LABOUR'S WAR AIMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 109, 25 January 1918, Page 7

LABOUR'S WAR AIMS

THE BRITISH CONFERENCE BASIS OF DEMOCRATIC PEACE (Rec. January 24, 11.30 p.m.) London, January 23. Mr. Purdy, in liis presidential address to the Labour-Conference at Netting-, ham, said that peace "by negotiation while Germany occupied foreign territories would'mean a German victory. If- Germany did not accept President Wilson's or Mr. Lloyd George's terms wo must fight on. Germany could no longer clairii that she was'fighting a defensive war. There was not yet any sign that the onemy was willing to accept Mr. Lloyd George's or President Wilson's labours and principles. "Would the German democracy," ho asked, "definite its war aims and face its Government as we had faced our Government?" The way was open to Germany, if the German people and Government sincerely desired a just peace in place of an agreement which under present conditions would mean the fastening of militarism stronger on the people or Germany and the peoples of the' British Empire and the world. "We must, have a clean peace, and if that he only obtniriableyby'.fighting we must go on fighting to the end." Mr. Huysman, secretary to the International Socialist Bureau, said that if ' the moderato democratic war aims of the Labour Party were presented at an International. Labour Conference, then the Austrc-German Labour Party lvould be compelled to-declare its war aims, and if a gdneral agreement transpired, the fighting would be paralysed. —Reuter. Mr. Arthur Henderson moved a resolution welcoming Mr. Lloyd George's and President Wilson's war aims and statements in so far as they harmonised with Labour's aims, and requesting the Allies to formulate their aims at tlw earliest possible moment in order that they might be juxtaposed with ft similar "statement which the democracies of the enemy countries would be tt- quested to make. The resolution was carried, practically unanimously.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.