DECISION REAFFIRMED BY SMALL MAJORITY

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 46, 23 August 1917, Page 7

DECISION REAFFIRMED BY SMALL MAJORITY

SERIOUS CRISIS FOR LABOUR.

-MR. BARNES DEFENDS HIS ATTI-

TUDE.

(TOWBD PREB9 ASSOCI4TION.—COPtBIOH*.)

(RBDIER'S lEIEQBAM.)

LONDON, 21st August.

At the adjourned meeting of the Labour Party regai-ding the' Stockholm Conference, Mr. Arthur Henderson, in the course of a personal statement, denied that he had intentionally withlreld any material information at the previous conference. He declared that M. Kerensky to-day favoured British representation at Stockholm. He (Mr. Henderson) urged them not to insist on the withdrawal of the Labour members from the Government, because that would be subversive of the successful' prosecution of the war. Mr. .'Hutchison, a member of the executive moved: "That this conference remains of the opinion that it is "desirable that British Labour should be represented at Stockholm, in. order that its opinions may not be misunderstood or misrepresented; that the conference regrets the Government's intention to refuse passports, and requests that further representations be made." Mr. Fairchild (Socialist Party) movedi as an addition to the resolution: "That the policy of "Labour.is incompatible, with the policy of the Government, and that the conference decides to withdraw the Labour members from participation in the Government.". •■- ■■.■■

Mr. Will Thome, M.P., opposed the resolution. He said that there was only one man in Germany who could make peace, namely, the Kaiser. Mr. Smillie. president of the Miners' Federation, appealed to Mr. Fairchild to withdraw his addition to the motion*

Mr. Fairchild'. agreed. An amendment, "That the question of attending the Stockholm Conference be submitted to a referendiun of the trades unions affiliated with the Labour Party," was defeated by 'a card rote of a million and a half to nine hundred and twenty thousand.

The conference reaffirmed its decision to send delegates to Stockholm by 1.234)000 votes to 1,231,000. Mr. Barnes -(who succeeded Mr. Henderson in the Wai- Cabinet) said that in joining the War, Cabinet he' was"acting; in accordance with the. expressed views; of Labour. He believed ■it ■ would be- a' bad thing for Labour to.leave the"Government. He intended to continue •to support the Government to establish the freedom of the world. He was opposed to the Stockholm Conference, because no good could come of it. Germany had all to gain and nothing to lose by such a conference. Before he accepted a seat in tlie "War Cabinet he wrote to the Premier, urging the retention of Mr. Henderson. Mr. Barnes affirmed that the sending of delegates to : Stockholm would weaken the Government. A durable peace could not be secuTed by this means. He had no objection to a conr sultation at tire proper time and place, but the present was not the,time, and Stockholm was not the.place.

(rniusEED in Tin miss.)

LONDON, 21sfc August.

The narrowness of the vote creates a serious crisis for Labour. The debate was stormy. Mr. Smillie called Mr. Barnes a blackleg for replacing Mr. Henderson in the Cabinet.

Mr. Barnes" hotly "resented "the statement. .......

One delegate declared that 90 per cent, of the Lancashire operatives were against the Stockholm Conference. If members in the trenches voted they would break up the Conference like a pacifist meeting..