"FRIENDS IN GERMANY"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 239, 27 June 1918, Page 5

"FRIENDS IN GERMANY"

MR. HODGE'S CRITICISM OF . .LABOUR LEADERS. Mr. John Hodge, Minister of Pensions, addressing a meeting at Hanley, England, under the auspices of the North Staffs ' branches of iron and steel trade confederation, of which he is president, said that if they read the debates in the - House of Commons recently they could not co'me to the conclusion that there was a Labour Party,- One section went into one lobby, the other section into the other.. ■ i . "One section of the Labour Party talk about" their, friends in Germany," he . proceeded. "They talk about peace by negotiation. Well, wo know wliat peace by negotiation has done for the simpleminded Bolshevik in Russia. Then they, say that men like myself who talk about not having an open door to the Germans after the war are seeking to perpetuate an economic war. Wβ don't want to do anything of the kind, but what we <lo Bay is that, after the brutalities of the. Germans, how can we permit them to come into this country with their goods •ifter the war as they did before the war? Then, looking at it from uuother point of view, I am not willing, as -a steel . worker, and you are not willing, as iron and steel workers, to have furnaces idle . in this country while'Gorman'.steel is being dumped into it. When every-fur-nace is working, and we cannot supply our own needs, then we can buy from other people, but I say not until then." After a warm tribute to the work of tho iron , and steel trades, and to the heroism, of the men at the front, Mr. Hodge said: "I am wondering also whether in our own interest, as a confederation, the time has not • come when .wo ought to make a move to have a trade union party, instead of that mongrel, nondescript kind of thine that we have to-day. You cannot blend oil and water, and you cannot blend eood, sound, honest trade unionists with the friends of Germany professedly, who are inside thoparty." ' , ' ~'