SOCIALIST WAR AIMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 136, 26 February 1918, Page 7

SOCIALIST WAR AIMS

COMPLETE AGREEMENT REACHED

" OUR IRREDUCIBLE MINIMUM"

London, February 24. The Inter-Allied Socialist Conference has ended. It reached complete agreement as to its war .aims.- The conference is taking steps to notify its decisions to the Socialist parties h: the Central Umpires. It is uiso- sending a delegation to confer with- President Wilson and Mr. Samuel Gompem (president of the American Federation of Labour). At a farewell luncheon to the delegates, Mr. Henderson, who presided, expressed gratification at the tact that the conference had substantially accepted British Labour's war aims which were formulated in December. The conference, he said, had decided for the absolute freedom and integrity of Belgium, Serbia, Eumanin, . and Montenegro; and that every territorial change be based on justice and right, making for a permanent world's peace. . . "These are our irreducible minimum," said Mr. Henderson.- "When, secured wo desire to begin the rullest intercourse with all. nations. We repudiate every attempt to institute an economic boycott or the commercial and financial isolation of Clormwi.'-. The conflict can only bo' ended by one of three ways — namely", by militarism, exhaustion, or conciliation. We arc convinced that al! the belligerents must eventually resort to conciliation. Nothing is further from the truth than that"Labour is only concerned in holding out the olive branch to the enemy. We will not negotiate with the olive branch while the enemy's hand holds the sword. Both sides must tin prepared to abandon militarism hefo r o a settlement is possible."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

DISPOSAL OFTHE COLONIES

(Roc. February 25, 11.40 p.m.) , ...... London, Febnury 24. The Inter-Aliied Socialist Corference decisions included tflt'i following clause regarding the colonies; — "That the return of the colonies to their pre-war possessore, or such _ exchange and compensations which might bo effected, should not. impede 'the making of peace.- Those colonies that have been taken by conquest from any belligerent must be made the subject of special consideration at the Peace Conference as to which' of the communities in their neighbourhood will be entitled to take part. By a clause in the treaty of peace,, on this part, they must secure economic equality of treatment in such territories for the peoples of all nations, and thereby guarantee that none shall be shut out from legitimate access to raw materials and prevented from disposing of their own products or deprived of their Broiler share in economic development.''— Renter.