New Britain herald., 1917-08-15
WHY THOMAS fAVORS STOCKHOLM MEETING
Believes It May Effect Peace As
 Quickly As Armies


 French socialists believe 1t advisable to attend the Stockholm conference are given in a speech of Albert Thomas, socialist member of the French war council to his constituents on Sunday, the full text of which has just been published. It had been awaited with extreme interest in connection with the vote in the Cham Der, August 3. when the socialists either voted against the government or abstained from voting.
 MT. Thomas began by admitting that three years of war have not yet given France all the results which the efforts of its soldiers and work CTS deserve Continuing MT. Thomas said:
 Since the beginning of the year we have had hours of great hope; the Russian revolution being deliv- cred at moment when it might have been feared that Czarism was making a separate peace, and the entry in the war of the great pacifist Ameri- can republic which could hasten the hour of victory and peace.
 We have also undergone fresh trials. Our offensive of April 16, while not the check it had been rep resented to be. had not given the strategic results we had a right to expect: The Russian offensive, be- ginning well was stopped by Russian weakness. The Anglo-French made advances in Flanders but an inn mediate result can not be expected from such tactical successes. Some of our comrades and also a part of public opinion feel apprehensive. Some ask if 1t is possible to anticipate a military victory and if 1t is not possible to arrive at a just peace more rapidly by some other means"
 Turning to the Stockholm question M. Thomas admitted the difficulty. while French and German soldiers are killing each other at the front, for French socialists to meet the Ger man socialists and discuss in safety conditions of peace. He dwelt length found during his visit to Russia among simple soldiers. Such senti- ment made it advisable for the French to go to Stockholm to express
 
 The declaration of the German majority socialists that Alsace-Lor- raine must remain German made their presence at Stockholm impos- sible.
 'Some of our socialists think, continued MT. Thomas, that by going to Stockholm we could hasten the hour of peace. The conference will not and cannot bring immediate peace. To combat this baleful idea we could bring all our forces to bring pressure to bear on our gOv- ernment, but the German socialists would be powerless to exercise any on theirs and we should be dupes"
 MT. Thomas then read the decisions reached to attend the conference, saying they satisfied them.
 when the socialist party after its sacrifices to the national defense dur ing three years war declares it wishes to go to a conference like that at MT. Thomas said "it has a right to full confidence. No one has right to fear it may betray or serve ill the cause of the country when it wishes to perform what is an act of national de- fense."
 As regards the opportuneness of the conference MT. Thomas pointed out that although Premier Kerensky and the Russian government had ceased to consider tthe conference l desirable, MT. Skobeleff, Russian min- ster of labor and the Council of Workmen's and Soldiers delegates still thought it desirable.
 Discussing Frances general policy which include the setting free of every European-Alsatian, Pole, ] Czech, Jugo- -Slav-be alluded to the l reserve he at times had to make in l the cabinet against certain ambigu- 1 ous formulas which might, strictly l speaking, seem infected by imperial | sm.