Labour Conference

Taihape Daily Times, 25 January 1918, Page 5

Labour Conference

CHALLENGE TO GERMAN DE

MOCRACY

LONDON, Jan 25

Mr Purdy, in his president

dress at the Labour Conference; ai Nottingham, said that peace by nego-

tiation, while Germany occupies for

eign territory, would mean a German

victory. President

If Germany did not accept Wilson's and Lloyd

George's terms, we must fight on.Germany could no longer claim that

she was lighting' a defensive war.

There was not yet any sign that tne enemy was willing to accept Mr Lloyd George's, President Wilson's, and Labour's principles Would the

German democracy define its war aims and face its Government as we faced our Government? The way was open to Germany, if the German people and Government sincerely desired

a just peace. A peace agreement under present conditions would mean the fastening of Militarism more strongly on the people of Germany, the peoples of 'the British Empire, and of the world. We must have a clean peace. If it is only obtainable by fighting, we must go on fighting to the end.

Air Hugsman, secretary of the International Socialist Bureau, said that if the moderate democratic war aims of the Labour Party were pre:

to an International Labour Couferenee, then the Austic-German Labour Party would be compelled to declare its war aims, and if a general agreement transpired, the fighting would be paralysed.

LABOURITES STRIVING FOR

PEACE

LONDON, Jan 23

At the Labour Conference, Mr Henderson moved a resolution welcoming Mr Lloyd George's and President Wilson's war aims and statements, so far as they harmonised with the Labomainis, and requesting the Allies to formulate .their aims at the earliest possible moment, in order that they may be juxtaposed with a simuar statement which the democracies Of the enemy countries had been requested to make. The resolution was practically unanimously carried.

STATEMENT BY MR. HENDE

LONDON. Jan 23

Mr Henderson, in a circular to the Labour delegates, recapitulates the Labour war aims. He adds that, all the Socialist parries of Europe no-. agree with the aims of the Bolsheviks, and so does President Wilson 5 " published statement.