Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-27

CAItiutts IA o1hcfS1 Csifeiss.
The same cautious conservatism toward
the conference prevails in even greater
degree In official circles. A Swedish gov
ernment official at the foreign office ex-
pressed to me, as his personal view that
while the peace striyings Of the socialists
In Stockholm were certainly interesting.
ana entitled to respectful consideration,
1t was very much to be doubted whether
they could accomplish anything toward
bringing about peace. in view of the al
most hopeless complexity of the peace
problem.
My official informant was, therefore. in
clfned to continue the wait and see" at
titude. The principal and real importance
to be attached to the conference, he
thought, was the fact that it would tend
to nourish the desire for peace among
the masses Of the warning countries
Moral Effect on Masses.
The Scandinavian socialists and the in
ternational delegates take a more opti-
mistic view. but they. too, agree that the
principal result. at least for the imme-
the suffering masses. This. however,
they held. would alone justify the Stock
holm conference: If, as a result of their
verbose deliberations. the war were to be
shortened by even one day. they feel
their efforts would not have been in
vain.
1 gathered the impression that the
socialist clans now fiocking to the
swedish mecca, most of whom are by
no means fanatics. have not fooled
themselves into believing that a real
peace conference will result from the
socialist conference. but they are firm
~ convinced they are paving the way
for it-doing necessary pioneer work
On first invading the socialist lair
one feels the conference to be still a
rather amateurish affair. 1t is a con-
ference without a press agent. There
appears to be no driving power, no or
ganiZed propaganda, back of it-which
perhaps is something in it's favor The
socialists appear to be much more in
terested in pouring out their hearts
and troubles to one another than in
telling the world all about it.
Program and Publicity.
The publicity specialists of the con-
ference are said to be the Dutch So
cialists. Huysmans and Engberg, but
they keep no office hours for the call
ing correspondent. The working pro-
gram consists of daily conference,
! lasting from 10 until 2 o'clock, be-
tween the Dutch and Scandinavian del
egates and the separate visiting dele
gates. After each socialist delegation
has fully explained and exhausted the
peace wishes of the socialists in the
country it represents brief summary
report is made public.
What has been accomplished so far
is that the Bulgarian delegation has
been heard and finished with. The
Finnish delegates now are expressing
their views. After the Firms will prob
ably come the turn of the Hungarians
and Austrians and the delegates from
Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition
to the official deliberations at socialist
headquarters informal conferences and
interchanges of peace thoughts take
place all afternoon and evening in the
crowded lobby of the Hotel Conti
mental, where most Of the socialists
are staying.
French and English Absent.
The total absence of socialists from,
France and England gives the inter-
national conference a one-sided cast.
a condition by no means relieved BY
the presence of a few Russians or
doubtful afiliations. and one American
socialist-"the Millionaire Hobo"-J
Eads How-whereas delegates from
the Teutonic allies are here in pro-
fusion and more coming.
Out to Boost Bulgaria.
! or the horde of international social
| lists in Stockholm the Bulgarian DELE
gates are wide-awake hustlers, who
might pass for east side politicians inn
bued with almost American wide
awakeness and all of them ont to
boost Bulgaria.
The alleged self-styled international
socialists. / discover. become intensely
national when discussing their own
country's interests. and this is particu-
larly true of the Bulgarians, for whom
Bulgarian unity is the one great
world shaking peace problem. peace
without annexation by all means-but
Continued on Thirteenth Page.)