The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-07-27

out that the time had come for an
active effort for peace and this eff
fort would bring about peace that
would not be disturbed by prepare
tions for war.
Charles P. Trevelyan, who seconded
the resolution, agreed in condemning
the uncertainty in the speech of the
German Chancellor, DR.. Michaelis,
and said they were all agreed that
peace awaited the restoration of Bel
GUM and France, without any eco
nomic or other conditions.
He also doubted whether there
be peace until all the governments
clearly and expressly repudiated the
idea Of conquest or annexations. While
it might be the duty of the govern
ment to reply to the German Chan
cellor, it was the duty of the House
of Commons to reply to the Reichstag
resolution:
Mr.. Asquith thought the previous
speakers attached more importance
to the Reichstag resolution than it
really deserved. They seemed to have
forgotten the circumstances under
which it was passed. After an OBJ
scure struggle in Berlin in which for
a time it seemed as If the advocates
of a relatively m -de~n policy would
get their way, the military chiefs ap-
peared on the scene and secured the
dismissal of the Imperial Chancellor,
in whom the Emperor only few
DAYS before had expressed his I'M
bounded confidence.
Peace, said Mr.. Asquith, had be-
come the supreme interest of man
kind, but subject to an all important
condition, namely, that 1t is peace
which does not defeat the purpose for
| which the great nations entered upon
| and have continued the war and that
| it does not turn to waste the i'm
measurable iloss and suffering which
they had shared and are sharing in
common.
| He welcomed the news that a con-
ference would be held on the invita-
ton of the Russian government. Moth
ing but good could come of a plain. re-
statement of the Allies aims in
good cause. Two new facts of the
present year-first, that Russia. had
ceased forever to be autocratic, and,
lssecond, the appearance, with all her
moral and material forces, of the
/ United States in the struggle, had a
| direct and practical bearing upon the
opinion of the world as to the SINGER
i iity Of the Allies aims.
/ "They meant" continued the former
\ Premier, that the allied nations now
] include an overwh Ginning majority OF
4 the free peoples of the world. The
i Allies are fighting for nothing but
freedom and nothing short Of free
i dom. That is the policy Of this great
and unprecedented aggregation of free
peoples.
Earnestly as we desire peace. nc
peace is worth having which would
leave countries like Belgium, Serbia
i and Greece at the mercy of dynastfe
Intrigue or under the menace of mil
litary coercion. It would be prema-
ture and futile to grapple in detail
with the geographical problems event
d ually to be solved He added:
1.-THE principle clearly agreed to by
every one Of the Allies is that in any
j:re-arrangement made the governing
principle ought to be the interests and
y the wishes of the populations affected
!, hut is that principle acceptable stc
; the Central Powers? Is Germany
3 prepared not only to evacuate Bel.
l:gium but to make reparation for the
q colossal mischief and damage which
accompanied her devastating occupa.
ton and the practical enslavement OF
la large portion Of the Belgian people
Is she prepared not only to do thai
tence of, but absolute Independence
Mr.. Asquith thought that the. Ger
man people was the greatest obstacls
to peace, but said that was matter
for the GGerman people themselves