THE AGGRESSOR.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 266, 26 October 1916, Page 2

THE AGGRESSOR.

GERMANY TO BLAME

NEUTRAL SOCIALIST’S VIEW

M. Branting, the Swedish Socialis< leader, passed through London recently on his way back to Stockhold from the conference of neutral Socialists at the Hague, and was interviewed by' a “Daily Chronidle” representative. In the Socialist world M. Branting holds at present a position of eminence that is rivalled only' by Vandervelde, the Belgian leader. In 1896 he was the only Socialist in the Swedish Parliament ; to-day he commands a solid phalanx that is the strongest party in the State.

But M. Branting stands above all ( for neutral Socialism, of which he j is the most prominent spokesman. | The Socialists of Sweden and the ‘ other neutral countries have never I lost touch with their fellow-Socialists ■ in the belligerent countries; they! are not inflamed with national ani-1 mosities and prejudices, though they ; may have their sympathies. ' | “The conference,” he said, “pass-[ ed two resolutions—one political I and the other economic. The latter ’ was a restatement of the case for i international Free-trade, both on its merits and also because it is a powerful means of avoiding future wars. But the political resolution was the most important, and it may ; perhaps be said to mark a turning- j point. “It is a long resolution,, covering ! the whole political field from the * Socialist point of view, and it had I necessarily: to be worded carefully. It is a delicate matter for neutral Socialists, linked up, as they are, with their fellow-Socialists in all the belligerent countries, and reesponsible in an exceptional degree for the maintenance of the international movement to pronouce verdicts on the issues of the hour; still more so to pronounce verdicts that would receive the unanimous assent of the conference. Yet, in fact, verdicts of the highest importance were pronounced, and did receive a unanimous vote.

“In the first place Germany was definitely put into the position of the aggressor. ‘Notwithstanding the present war-map,’ runs on the clause, ‘the attack on the countries which were forced to take up arms in defence appears to be a failure.’ Here we have not merely a repudiation of German military claims, as put forward by the Chancellor ; we have an express statement that, an attack has been made which had to be resisted. It is impossible to overrate the significance of this verdict. “Other points in the resolution are, first, a demand ‘for the restitution of Belgium as an independent State.’ This, it is declared, must be a necessary preliminary to any peace negotiations.”

“What do you gather German intentions to be in regard to Belgium ?”

“Germany means to retain, if she can, at .least commercial supremacy. Commercially, Belgium is to become a sort of vassal State.

“Similarly, The Hague Congress demands the ‘restitution of Servia and the ‘creation of an autonomous Poland.’ _ But still more significant (as coinciding with the expressed aims of the Allies) is the expression of a desire, by the congress ‘that the German Social Democratic party will be ready to negotiate with the French party about the question of Alsace-Lorraine.’ As you are aware, the Socialist majority in Germany refuse to admit even that such a question exists. They are now asked to recognise that the problem of Al-sace-Lorraine is a real one and needs solution.