THE STOCKHOLM CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17083, 15 August 1917, Page 5

THE STOCKHOLM CONFERENCE

BRITISH EMBARGO. PASSPORTS TO BE REFUSED. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, August 13. In the House of Commons, Mr Bonar Law stated that the Crown Law Officers had advised the Government that it was illegal for British subjects to confer with enemies without .the Crown's license. The Government'had decided not to giant such permission. He .pointed out that the American, French, and Italian Governments had come to similar decisions. MR HENDERSON'S RESIGNATION. COMPLAINS OF PRIME MINISTER'S ACTION. LONDON, Angust 13. In the House of Commons, Mr Arthur Henderson, speaking from the Labour benches, said he intended to speak at some v length, owing to the unprecedented and dangerous press campaign anent his position in the Cabinet and his actions at the Paris Labour Conference. It would be almost impossible to find a precedent in the history of Ministerial resignations for the conduct of the Prime Minister and his colleagues during the past week-end. He received the first intimation of the acceptance of his resignation from the news- . papers, though at the time he was still » working at the War Cabinet's office. Mr Lloyd George, after the conference's decision, said that his position as secretary of the Labour party was incompatible with his membership of the Cabinet, and he chose the former. He only wished that Mr Lloyd George had emulated in his conduct the character and spirit of his (Mr Henderson's) letter of resignation. WIDE DIVERGENCE OF OPINION. ONE AGAINST THE CABINET NECESSITY FOR RESIGNATION. CONTRADICTIONS AND RECRIMINATIONS. LONDON, August 13. (Received Aug. 14, at 6.15 p.m,) Mr Henderson said the full story regarding the Stockholm Conference could not be told at present; he would await the time when it would be possible to state all the facts without injury to national interests. But the press attacks forced him to deal with certain events regardless of consequences. He advised the Labour party on June 24 to accept the invitation to attend the Stockholm Conference. The matter of his visit to Paris was discussed at a special meeting of the Cabinet. The day before his departure he wired the Labour party's decision to Mr Lloyd George, who was then in Paris. Mr Lloyd Georgo and his colleagues stood convicted of having intimated to the House that the arrangements for the Paris visit were made without their knowledge. Mr Lloyd George interjected: The only wire I received said you were coming to Paris with a Russian delegate and °Mr Ramsay Macdonald. Mr Bonar Law also interposed that Mr Henderson's colleagues had. no intimation of his intentions regarding Paris until arrangements were made. They clearly expressed disapproval of the visit. Mr Hendersqn replied : "That does not alter the fact that the War Cabinet at a special meeting discussed the visit." He at that meeting the Labour Executive's decision to recommend the acceptance of the Stockholm invitation. All his colleagues opposed hiim, and he offered to resign. He explained to Mr Lloyd George his opinion regarding a consultative conference at Stockholm. After his return from Paris Mr Lloyd George invited him to a special meeting of the Cabinet. He was kept waiting outside for a full hour, and then Mi' Barnes was sent out to make a statement. He (Mr Hen»derson)_ said_ to Mr Barnes : "I do not do business in this way," and added that he was either a member of the Cabinet or njt; if the former he would talk in the Cabinet. Mr Barnes conveyed this message, arid he (Mr Henderson) was admitted to the room. Mr Lloyd George explained that he had been kept waiting out of regard for his personal feelings. He (Mr Henderson) protested against this treatment, and complained that he had not been given an opportunity to state in the Cabinet his reasons in favour of representation at Stockholm. The Cabinet had already received the Law Officers' advice against participation, and ho (Mr Henderson) suggested an immediate announcement of that fact if the Government proposed to act upon, that advice. He also said that ho would resign if the Cabinet axited thereon. Other Labour Ministers considered that the Labour Conference should be. unfettered by the Law Officers' advice.

Mr Henderson denied that he had been reoriented to announce the Government's position to Friday's conference. He would have rcskmed first. Mr Llovd George's letter said that if he were committed to the Stockholm Conference he ought to have resigned. His speech, on Fridav was simply an impartial statement of the Labour Executive's view. Ho sriokc as a Labour secretary. Tie contended that he cave tho conference a correct siim.marv of the Russian Government's no-ition. Fe was censored for not stating that the Russian Go-

vernment was opposed to a mandatory conference He impressed that on the conference. If a telegram had been received trom M. Kerenskv on Friday he had not received it, but while waiting in the Prime Minister s secretary's room after the close oi tiie conference he was told that M. lierensky in a telegram dissociated himself fiom the Stockholm Conference. He received a letter from Mr Lloyd George forin wllen 1G was the plat-

Mr Lloyd George said he did not intend to reply to the trivialities comprising threequarters of Mr Henderson's speech. All r P? m ]? ers °f the Cabinet understood that Mr Henderson had changed his mind and intended to strongly oppose the StockHolm Conference and "state the Government s position. If Mr Henderson had done the latter he would have greatly influenced the Labour Conference against the Stockholm Conference.

In replying to a question by Mr Snowden, Mr Lloyd George refused to state ■who wrote the telegram received on Friday. His letter to Mr Henderson on Friday was sent in good time, and should have reached him in good time. At all events, Air Henderson could have read it at the conference before the vote was taken, and it would have made a 'substantial difference m the voting with the vast majority of the conference. Nothing was more fatal than such conferences witli the enemy at the very moment when the Russians were taking the first step towards the restoration of discipline, which was to prevent the fraternisation of the armies on' the front._ The British, French, Italian and American Governments had agreed, and it was thereupon decided that peace terms, if discussed, must be discussed by representatives of the whole nation. He was the last man to disparage Labour's power, Irani was I] °t the whole people. When peace came it would be made by the nation as a whole. Great Britain would not be doinc her dutv by her all'es and especially by Russia, if she contemplated a sectional peace. (Received Aug; 14, at 10.35 p.m.) Mr Henderson explained that he did not read Mr Lloyd George's letter to the con*ference because he had already informed the conference of Russia's position regarding t'he Stockholm Conference. The Cabinet was aware that he resolutely favoured attending the Stockholm Conference. Mr Lloyd George's letter suggested that he should resign, knowing the adverse view of his colleagues. If he had resigned before the conference the vote in favour of the Stockholm Conference would have been larger, enabling it to bo said that it was not a vote on its merits but on his (Mr Henderson's) resignation. MR ASQUITH'S REGRETS. TRIBUTE TO LABOUR'S CONSTANCY. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, August 13. (Received' Aug. 14, at 9 p.im.) Mr Asquith said he regretted the unfortunate controversy. There undoubtedly •had been some misunderstanding, and the disclosures showed the impossibility of a Minister holding a dual capacity. A. conflict of interest must eventually arise. The only peace which would satisfy the allied peoples and recompense for the sacrifices made was a peace that would be approved by the peoples of all the' countries concerned. He would be sorrv if, as a result of the debate, it should go forth to the world that Labour favoured going to the Stockholm Conference and gave way to a precarious and dishonourable peace. Labours declaration of.policy showed that they were determined' to pursue the war to the end. There was no doubt about Labour, except an insignificant minority. (Received Aug. 15, at 0.5 a.m.) .The pacifists accepted Mr Asquith's advice not to pursue the matter further, and the subject dropped. AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOUR. AN OFFICIAL WITHDRAWAL. Reutei's Telegrams. t LONDON, August 33. Mr Gompers. president of the American Federation of Labour, has telegraphed to Mr_ J. Havelock Wilson, of the Seamen's Union, that the American Federation will not be represented at the Stookholm Conference, which they regard as prejudicial to the cause of permanent peace and democracy. He is unable to accept Mr Havelock Wilson's invitation to visit England, as his d-uties forbid his leaving America.' VORWARTS REJOICES. SOMEWHAT PREMATURELY. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. AMSTERDAM, August 13. _ Vorwarts rejoices in the decisio'n of British Labour to' attend the Stockholm Conference as a first step, and one which cannot remain the only step. The British delegates, it says, will learn that it is impossible to preach the continuation of the war by giving the German minority Socialists additional evidence against the German Government. A single discussion with the German delegates would show the British delegates how naive they are. WAR VACANCY. ■ MR BABIES APPOINTED. Australian and N.Z. Gable Association iinrl R^utrr. LONDON, August 13. (Received Aug. 14, at 7 p.rni.) The Press Bureau reports that Mr Geo. Barnes has been appointed to the War Cabinet.