New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-07
Socialist Leaders
Divided on Peace
Conference Plans
Majority of Swedish and
Danish Delegates Said
To Be Policeman
Would Aid Belgium
Re-establishment of Devas-
tated France To Be De-
manded at Congress
Would Aid Belgium

stockholm. May cit Is becoming
daily apparent that the Dutch members
Of the International Socialist Bureau
and their Scandinavian party comrades
who are seeking TO prepare the ground
hero for the peace conference arc fish
ing in troubled waters. There is
neither any certainty that there are fish
in the pool, nor that they can agree on
,he proper bait.
It is get too carly 20 hazard guess
as 20 the outcome. but developments t.
date have made it apparen, that the
preliminary task OF getting the repre-
scutatives OF the warning nations 90
gcthcr under one group g. rot going 20
be easy. and that even the ncutra! on
c.uoers Of the conference olc no; IMAM
NOUS on all points.
These differences among the dele
gates need not be considered uubridge-
able. but they exist. Hjalmar Brant-
ing. leader of the orthodox Swedish
Socialists is pro-Entente, while ma
jority Of the Swedish Socialists are
credited with leaning strongly toward
Germany. The Danish Socialists, as a
whole. also are considered pro-German.
Dutch Leader Criticised
Peter Jellcs Trocls;ra, the Dutch So
ctaiist leader, has declared he desired no
separate peace, but he is mildly crit,
ciscd i'm to-days Social Dcmokraten
for his every unfortunate utterances
concerning q separate peace. which IN
some mysterious manner or another
might form the basis for general
peace
Troelst~a has explained that certain
utterances of his on this subject have
been presented in "a false light" but
the local correspondent Of the Budapest
newspaper AS Est" quotes him as say
ING: at is not. however. unthinkable
that universal peace could grow out Of
a successive stries Of separate peace
treaties
There is also room for speculation as
10 whether tie delegates of the Central
Powers will be willing to accept the IN
terpretation by delegates ROW here OF
what constitutes peace without lndem-
mites.
When Camille Huysmans, secretary
Of the international Socialist Congress,
WAS questioned on the programme,
which so far as it has been formulated
calls for peace without indemnltleS. and
asked Does that mean that the IN
vasion of Belgium is to remain une%-
mated ." he fastened to explain that IL
meant nothing of the kind. saying.
when We say peace without lndem-
nit.os we consider that il is understood
that Belgium must be reestabhshed
and that its material losses must be
made good. We do not look on that
IS indemnity"
Favor Belgium's Restoration
This view is shared by all memb ers
who have participated in the confer
ence. according to Branting who has
been chosen to preside over me pre-
lminaIy sessions.
"Relgium must be reestabIshed and
Unidentified and the actual devastation
wrought in the occupied districts OF
France should be made good he said.
"As to France I'm not referring 10 the
unavoidable destruction incident to
war. but to the deliberate laying waste
of the country and to the methods
adopted 10 cripple the countrys eco
monte future" 1910.
ence share your views IN these mat
tiers ."
"Thcy all do as to Belgium. DO not
know their attitude as 10 France. an
swered Branting. 81 may say, moreover
that found Oh my recent trip TO nus
STA that the Modern Russian Socialists
have the same views as to the reha-
bilitation of Belgium
But Will the Modern Russian SO
cialists gain the upper ha"d over me
extreme elements
We hope So" Brantine answered.
Your programme calls Tor peace
without anneNations How about the
French standpoint that the hahulhe
baci. @, Alsace-Lorraine would hot'eoh-
st.tute annexation
u lint is matter which viii prob
otly have 20 DC decided by special con
ferenccs.' said Brantine.
Fishing Excursion" Denied
Hrantirg refuted inputaiions tnat
the conference here had no definite pro.
,,,.nre ~ reality ana was a sort o.
hl,rd fishing excursion, characterizing
.n.b view &C. rather too pesslmls-
the. a.,
~r would De admitted he added,
"fDut OUR work thus far has gwen the
immersion Of certain helplcssreSS
and clumsincss. but tina is mainly DUO
20 the lack Of sufficient preliminary or
Gan'zatoH.