WAR AIMS

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 13, 15 July 1918, Page 8

WAR AIMS

DEMANDS OP SOCIALISTS

IKTER.ALLIED CONFERENCE MEMORANDUM

'■ i BEPLIES FROM ENEMY; ■I , COUNTRIES.

•(TOITBD, J PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPIMGHT.) (ADSIBALIAS-NEW ZEALAND CABiB ASSOCIATION.) '' (Received July 15, 10 a.m.) LONDON, 13th July.

Mr. A.. Henderson, speaking at the Northampton conference of Labour organisations; said "five replies had been received from Socialists in enemy countries to. the. memorandum on war aims from the .conference. The Bulgarian Socialists^'accepted practically all tho general points concerning Macedonia. Tho Hungarian Socialists and also the German "Minority Socialists had submitted to the Stockholm Committee of the International Socialists' Conference a utatemont of policy much on the lines of tha inter-allied memorandum. The Austrian Socialists accepted the principles of the inter-allie4 memorandum as a basis of discussion. They endorsed the. federal system for Austria-Hungary and agreed to the suggestion for a federation of Balkan States. They declared they always repudiated the Brest Litovsk and Rumanian treaties, and agreed that the solution of the Italian, Polish, Colonial, and Alsace-Lorraine questions must conform with tho desires of the peoples concerned. "The German Majority Socialists draw up 'a document which they entrusted v 'to Troelstra to present to the British Labour Conference. The action of the British Government in refusing- Troelstra^ pel-mission to land prevented this docu-' Jnent reaching Britain, but a summary had", been received showing that the Germah Majority Socialists were ready to take part in an international Socialist conversation on the, basis of the proposals which .the.neutral Stockholm Socialists had drawn up. They also accepted practically all tho general principles of the' inter-allied memorandum, and were ready to discuss the responsibility for the' war, though they did not believe any good would result frpm such a discussion. They were prepared to discuss the Alsace-Lorraine question, believing an amicable solution was possible. They agreed to the necessity for the complete i restoration of Belgium's independence, ' and*declared that a League of Nations .was necessary to destroy Imperialism and prevent aggression: Mr. Henderson contended- that the replies justified the demand for facilities for."-holding* an , International Socialist ' Conference, which would help to clear , away misunderstandings ana misconceptions and strengthen, the will for ' pejice in enemy countries. The confer--1 ence would show the peoples of the Central Empires that their rulers had misled and deceived them, and would not attempt to negotiate for peace or take i Jbinding decisions. [The Inter-Allied Socialist' Conference • held in- February last agreed to a memorandum declaring that tho peoples iof "Europe are the chief sufferers by the "war, though' not responsible for the outbreak. The invasion of Belgium and France, declares the memorandum, threatens the very existence of independent nationalities, and strikes a blow at;the faith of. treaties; therefore victorious German Imperialism would mean the defeat and destruction of European democracy and liberty. The Socialists are not warring with tho Austro-German peoples, but with the Governments who oppose them. While inflexibly resolved to* fight until .tho task of liberation is achieved, Socialists oppose a war of conquest.]