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Show APPEALS TO TIE WDHKERSriOT TO Arthur Henderson, Former Member of British War Cabinet, Also Urges Government Gov-ernment to Be Moderate. INSISTS STRIKES CAN BE AVOIDED Says National Cause Is Being Be-ing Risked for a Point of Procedure; Peace Programme Pro-gramme of Laborites. LONDON. I'eb. 1. Arthur Henderson, Hender-son, labor leader and former member of tho war cabinet, who as a member of tho cabinet Binned an agreement with the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, embracing the engineers' trade, in which the government agreed to meet the engineers in separate conference whenever necessary, tonight issued a lengthy statement appealing to the government gov-ernment to adhere to this practico and avoid a strike, which, ho said, would seriously imperil the output of munitions muni-tions and other war necessities. Mr. Henderson strongly advised the workers in the interest of the war not to lay down their tools. "We are all weary of war," he said. "Immediate peace is the greatest need of tho world; but peaeo can not be achieved by one section of labor acting by itself. Peace will come when the working class movement as a whole has discovered bv conference the conditions of an honorable and domestic peace worthy of the unimaginable sacrifices tho people have made. Fears a Break. "The temper of the workmen is most dangerous; the unyielding attitude of the government is bringing the country to the vergo of industrial revolution, revo-lution, and unless a more just and reasonable reas-onable attitude is adopted, I am seriously seri-ously apprehensive that an irreparable break, between an important section of industrial labor and the government will result." After reviewing the question at issue tho opposition of the engineers to the man-power bill, which Mr. Henderson desired them to abandon and leclar-ing leclar-ing that tho engineers were merely asking a continuation of the procedure instituted by Premier Lloyd George himself, Mr. Henderson said: "I earnestly aypeal to the iiovern-n,ent iiovern-n,ent that they should at oneo agree to a separate conference. Their present r.ttitude is leading rapidly to 'rouble. They are risking the national cause for a point of procedure.' Justifies Labor's Attitude. Mr. Henderson added that his knowledge knowl-edge of the history of the controversy convinced him that labor was justified in its stand, and continued: 'In the past labor has responded with real patriotism, fully and freely. Is it too much to appeal to the patriotism of the government? I strongly urge tho government to display a more reasonable spirit. ''Hasty measures of the kind contemplated con-templated may not only embarrass those of us who are trying to promote a moral aud political offensive on tho part, of the working classes and destroy their unity; they also may give to the reactionary forces further apportuni-ties apportuni-ties to divide and weaken our efforts. Pemocratic diplomacy has begun. British Brit-ish labor, first of all, formulated its war aims. The premier then declared his acceptance of tho Governing principles prin-ciples of our war aims, and President Wilson went even further in the direction direc-tion we desire to see governments moving mov-ing and affirmed with groat force and clearness the principles we laid down. " Terms of Peace. Reverting to his declaration that an immediate peace was the greatest need of tho world, but an honorablo and democratic peace, Mr. Henderson .on-tinned .on-tinned : 'Peace must be made on these terms, and on no other. That is our policv. It will be presented as a moral ultimatum ulti-matum to the government from an organized or-ganized democracy in all the belligerent governments. 1 appeal in all earnestness earnest-ness to the workers not to wreck this great triumph of the international working class movement in the field of diplomacy by a precipitate action which can only end in discrediting and debating de-bating the democratic cause." |