The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-03-19

Morgari, Mogliani, and Serrati) had
been suddenly stopped in Rome, not
by the Italian government but by the
French Ambassador, who on tele-
graphic instructions had refused the
necessary wise of the passports. 1t
needed the very energetic representa-
tionS of the French Socialist party
and a personal interview with NJ.
Clemenceau by MN. Thomas and
Renudel, before this arbitrary refusal
to allow the mere passage of France
in a railway train could be reversed.
The British representatives at the
conference will be some 80 in number,
being the whole Executive Committee
of the Labor party and the whole par
liamentary committee of the Trade
Union Congress, by whom the confer
ence is Jointly summoned.
Some objection has been made on
behalf of the Independent Labor par
ty, and the British Socialist party
(Which are, with the Fabian society
and certain trade unions, separately
and directly affiliated to the Inter
naticIIal Socialist Bureau) that they
have not been invited to the present
conference as corporate entities. But
these bodies form part of the Labor
party itself, and have five or six
members on it's Executive Committee
Both at the Labor party conference
last August, and at the Trade Unions
Congress last September, it was en-
phatically decided, in principle, that
representation should be confined to
the two comprehensive national orga-
nj cin =
the common memorandum. At the
same time, it must be clear that the
present action in no way determines
or prejudices the right of these or
other societies belonging independent
lily to the International Socialist Bu-
reau, to be separately represented al
any International Socialist Congress
that may be convened by it's bureau
and its officers.
Today's Proceedings
The proceedings today will probably
be formal and preliminary, consisting
of the appointment of officers anG
| committees of the conference, and the
) settlement of procedure and voting
: The invitation to the conference pro
poses that each nationality represent
l ed shall have from five to 40 votes
: according to the membership repre-
scented, and that without seeking t.
t prevent individual differences within
l the representation of each section, O.
Z to exclude them from expressing thei
l views, the vote of each nationalit.
Y Ishall be cast as a whole, as the ma
|. jority of it's delegates may decide. Blu
= at conferences of this kind what is i'm
e portant is not the voting, nor even tn
orations made in formal session, blu
? the more intimate discussions in com
4 mittee, at which the greatest common
= measure of agreement is hammeret
: out to be accepted, it is to be hoped
= by the conference as a whole almos
= by reclamation. In order to meet tn
It convenience of some of the Frenc-
5, representatives, notably M. Jouhau
= and other members of the Confedera
ton Generate du Travail, and also i
d order to enable the delayed italian
d to arrive, the full session of the con
e ference will he adjourned until F7rida
l. by which time the committees wi
If have made progress with their cor
J" sideration of the particular article
i of the memorandum referred
h them.
,e The points on which the chief dis
At cussion will turn are the exact phrase
ID ology to be employed in formulatin
to the statement as to Alsace and Lol
st raine; the scope of the measures nee
Of essary to give to Italy both con
a prehensive unity of race and adequat
n security for its future and the prov
n, sions to be suggested with regard
he Tropical Africa and the German Co
Mt onies. On all these points the Bri
a ish Memorandum. proceeding, pc
Mt haps, too exclusively from BIRTHS
Iopinion, and British view of Il
es world, need modifications-in son
1v cases of substance, and in more
a. phrzs-=iU5J-in order to permit it
a. express the common views of all Il
he Allies. But given a real desire
w. arrive at a united statement of Dem
- cratic lar Aims, which can be a
90 thoritatively laid before the Germs
30 and Austrian peoples, there ought
- be no insuperable difficulty in Il
1v matter.
sa1 Common statement OF war Aims
i'll, Will the delegates come prepared
to work in this sense?
an From what we saw in Paris Ia
he week, I believe they will.
liza In France the so-called Majori
m and Minority parties continue thu
internecine struggle, but this rea
out concerns only home politics.
le- Both sides desire peace; neverth
ian less, both are determined to contin
an unrelentingly the defence of the r
cir tions. The leaders on both sides {
the sire to get a common statement
srs the War Aims Of the allied democI