New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-12
I,loyd George replied

Il bI4-NDLNhNs'f
Reply of Lloyd George
Premier Lloyd George replied:
INV Dear Henderson: I am in re-
CENT Of your letter Of this morning
rendering your resignation Of your
position as a member Of the War CAP
met and have received the permission
OF his majesty to accept it. My col
leagues and have received with salts
faction your assurance Of your un-
ohsted desire TO assist in the prosecu-
tion Of the war TO a successful conclu-
sion. and they greatly regret that you
can no longer be directly and officially
associated with them in that enter
prise.
"There are, however, certain facts
with which it is essential that the
public should be acquainted in order
that they may form a correct appre-
citation Of the events that have led to
this regrettable conclusion. The first
is that your colleagues were taken COM
pletely by surprise by the attitude
which YOU adopted at the labor con-
ference yesterday afternoon. You
know that they were in the present
circumstances unanimously opposed to
the Stockholm conference and you had
yourself been prepared 10 agree to an
announcement to that effect.
"Some days ago and at your sugges-
ton. however. and that of your labor
colleagues. it was decided to defer any
such announcement until after the
meeting yesterday.
Scores Henderson's Change
81 was under the impression, after
several talks with you, that you meant
to use your influence against meeting
enemy representatives at Stockholm.
What has happened in Russia during
the last few weeks has affected ma
terially our position in reference to
that conference. You admitted TO me
that the situation had changed com
nIeteIv. even within the last fortnight,
and that whatever ground you might
have thought there was for delegates
from Allied countries in attending such
a conference a fortnight ago, events OF
the last few days nau shown you the
unwisdom of such course.
"That was clearly what you led me
10 believe. II was also the impression
left on the minds Of your colleagues IN
the Cabinet and Of your Labor DOL
ieeopes in the ministry. II was, there
fore. with no small surprise that | re-
afternoon stating ,hat you ought TO In
form me after most careful considers-
r;sn that YOU had come to the con-
clusion YOU could take no other course
than to stand by the advice you had
given the day after your return from
Russia. and that your colleagues SUD
seouently read the speech which you
ought to have informed the Cabinet OF
before you entered the conference
Gave Wrong Impression
"When YOU spoke at that conference
vou were not merely a member OF the
Labor party but a member OF the CaDl-
rot respongible for the conduct OF the
war. Nevertheless, you did not deem
Il necessary to inform the conference
Of the views of your colleagues, and the
delegates accordingly were )ustihea III
assuming that the advice you gave was
inconsistent
"The second point IS this: fester-
INV morning We received most I'M
portant communication from the Rus
sian government in which we we're IN
formed that although the Russian gov
ernment did not deem II possible 10
nreyent Russian delegates from taxing
part in the Stockholm conference they
rerardsd il as a party concern and ITS
decision as in no wise binding on the
liberty of action of the government,
and. further, the covering letter Which
accompanied this communication CON
tanned these words: 1 hasten 10 lay
before YOU the above information as l
fear that the impression hitherto mas
nrevailed that in the words of one OF
the London newspapers RUSSIA at
IDENTIFY desired the Stockholm confer
ence. and this argument has been put
forward in order 10 influence British
public opinion in favor Of the LABOR ana
Socialist parties Of Great Britain par
ticipating in the conference
Charges Double Dealing
Immediately on the receipt Of this
intimation / sent IL over to you with
the request that you communicate II 70
the conference You omitted to do so
Ii is true that in the course Of yonr
speech YOU made a very casual refer
ence to some modification in the at
tjtude Of the Russian government, but
there is a manifest difference between
the effect which would necessarily be
produced upon any audience by an in
different summary of that description
and by the communication to them Of
official information showing that the
attitude Of the Russian government
toward the Stockholm conference was
very different from what had been
supposed
I'm these circumstances your action
does not appear TO have been fair
either 20 the government or 20 the
delegates whom you were addressing
They we're left in ignorance Of vital
fact which necessarily must have af-
fected their judgment. ] am sending a
cory Of this correspondence 20 the
press. Yours sincerely.
DAVID LLOYD GEORGE"
Henderson's Statement
Mr. Henderson earlier in the day
gave out the following statement:
In connection with the Labor Party
conference what are obviously inspired
statements appear in the press Of to-
Gav containing rpApcfiouq unop him