ATTITUDE OF BRITISH LABOUR

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11752, 4 February 1918, Page 5

ATTITUDE OF BRITISH LABOUR

IMPORTANT STATEMENT BY MR HENDERSON (Reuter's Telegrams.) (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.) LONDON, February 2. Mr 'A. Henderson has issued a statement to the Press, urging the Government to withdraw its refusal to separately meet the representatives of the Society of Engineers, and also appealing to the workers not to embarrass the Labour leaders or jeopardise the unity of the international movement. He declares that democratic diplomacy has begun, and he opines that the alleged Labour Conference meeting in London on 20th February, would achieve an agreement among all the Allied working-class oai'ties upon a policy, to secure a democratic peace. Such a peace would come when the Governments were resolutely told that peace must bo made at once on such terms and no other. . Th© statement adds: "Information "i my possession shows that the industrial situation is graver, Snd more pregnant of disastrous possibilities than at any period in the war. A crisis of the first magnitude i> threatened. The workmen's temper is dangerous. I.he Government s unyielding attitude is bringing the country to the vergo of industrial revoiUt!°He appeals to workmen to realise the gravity of their step in threatening a strike. Unless the Governments declare an armistic and negotiate, the action of the working classes of the Central Poweis may cipitate a crisis, when the arrangements we are making for concentrated action by the international democracy, in the direction of a gencial peace are rapidly approaching completion.