IMMEDIATE CONFERENCE URGED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLII, Issue 9601, 8 September 1921, Page 5

IMMEDIATE CONFERENCE URGED

LABOUR PARTY'S MESSAGE

LONDON, September 7. In conection with the Trade Union Congresß, the Parliamentary Labour Committee and the National Executive of the Labour Party sent the following message to Mr Lloyd George on Tuesday night': — "The Irish negotiations have entered on a most critical stage. It will be a disaster if the deep spontaneous feel-

ings m favour of peace which are now prevailing m the two countries are allowed to evaporate while their representatives are . -engaged m exchanging controversial notes.

"The British Government, m our

opinion, . should invite the representatives of the Irish people to meet them face to face at a conference. The promotion of peace involves personal negotiation m coijferencej . m order that the British Government and the Irish leaders may escape verbal controversy and arrive at a recognition of the realities of the problem. "Termination of the negotiations would, according to you, mean a resumption of hostilities m an intensified form. We declare emphatically that a new war would outrage the moral sense of the whole world, and would never receive the sanction of the British people. The Trade Union Labour moyement m this country must insist on the assembly of apeace conference without delay. We believe this is the desire of the citizens of both countries, and that, "once continuous conversations supersede written communications, many obstacles to reconciliation will disappear, and negotiations will be carried to a successful issue."