Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-12
HENDERSON QUITS
BRITISH CABINET
Resignation Follows Labor's De-
cision, Under His Guidance, to
Send Delegates to Stockholm.
SEQUEL CAUSES NO SURPRISE
Dual Position as Member of Min
istry and Party Leader Be-
comes Impossible.
SEQUEL CAUSES NO SURPRISE
IBy Associated Press.l

ment by Premier Lloyd George OF Ar
thur Henderson's resignation from the
British War Cabinet followed quickly
under Mr.. Hcnderson's guidance. in
deciding to send delegates to the Stock
holm conference. This sequel caused
no surprise.
The dual position Of Mr. Henderson
as a member Of the Cabinet and az
leader Of the Labor party became i'm
possible when he began to conduct
important measures OF public policy
in his latter capacity, without consul
tation with his colleagues in the Cabi-
net.
Yesterdays decision by the Labor
party caused a sharp difference in the
ranks of labor organizations. as well
as in public opinion. w. A Appleton,
general secretary of the Federation
OF Trades Unions. charges that Mr..
Henderson has destroyed the unity of
the allied democracy and labor. The
Seamen's Union is discussing the ad-
visibility OF calling for a referendum
of all labor unions on the question OF
sending delegates to Stockholm.
Meanwhile the seamen threaten to
prevent ships sailing with the dele
gates.
DIVERSITY OF OPINION
IN NEWSPAPERS IS WIDE
The diversity Of opinion in the news
papers on the situation is wide. I'm
portant journals like the Times and
the Morning Post bitterly oppose one
section Of the public comforting with
other nationalities. particularly with
enemies, on war questions On the
other hand. the important and in no
way pacifist Westminster Gazette
says:
The government should have taken
clear line from the beginning, and
should have told the Russians that il
absolutely trusted our working peo-
pie in comforting with the working
people Of any other country. and was
confident that the allied cause would
be safe In their hands"
The Manchester Guardian also is
among the papers holding similar
views. These papers contend that the
British point Of view and Great Brit
aims objects in the war never have
been really understood by the Rus
slams, who largely consider that they
are "capltalistic" aims. and that Amer
lea Is dominated by the same element.
They claim. also. that the German mi
nority Socialists never have had the
British c2se adequately presented to
them.
PREMIER WRITES SCATHING
LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE
Premier Lloyd George wrote Mr..
ance. in which he practically accuses
Mr. Henderson nf hal 70;
plicity in his dealings both with his
Cabinet colleagues and with the Labor
ties. and promptly gave the letter to
the newspapers. The Premier thereby
created situation which puts Mr..
Henderson on the defensive. and which
may cause the Laborites to retract
their decision to send delegates to
confer with Germans, Russians and
neutrals at the Swedish capital.
Mr.. Henderson stated in a note TO
the press that his position will be
explained to the House of Commons.
The letter OF the Premier makes IL
plain that the Cabinet is opposed to
the stockholm meeting and also that
the present Russian provisional gov
eminent is lukewarm, if not opposed
altogether. The gist of Premier Lloyd
Georges letter is that Mr. Henderson
gave the Cabinet the impression that
he agreed with them
They expected him to advise the La
Dor party against the conference. and
were greatly surprised by his change
OF front They also expected him to
read Premier Kerenskys message re-
sarding Stockholm. but he suppressed
IT, and by SO doing misled the Labor
ties into taking course which they
thought the Russians desired.
IMPORTANT LABOR SOCIETIES
ARRAYED AGAINST VERDICT
Important labor societies already are
arrayed against the verdict of the party
yesterday. and 1t may be reversed by
a referendum or by general consent or.
falling such action. it is wholly pos
sible that the government may act
with France in refusing passports to
Stockholm.
The whole incident is mystifying. Mr..
Henderson's reputation has been that
Of straightforward man, one of the
last Of whom the public would expect
shifty diplomacy or double dealing, and
an honest misunderstanding on his
part may be the real explanation.
Mr. Henderson recently returned
from Russia with the conviction that
the Russians were strong for the
Stockholm conference and that the
British should meet their wishes.
The Saturday Review says that the
government sent Mr.. Henderson to
Petrograd with the intention Of max
ing him ambassador to Russia If 1t
appeared that Laborite would be
more acceptable to the revolutionary
government than Ambassador Buch-
anan, whose previous position as am
bassador to the imperial court might
have prcjudiced the revolutionary
party against him.
MEMBERS OF CABINET
TAKEN ny SURPRISE
Premier Lloyd George, in a letter
accepting Mr.. Henderson's resigna-
ton, said the members OF the British
Cabinet were taken completely by sur
prise by his attitude at the labor con-
ference.
The Cabinet ministers. the Premier
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