One Month. The amendment to refer the proposal to amend the constitution back to the executive for further consideration was carried by a small majority. In view of the adverse vote, consideration of the remainder of the executive's report on the amendment to the constitution was postponed for a month and the conference confer-ence proceeded to discuss the anntial report re-port of the executive. Mr. Henderson moved what he do-scribed do-scribed as a "peace resolution." This welcomed the statements of Premier I-loyd George and President Wilson in so far as they harmonized with tlie war aims of the British labor movement; called upon the allies to formulate their war aims at the earliest possible moment mo-ment and approved arrangements being made for an interallied conference to be hold in London on February 20. Mr. Hendedson in supporting his resolution reso-lution said that peace could never be brought about until all the allies hud stated their aims and proved that they accorded with the magnificent statement of aims by President "Wilson. ' James Ramsay MacDonald, Socialist and Labor member of parliament, who seconded the resolution, said that they must have an international conference of the working classes to obtain a settlement. settle-ment. After an attack by II. YV. Williams of the transport workers on the government for refusing passports to Stockholm the resolution was unanimously adopted. |
