New Britain herald., 1917-08-02
PREMIER CHAMPION
 0F MIR. HENDERSON
Asks Commons Not to Act Hastily
 on Peace Mission

London, Aug. 2.-James Henry Thomas, labor member of the house of parliament, warned the government yesterday that if labor members were prevented from discussing peace by refusal of passports to countries where it is proposed to hold conferences it would be inviting the labor party to step in and force the governments hands. The debate was on the ques- ton whether the government was act ing constitutionally and in the na- tional interest in permitting Arthur Henderson, member of the war coun- cil, to accompany a pacifist mission, including James Ramsay Macdonald and George James Wardle, both mem bers of parliament, to Paris.
 The government, said Lloyd George, proposed to take no part in any con- ference such as MT Henderson de- scribed either by a representative or by having a member present. It would allow no sectional conference to dictate terms of peace. That was the responsibility of the government.
 1T happened to be in Paris at the same time as MT. Henderson," said MT. Lloyd George, "but I was discuss ing the best means of prosecuting the war, and the conference which it t5 proposed to resume in London in the next few days with representatives of the great Allied nations will have the same purpose"
 Proceeding to allude to MT. Tender sons dual position, the premier, after paying a tribute to MT. Henderson's war work on munitions and recruiting, said there were similar dual positions in Paris where labor had done great war work and before he considered what had been criticized as anomalous he should like to discuss it with his French colleagues who are in the same position, and the French pre- mier would be here within AS hours. On the main question the government had paid no attention to pacifists but devoted its whole time to prosecuting the war.
 Lloyd George agreed that there was something in Mr. Henderson's con- tention as to advantages and disadvan- tages which should be weighed. He wondered whether the house realized the explosive material there was about He never despised the allied cause and felt confident Russia would recover, but he begged them to give her a chance. The man in charge of the Russian destinies was facing overwhelming difficulties. He had to deal with a nation bursting into life and blinded with it's dazzle, staggering, groping and stumbling. The Rus sians had asked us to assist them, and we are doing our best to help them and not give offense. What had hap pened in the last few days had opened the Russian ayes. They saw the per ills of the catastrophe. He begged the house not to pass nasty judgment It must realize the vital necessity of pre- serving unity in order to accomplish victory. England was a country upon which the Allies depended more than any other.
 If they began to dissolve and disn- tegrate and f1ng one colleague after another into the arms of those fight ing for the pacifsts ends then he real. ly would despair. He appealed to the house to preserve unity in order that we might win a victory worthy of the cause for which so many sacri- fees have been made"
 After hearing MT. Henderson's ex- planation of his mission, which strong ly emphasized his views that the pro- posed conference should be merely consultive and cannot in any way be binding, MT. Lloyd Georges praise which dilated on MT. Henderson's valuable services and his plea to the house not to pass nasty Judgment or insist on any immediate explanation as to why certain courses had been taken, a motion of Viscount Duncannon. unionist member for Dover, to con- sider whether the government was acting constitutionally in permitting MT. Henderson to accompany the mis- sion was talked out.