CRIME OF WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 234, 3 October 1934, Page 7

CRIME OF WAR.

LABOUR ATTITUDE.

Will Never Agree to Britain Resorting to Arms. BRITISH JOINT REPORT. (United r.A.-Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 10 a.m.) LONDON, October 2. At the Labour Conference at Southport, Mr. Arthur Henderson introduced the joint report of the executive and the Trade Union Council on war and peace. lie said it was impossible to stop the race in armaments unless they built up a system of collective defence within the Leagut, of Nations.

The Labour party aimed at nothing less than organising the world into a great collective commonwealth. The movement had broken for ever with the war system of the past, which it will oppose with all its resources whether in or out of office; It will never agree to Britain resorting to war or helping any country committing that crime.

Mr. Henderson cited the executive's statement that a special Trade Union Congress would be held in the event of a threat of war and would decide how to deal witli the situation. The executive was of opinion that the Trade Union movement alone could not be expected to bear the responsibility of stopping war. The whole Labour movement must take the lead.

It would be necessary to have organised action based on the duties of citizenship. "We have not abandoned the idea of the general strike. Our war resistance policy is consistent with our foreign policy."

The report was adopted by 1,953.000 to 209,000.

After some noisy scenes between representatives of Sir Stafford Cripps , Socialist League and the trade union section of tlie party, the conference considered tlie problem of the House of Lords.

Although Sir Stafford was anxious to go "all out" for the abolition of the House of Lords, the result of the discussion was a declaration that both sections of Labour now are agreed that a struggle against the Upper House could only take place if it mutilated, delayed, or rejected Socialist legislation.

Mr. 11. B. Lees-Smith warned the party of the danger of bringing the Crown into a constitutional struggle which was the very thing to produce Fascism, which at present was very far away.

Mr. W. 11. Smith, the president, referred to recent happenings in Germany and Austria as a terrible object lesson to the workers in all lands that rule by force and violence in national or international affairs inevitably would lead to revolution or to war.

Sir Stafford Cripps, moving the Socialist League amendment aiming at a five-year plan of Socialism, said that while he agreed with official Labour's objective he differed with the steps proposed for attaining it. The workers' Government must immediately secure economic power.

The amendment was defeated by 2,140,000 votes to 200,000.

FREDS'' INELIGIBLE.

Communists Not Admitted to

Labour Ranks.

RUSSIA AND THE LEAGUE,

(Bi-itish Official Wireless.) (Received 1.30 p.m.) RUGBY, October 2. On the resumption of the Labour party conference a resolution expressing deep satisfaction at Soviet Russia's entry into the League of Nations, with a permanent seat on the Council, was moved by Mr. Henderson. He said he thought this step on the part of Russia would bring enormous advantages to the nations of the world. He expressed the belief that Russia had been influenced only by a strong desire to assist in stabilising peace.

The conference, by a huge majority, endorsed the rule that members of organisations auxiliary, or subsidiary to the Communist party were ineligible as members of the Labour party.

A motion to refer back for reconsideration by the executive, the present list of ineligible organisations was de-. feated by 1,347,000 votes to 195,000.