MR. HENDERSON IN DEFENCE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3163, 15 August 1917, Page 5

MR. HENDERSON IN DEFENCE

HIS PART IN THE STOCKHOLM DECISION

AND THE VISIT TO PARIS MR. LLOYD GEORGE'S REPLY (Kec. August M, 0.15 p.m.) n i,, London, "August '3. Air. Arthur Henderson, speaking from liio Labour benches in (lie llouse of Commons, said he intended to speak at length, owing to the unprecedented and dangerous' Press campaign concerning his position in (he Cabinet and his actions at the. Labour Conference. It would be almost impossible, he said, to find anv piocodenl, in the history of Ministerial resignations, for tho conduct of the Primo Minister and his colleagues during the week-end. He had received the first intimation of tho acceplanco of his resignation from the newspapers, though lie was still working in tho office of tho War Cabinet. Mr. Lloyd. George, after the decision of tho Labour Conference, had said that his position, as assistantsecretary of the LaboilrTarty was in compatible with his membership of tho Cabinet. He chose tlu former, He only wished Mr. Lloyd George had emulated tho character and spirit of his letter of resignation. The Stockholm Conference. The full story regarding the Stockholm Conference, he went on to say, e.ouAd not be told at present. lie would wait till tho time came when it would be possible to state all the facts without: injury to the national interests, bnt the Press attacks forced him to deal with certain events regardless of the consequences. He iadvised the Labour Tarty on June 25 to accept the invitation 'to Stockholm. His visit to Paris was discussed at a special meeting of the Cabinet. The day before his departure ho wired tho Labour Party's decision to Mr. Lloyd George, who was then in Paris. Mr. Lloyd George and his colleagues stood convicted of having intimated to tho Houso that the arrangements for his Paris visit were made without their knowledge. Mr. Lloyd George interjected: The only wire I received said that you were coming to Paris with the Russian delegates and Mr. Ramsay Macdonald. Mr Bonar Law also interposed: Mr. Henderson's colleagues gave no intimation of his intention} to go to Paris until his arrangements had been. made. They clearly expressed disapproval of the visit.

Mr. Henderson replied: "That does not alter the fact that Cabinet, at a flpecinl meeting, discussed my visit." He announced at that meeting the . labour Executive's decision to recommend the acceptance of the Stockholm invitation. The opinion of Cabinet was sharply divided. All his colleagues opposed him, and he offered to ■ resign. He explained to Mr. Lloyd George jus opinion regarding a consultative conference at Stockholm.

After bis return from Paris Mr'. Lloyd George invited him to attend a special Cabinet meeting. Ho was kept waiting outside for a full hour, and then Mr. Barnes was sent out to make a statement. He (Mr. Henderson) said to Mr. Barnes: "I do not do business in this way," adding that he was either a Cabinet Minister or not. If the former, he would talk in Cabinet/ Mr. Barnes conveyed the message, and Mr. Henderson was admitted to tho room. Mr. Lloyd George explained that he had kept him waiting out of regard for his personal feelings. He (Mr. Henderson) protested against his treatment, ando-,m-plained that he had not been given an opportunity to state in Cabinet his reasons in favour of the Stockholm meeting. Cabmefnlready had received tho Law Officers' advice against participation. He suggested an immediate announcement regarding this if the Government proposed to act upon it. Also, ho would resign if Cabinet did act upon it. The other Labour. Ministers considered . that tho Labour Conference should not be. fetTered by the Law Officers' adyice. Mr. Henderson denied that he had been requested to aqnnuince tho Government's position, to Frnay's conference. He would have resigned first. Mr. Lloyd George, in his letter, said that if he (Mr. Henderson) had been committed to iho Stockholm Conference he ought to have resigned. His speech on Friday was simply an impartial statement of the *Labour Executive's views. Ho epoko as the Labour secretary, and contended that he gave the conference a correct summary of the Russian Government's position. He was censured for not stating that the Russian Government was opposed to a mandatory conference. He im-' pressed that upon the If the telegram was received from M. Kcrensky on Friday, he had not received it, but while ho was waiting in the Premiers secretary's room after the close' of iho conference ho was told that M. Iverinsky in a telegram had disassociated himself from the Stockholm Conference, he received a letter from Mr. Lloyd George on Friday when quitting the platform. Mr. Henderson explained that ho did not read Mr. Lloyd George's letter to the conference because he had already informed tho conference of Russia's position regarding the Stockholm Conference. "Cabinet was aware that I resolutely favoured the Stockholm Conference. Mr. Lloyd George's letter suggest that I should have resigned, knowing the adverse view of my colleagues. If I had resigned before tlie conference the vote in favour of sending delegates to Stockholm would have .ijpen larger, enabling it to be said that" it not a vote on the inerits of the' question, Bui on' my resignation." ,

Mr. Lloyd George's Reply. Mr. Lloyd George said ho did not intend to reply to ,| the trivialities which 'comprised.three-quarters of Mr. Henderson's speech. All the Cabinet Ministers understood that Mr.. Henderson had changed his mind, and intended to strongly oppose tho Stockholm Conference and state the Government's position. If Mr. Henderson bad done tho latter ho would have greatly influenced the Labonir Conference against tho Stockholm meeting. Replying to Mr. Philip Snowden, Mr. Lloyd George refused to state who wrote the telegram he received on Friday. His letter to Mr. Henderson on Friday was sent in good time, and should 1 avo •reached him in good time. At all events Mt. Henderson cotfio TTavo read it at the conference beforo the vote was taken, and that would have made a substantial cifferenco in tho voting of tlie .vast majority at tho conference. Nothing could be moro fatal than such conference with the enemy at, the very moment when Russia's first 6top towards the restoration of discipline was to prevent fraternisation with the. armies at the front. Jhe I'.nglisli, French, Italian, and American Governments were agreed upon that, and had decided that peace terms, if discussed, must be discussed by the representatives of tho whole nation. He was tho last man to disparage Labour's powers, but Labour was not tho wlnle <f the people. When peaco came to be made it must be made by tho nation as a whole. Britain would not bo doing licr duty to her Allies, especially to Russia, if 'lie concentrated upon n sectional poace. Mr. Asquith's Comment.

Mr. Asqnith said lio regretted tho unfortunate controversy. There undoubtedly bad been some misunderstanding. The disclosures showed tho impossibility of a JtTtnistor filling a dual capacity. A conflict of interests must eventually arise. Tho only which would satisfy llio Allied peonies awl recompense them for their sacrificed was a peaco approved by tho peoples of all tbo countries concerned. Ho would be sorry if, as tho result of tbis debate it should go forth to the world that Labour favoured going to Stockholm to pavo tho way for a arecarious and dishonourable peace. Lab-, declaration' of policy showed that they were determined to piirsuo the war to the end. There was no doubt about Labour except for an' insignificant minority i Tho pacifists ncccptcd Mr. Asquith's advice not to pursue tho matter further, and tho subject was dropped,—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn,

MR. HENDERSON'S SUMKSOB (Rec. August 11, 9.20 p.m.) London, August 13. The Press Bureau states: Mr. (j. NV Barnes lias been appointed a member of the War Cabinet, vice Mr. Henderson.—• Aus.-N.H. Cablo Assu.-Heuter. THE STOCKHOLM MEETING AMERICAN LABOUR DECLINES TO ATTEND. London, August 13. Mr. Samuel Gompens, president of the American Federation oi' Labour, has telegraphed to Mr. Havelock Wilson, president of the S&nneu's and .firemen's Union, stating that 'the American Federation will not be represented at the block ho! ii j Conference, which, it /egards as prejudicial to the cause of permanent peace and democracy. 'Mr. Gompere adds that he is uiiablo to accept Mr. Wilso.i's invitation to visit England, as his duties forbid him to leave America.—Reuter. M. KERENSKY AND THE CONFERENCE. London, August 33. The Russian delegates now in London declare that there is no evidence that M. Kerensky opposes the conference at Stockholm. The Russian Government cannot officially support the conference, but does not oppose it.—Aun.-N.Z. Cable Assn. STATUS OF TUB CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS. London, August 1-3. The ''Daily News" Stockholm correspondent states that lluysmans, one of the organisers of the conference, opposes the view that resolutions should be binding, and adds they could' only become binding if confirmed by tho organisations represented.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. . GERMAN COMMENT ON THE CONFERENCE Amsterdam, August 13. The "Vorwaerts" rejoices at the i'ritisH decision to attend the Stockholm Conference, and says: "It is the first step, and cannot remain the only stop. The British delegates will learn that it is impossible to preach the continuation of tho war by giving the German Minority Socialists additional evidence against tho German Government. A single discussion, with the German delegates will show the British hew naive they are." A semi-offioial message from Berlin states that if the matter of responsibility for the war is placed on the agenda paper for the Stockholm Conference the Serbian Socialists will probably jot attend—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.