PEACE TALK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12088, 17 August 1917, Page 2

PEACE TALK.

STOCKHOLM CONFERENCE. LONDON, August 15. Mr Henderson intends on Tuesday to ask the Labour Conference, to reaffirm the Stockholm Conference resolution. ' THE POPE'S NOTE. LONDON COMMENT. LONDON, August l 15 _Newspapers declare that the Pipe's Note is strondv marked as a German inspiration, the proposals are utterly inadmissible, besides betraying a lamentable ignorance of the opinion of the Allied countries. PREMATURE PUBLICITY ANNOYS VATICAN. LONDON, August 15. The "Daily Telegraph's" Rome correspondent says that the Vatican is annoyed by the premature publicity given to tho Note, which was intended to b?> issued without earlier announcement, thus avoiding advorss comment. The Papal Nuncios m every belligerent I country for months have been making ; secret inquiries as to the attitude* of belligerents- The investigations attracted attention, causing tho Vatican repeatedly to deny rumours regarding ; th-> issue of a peace manifesto. ; TEXT OF PAPAL NOTE. , APPEAL TO THE NATIONS. BASIS FOR WORLD PEACE. Australian and I" Z. Cable Association aad Router. LONDON, August 16. The text of the Papal Note addressed to t-h* heads of iKrK-gerent. peoples, lias been published. It is proracea by a statement that His Holiness's aim sine* his accession has bsen to observe absolute neutrality and concurrently to do everything in Ms power to hasten the end of the war, Ihe Pops states: " I have not ceased during these three painful years to exhort the bt-lligerent peoples and Governments to resume ira-te-real relation; mp, althougii everything has been done, to attain this object v.-itaout public-ay. ' His Bolin?ss refers to the tai.ure of previous Papal peace etforts, since v."hien the war had become more cruel, extending over land and tea, eve-u in the air to dofeuccless cities and quiet villages, where innocent inhabitants •were s 1 ricken with desolation and death. The Note envisages the niuJtipLed, aggravated sufferings if the war continues perhaps tor year. 3 -, and asks: '' Must- the world b-come a. held of death, and Europe spscd to the abyss of its own suicide'iherefore a s--nse of supreme duty as the Father of the, i- anhful -red alio the solicitaof his children imploring int-sr-vsnuon, as ■'•ell a*, th© voice of humanity and reason, imp©! him to renf-w his pressing appall for y.osoe But. in order that ho should not confine himself any longer to general terms as previously, ho new submit;, more concrete, practical proposals, and invito? the belligerent Governments to deliberate on thefollowmg noints. •■•'nich seem to form th.:- basis for a fair, lasting peace: ' • Primarily *.be fundamental pair.tr-. ought to bo the j.ubstiliition for material force or arms of the moral forces of right, frore which an agreement- could be effected tor a sunultoneon?. reciprocal reduction of armaments according t-c rules and guarantees to a degroa only accessary for the*, maintenance of pubhe order m each State Then the establishment of arbitration, providing for concerted action xind penalties against a Stats revising to submit international questions to arbitration or to accept the decisions. The Note proceeds tu express the view that once the supremacy of rightwas thus established rule 3 could be fixed assuring real liberty and the freedom of the seas, thus eliminating the numerous causes of dispute ana opening to all new sources of prosperity ar.d progress. His Holiness does not see other means for solving the question of reparation and payments of war costs than bv complete mutual liquidation as a genera! princmie. He refers in this connection to the immense benefits from disarmament, and says besides that it is incomprehensible that the carnage continue for economic reasons. Peaceful agreements were impossible without reciprocal restitution of occupied territories. Consequently Germany should evacuate Belgium, guaranteeing her unhampered independence, and also French territory. The other group of belligerents should restore the uerman colonies. V ;th regard to territorial questions such as Italy and Austria and Germany and France have the Pope expressed the opinion that the nations con cil iai: or ily should examine tno matter, taking into consideration the people's aspirations as far as possible ana co-ordinating .special interests for the general good of human society. The same spirit of equity ar.d justice should animate the nations in the examination of other territorial and political quest-ions, particularly relating to Armenia, the Balkan States aim the territories comprising the old kingdom of Poland. The noble historic traditions and the long suffering of the latter, especially m the present- war, should arouse tho nations' sympathies.' The Note believes that the acceptance of the foregoing leading points would prevent the recurrence of quarrels and would prepare for the solution of the economic question. It concludes with an earnest prayerful appeal to the nations to turn a favourable ear to the communication. Cardinal Gasparri, the Papal Secretary of State, in a covering letter to the Note, asks the King to convey copies to the Presidents of France and United States and the King of Italy, m consequence of the absence of diplomatic relations.