The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-06-27

Washington, June 27.-The famous
Petrograd Council OF workmans and
Soldiers Deputies has decided finally
ana irrevocably that there Is to be q
go-called international Socialists con-
ference at Stockholm, in order to bring
ABOUT an early peace. The conference
Is to take place from June 2s to z.
We need not wait for this conference
to know what its action will be. It is
only necessary TO refer back to the
positions OF the German Socialists
(maJority and minority alike) on the
question of peace as 1t has been fixed
for more than two years. The Ger
mans and Austrians reasserted their
views for the bureau at Stockholm on
May 30. 1t can all be summed up in
one word: Europe Is to return to the
territorial status quo which existed be-
fore the war.
There can't be the slightest ques-
ton as to the future decision of any
Stockholm conference. Already the
various Socialist parties under direct
or indirect German influence or con-
troll have sent delegations to Stockholm
These delegations have officially stated
their position before the Socialists
bureau established in that city-and
are in substantial accord with the Ger
mans and Austrians. Even where diff
ferences exist, such differences are
usually on minor points. Where ma
jor differences occur there Is absolutely
no united sentiment, so that 1t is I'M
thinkable that there will be any OPP
position whatsoever to the Germans.
Immediate Peace.
All the delegations have agreed that
there must be an early II not an i'm
mediate peace. The newspaper organ
of the Council of Labor Deputies calls
for immediate negotiations. and what
Is left Of the Socialist party in America
Is pledged to immediate peace, ire
gardless of the strategic situation
and also is pledged to a separate and
immediate peace for the United States
by the notorious st. Louis convention
resolution. Sacharoff, the Bulgarian
leader, was charmingly frank in a st.
Louis interview of June the 9Th, in
which he advocated immediate peace.
adding, IF the war lasts long enough
the tide will turn against Germany"
Troelstra, OF Holland, who made the
original arrangements for the confer
ence, after a public consultation with
Zimmerman, the kaisers minister Of
foreign affairs, Is even more brutally
frank. His position is, "A separate
peace may possibly be the only peace
that would beget q general peace
On the matter Of territorial changes
the position Of the conference is
equally unanimous. None of the par
ties so far represented favors the re-
turn of Alsace- Lorraine to France.
The Germans do not even mention the
question, for they do not acknowledge
that any such question exists. On this
and all other points Of foreign policies
the German majority and minority are
united. Petrograd's Workmans coun-
ell takes a definite position against
the restoration Of Alsace Lorraine, in
the phrase of this organ that historic
wrongs are not to be righted." Most
positive of all lis the New York Call, "
which settles the Alsace- Lorraine and
all other territorial problems by the
simple phrase-"peace without any
transfers of territory"
Austria and Turkey.
When we come to Austria and Tur-
key, almost as great unanimity pre-