New-York tribune., 1918-01-12
British Labor and the War
the Labor P Broadening Its Scope and Aims Include
FoeignA Affairs Outlined by Arthur Henderson
The Ncw York Tribune Foreign Press Bureau

1t is indeed time that the old order should
change, giving place to new. And the new
party which the people seek is peoples
party. live national democratic party which
shall bring government Of the people, by the
people, for the people
at is this pressing national need Of to-
day that the Labor party proposes to meet
by its scheme Of organization and develop
mont OF the three parties which existed
before the the Labor party came nearest
to fulfilling the conditions demanded Of a
democratic party. 1t was composed Of an
organized force of adult men and women
drawn almost entirely from the class known
as the workers. It. recognized no sex bar
rier, and was the only party officially COM
mitted to the extension Of tho franchise to
all and women. But it was sectional
and not national, and tho Interpretation of
the working class was restricted The new
constitution proposes that the party shall be
completely national and that the term
worker shall be interpreted in its widest
and fullest sense to cover both the manual
and the brain worker. When the proposed
change has been adopted the Labor party
will be the nearest approach to q real ma
tional democratic party that the world has
yet known. 1t will cater for all who pro-
duce, whether by hand or by brain, whether
men women.
Appeal to Women Electors
"The first change is the fuller recognition
Of constituency organizations as essential
part Of the partys structure. In the past
local labor organizations have been admitted
to aftilation, but they did not exert any
substantial influence on policy, nor were they
regarded being an essential part of the
national machinery. Under the new consti
tuition the party will be founded national
trade unions and Socialist societies and local
labor organizations. The latter will be the
connecting link between the party and the
constituencies, and as their number increases
they will exert correspondingly increasing
influence on policy.
"The second change is the provision to ad
nit individuals to membership. In the past
individual membership has been exceedingly
limited, and has only been permitted by a
few local labor organizations. 1t is now
proposed that individual citizens who are in
agreement with the party's policy may enrol
themselves members through the local
organization in their own constituency. The
third change will be the special appeal made
by the party to the electors, an ap-
peal which should come with more grace
from the Labor party than from either Of
the old parties, in view of the fact that it
has never recognized sex distinction and was
the only political party in the. country which
included in its platform th9 extension of
the franchise to women on the principle Of
adult suffrage.
"A highly organized party based on demo-
cratic representation, strong in numbers and
influence, will be an Indifferent substitute
for the old parties if it is not animated by
clear vision of the world that is to be, and
stimulated by firm determination to labor
for the common veal. 1t must have its own
policy-local, national and international
which must be based on the clear and full
recognition of the rights and obligations of
the individual as a citizen and Of the nation
a member Of the society Of nations. The
people ask for security at home and security
abroad, freedom at home and freedom