The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-11
Votes by Large Majority to
Meet at Council Table With
German Delegates
BUT EMPHASIZES
ESSENTIAL TERMS
Restoration and PREPARATION
Is Slogan - Conference to
Meet Next Month Now In
cludes Delegates From Three
Beligerents

London. Aug. l0.-British organ
ICED labor won its fight today for par
ticipation in the Socialist peace con-
gress at Stockholm. to be held early
next month.
The victory consisted Of the adop-
ton. by majority of aal 900 votes
the Stockholm conference.
Only one condition was stipulated:
That the international conference be
consultative. not binding. British
labor holds. in contradiction TO the
view of the Russian Socialists, that
the discussion OF peace terms and the
actual conclusion OF peace are the
tasks OF governments. not Of parties.
A stormy Meeting.
The meeting of the British Labor
party. which took place at West
minister, was the stormiest held any
where In Great Britain since the out
break OF the war, AT times the up
roar arising from the wide divergence
of views on details, threatened TO
hreak I'D the meeting. CHARGES and
counter charges. C fu m n lie and
threats few thick and fast. TWO
eminent labor leaders engaged in nsti-
curfs-James Ramsay Macdonald ana
VIII Thorn.
The card vote of the six hundred
delegates was 1.046. 900 to $4,000.
tAf
nrtne movers of British participation
In the Stockholm conference was
Arthur Henderson. member OF the war
council Only two weeks ago, when
ne first announced his change of mind
with regard to the conference. coun
try-wide controversy arose as 70
whether II was proper for the British
government to retain him as mem
Der Since then the tide In favor OF
the stockholm meeting has grown so
rssyvs eyrSsl hsas SOS. .s - daG.5says w2s sa
great surprise.
Constituted n Challenge.
Yet this decision. with its over
.whelming majority. constitutes an
open challenge to the government
which-with the exception OF Hender
son, has been unequivocally opposed
TO British participation Premier
Lloyd George has explicitly and pub
licly denounced the agitators OF the
plan, stating that they were more
concerned about ending than about
winning the war"
With today's result at Westminster
the working elements Of three grea,
elligerents-Russia. Germany and
England in the order named. have
now subscribed to the Stockholm plan
French organized labor is not YET
definitely agreed. The italian and So
cialists were today reported as having
decided against sending delegates.
Arthur Henderson and Ramsay
Macdonald did most toward swinging
the vast majority OF the delegates for
the stockholm conference. Just be
fore the vote Macdonald sounded this
rallving cry:
BURY the past. go to Stockholm. lay
your case before the conference. hear
generally and return with the basis
of peace in your pockets"
Hcnderson's Change.
There was a tough of irony about
Macdonald's part In the meeting. In
June he and Jewett were arrested to
prevent them from going to PetroErad
Tho government was apprehensive thai
they would return to agitate for Brit
ish representation at Stockholm. Hen
derson was permitted to go. He had
opposed the Stockholm conference UT
to that time. But he came back and
proceeded to do precisely what had
British participation. At today's meet
ing Macdonald was his chief engi-
neer
But II there prevails anywhere the
slightest notion that British labor to.
day went on record as favoring peace
al any price. II should be promptly
dispelled. The keynote OF every
speech was unqualified opposition tc
Prussian militarism. Moreover, a
confession Of faith" drawn up by the
executive COMMITTEES and published In
a London paper today. lists all the
grievances against Germany expressed
time and time again by British and
other entente statesmen.
Restoration and Reparation.
1t outlines terms based upon rs.
storation and reparation, with Bel.
GUMS restitution and Independence
on top and with tho inclusion Of the
restoration to France OF Alsao- Lor.
raine.
The main significance OF today's de-
cision. as viewed by political observ-
ers. In that the bulk Of British labor
overcame It's originally strong opposi-
ton to the idea OF meeting German
delegates at a common council table
Here are tho three main reasons
for the change Of front. a. touched
upon In the leading speeches at the
meeting;
l. The fear Of offending the Rus
sian Socialists.
2. The fear Of the outcome of a
Stockholm meeting between Russia nj
and Germans alone,
3. The fear Of tho effect on the Ger.
man Socialists of British refusal.
The main issue In connection with
tho Stockholm meeting now il wheth-
er the Russians will swing around ia
the Henderson condition that II mug,
be q consultation. nat 4 hinAina oAn.