LABOUR AND PEACE.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15989, 25 August 1917, Page 10

LABOUR AND PEACE.

► \ • THE STOCKHOLM CONFERENCE. . . STATEMENT BY KERENSKY. ( 7>- Cable —Press Association. —Copyright.) (R<nitor's Tolcprams.) ! TETR.CGRAD, August 23. M. Kerens'ky, in a statement publishf:! led in the organ of the Soldiers and I Workmen's Committee, declared that ' the Provisional Government considered 'Russian adhesion to treaties with Brii tain una Franco a question of conI htiencc and honour. In view of the Al- ■ : lied Government's attitude towards the i; Stockholm Conferenco, the latter's dei cinons cannot, modify Russian policy !' concerning these, treaties. The StockI holm Conference was a party and not I a Government affair. At the same time, j the Russian Government aimed at !' facilitating the holding of a coufe.r- ---! once, with the Socialist parties partici- • pa ting. I VETERANS' EMPHATIC' , j PROTEST. . ij i (Roller's Telegrams.) i, (Received August 24th, 5.20 p.m.) •!.; LONDON, August 23. t I The Secretary of the National FedeV ration of Discharged Soldiers and ja:i lors has telegraphed to tho King and ■ ! : in tho Premier: — "Tho 250,000 men who fought at -> ; 3lons, the Marne, the Aisne Ypres, and j-' Jutland, protest against tho xisj|j cussiou of peace at Stockholm or !': olecwliorc. Arc all our sacrifices to bo (j; i in vain ? Remember, we once helped to !|:| save Europe.'' 5 l' IMPRISONMENT FOR PACIFIST. ',j|j ("The Time*") J LONDON, August 23. i|l John P. T?. Flctchcr, who was for'l rnerly a well-known pacifist in Aus!p tralia and New Zealand, has been sen.ifj tencod to two years' imprisonment with lis hard labour for refusing to handle a % rifle.

Tho J. P. Flctcher mentioned in the ,! cable is almost certainly the man of similar name who was a prominent •figure in tho Passive Resistors' Union in Christchurch. Ho, with several others, made a practice of encouraging young jnon to refuse to perform tlieir military, training, and the meetings at the Clock Tower gradually bccame so rowdy .that tho police arrested several speakers for causing obstruction to the traffic. In most cases the> fines inflicted -were paid, but Fletcher and a comrado clcctcd to "take-it out," and 6crved a short sentence accordignly. ROOSEVELT'S PEACE VIEWS. (Australian and IC.Z. Cable Association.) NEW YOItK, August 23. Ex-Prcsidont Roosevelt, addressing the Belgian Mission, declared that an , • inconclusivo peace -would bo the great- ( est menace to civilisation. Peace was unacceptablo unless fclio terms gave tho ( heaviest indemnity to Belgium for her ! Josses and sufferings. t