PEACE TALK.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVI, Issue 16310, 11 August 1917, Page 7

PEACE TALK.

THE STOCKHOLM CONFERENCE. BRITISH WORKERS' LEAGUE PROTEST. AGAINST SENDING DELEGATES. Reuter's Telegrams. Received 5.5 p.m., August 10th. LONDON, August 9. A British Workers' League meeting protested against sending British delegates to the Stockholm Conference. SEAMEN AND FIREMEN. DECLINE TO CARRY DELEGATES. Mr Hav clock Wilson, President of ths Seait.en's and Firemen's Union, declared that seamen and firemen would absolutely decline to carry delegates to any Peace Conference. GERMAN DEMOCRACY.

CANNOT BIND GERMANY

Mr Appleton, secretary of tho General Federation of Trades Unions, failed to seo how any conference would help Russia. The German democracy -was not in a position to send delegates to say anything binding Germany. If Britain sent delegates she would he giving ah exhibition of disunion disheartening to the Allies, and heartening to Germany.

ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS. A FUND OF 1000 MILLIONS. FOR REPARATION PURPOSES. (Reuter's Telegrams.) Mr Thoriie, M.P., states that among the suggestions to be mad© in connection with the Stockholm Conference is tho creation of a fund for n thousand foremostly include reparation to Belgium, France and Serbia, of which the Allies should contribute seven hundred millions The wage earners in Britain would not listen to siicli absurd nonsense, by which Germany would escape the results of her crimes.

NO DELEGATES FROM ALLIES.

Mr Thorne has been informed fcliafc Belgium, America, Italy and France will not send delegates to the Conference. BRITISH LABOUR VIETVS. NO ANNEXATIONS OR INDEMNITIES. BUT REPARATIONS AND RESTORATIONS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) Received 8.40 p.m , August 10th. LONDON, August 10.

The Committee of the Labour Executive has issued a report suggesting a basis for British Labour's peace views. The report will be presented at Friday's conference and will be discussed at a special conference in London on August 21. It will be finally submitted to Allied Labour and Socialist Conferences. The report welcomes the Russian declaration against annexations and indemnities, -urges further democratisation of all countries as a means of preventing future wars, and declares that peace conditions should fore-most'iy include reparation to Belgium, with payment for all damage and complete restoration of her independence ; also the restoration of Serbia and Montenegro, and the solution of the Balkan question by means of an international commission, nn a basis of free national choice, and the restoration of Alsace and Lorraine.

The peace terms should include satisfaction of Italy's legitimate interests in the Adriatic and the Aegean the liberation of Palestine; the administration of Armenia, Mesopotamia. Arabia, and tropical Africa by a Commission representing a league of nations; the application to all other disputed cases, including Luxemburg and Poland, of the principle of free national choice. Tlie leporfc denounces an economic •war post-war by tariffs or otherwise, considering that the alliance of military imperialists and fiscal protectionists in any country is a grave menace to peace; but the right of each nation to defend its economic interests cannot be denied. Guilty Governments and individuals should be punished for culpable acts, notably the iuhuman submarine warfare.

GERMANY "S INTENTIONS. RETAINS ALSACE AND LORRAINE Ilecpivoc! 5.10 p.m.. August ICth. LONDON, August 9. Iferr Scheidemann, chairman of tlie Majority Socialists, is touring the country on imperialistic propaganda. In an address to 6000 people at Mannheim ho declared that Germany intended io retain Alsace and Lorraine. LABOUR EXECUTIVE FAVOUR CONFERENCE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn. Received 0.45 a.m., August llfcli. LONDON, August 10. Tho Labour Executive, after hearing Mr Henderson, re-afiirmed bv a narrow margin a decision in favour of the Stockholm Conference.

LABOUR MINISTERS AGAINST IT

Messrs Barnes and Roberts, Labour Ministers, sent a. message protesting against the Conference to tho British "Workers' Ireague.

WORKERS' LEAGUE .MOTION

AGAINST SENDING DELEGATES

The Tiiftisll Workers' l..r;i;j:ne unanimously carried a ri-olulion against m li'ling delegates to tho Stockholm (.'oiifcrcu^e.