The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-02-12
Minister of State Declares
Address Setting Forth
Aims Will Last.
PROCLAIMS DOOM
OF IMPERIALISM
Proletariat of ALI Nations to
Have Voice in Final
Peace Agreement.
BY EMILE VANDERVELDE
belgian Minister of Statel

Thanks, in spite of everything, to |
the French Revolution, thanks to the |
efforts of the French Socialists, but /
thanks chiefly to this essential fact |
that neither in the United States nor
in Great Britain can any government |
hold together without the support OF
the organized proletariats, the peoples |
of the Entente countries have finally |
succeeded in obtaining a clear and
precise definition of their war aims. |
December u, 1917, is a date to re-
member. 1t was then that the quail
fled representatives of the British pro-
letariat insisted on a public declara-
ton from their governme official
and precision the objects which the
Allied Powers had in view in continu-
ing the war. On January the Pre-
mier replied to them in person by
what was most aptly called ''the most
important state document issued since
the declaration of war" Three days
afterwards, like a resounding echo
from the other side of the ocean, the
commanding voice of President Will
son proclaimed the Magma Charta of
the worlds peace Gas it will be re-
garded in the future.)
The Entente is certainly pledged
| by these declarations, to which M.
Clemenceau and Pichon have SUBJ
scribed. The wholesome elements of
the Russian Revolution have based
their programme upon them. Small
oppressed nations see in them the
hope of their deliverance; and if in
either country certain persons hest
tate to accept them fully, we may be
sure that their difficulties will disap-
pear like snow before the sun the day
all the workers in the Allied countries
speak with the imposing firmness, de-
cision and unanimity of the British
proletariat.
Entente Labor Conference
Everywhere there is a demand for a
new collective declaration. The En-
tente governments, which formerly
concorded their help to the United
States, are required to reinforce with
their authority the declarations Of
Lloyd George and President Wilson.
No one wishes it more than we do,
but how easy for the governments to
make objections unless the workers
and Socialists of the Allied country
understand each other as to the basic
policy of their own programme!
Our English comrades have under
stood that and have proposed in con
sequence a new meeting of an Inter
. Allied Socialist Conference. I rejoice
in the idea but it is not sufficient that
the conference meets; it must reach
decisions.
: Let us say, frankly, that the con-
) ference held in London last autumn
was stiIl-born. If we wish to avoid
that, we must take care that this mex
conference really and sincerely repre-,
sents all the organized elements OF
4 the Entente proletariat. That is the
fear and I do not hesitate to say tina
E this object will not be realized if the
old system of voting and summonins
S meetings is retained, for it no Longer
t meets the new war conditions.
= American Vote
d First of all, what is the value O
d the American vote unless it include
d that of the American Federation o
Labor, the greatest organization O
? workers in the United States?
s In the second place, what weigh
: will the decisions have if we disregard
S the numerical Importance of the or
V |
: some thousands of militant Socialist
IS inclined by the circumstances O
their election to extreme views-bal
e ances or take precedence of the vot
Is of the solid majority of the big bat
r talions and millions of workers group
? ed in the great trade unions?
" If one wishes, as one ought to wish
e that the decision of this conferenc
h express the real view of the masses
= the great divisions of the organize,
II proletariat must be appropriately re
presented. Perhaps one will objec
that the goal to be reached in sucl
v an assembly is not a majority vot
Ill so much as unanimous agreemen
I whereby, alone, the resolutions vii
lie have their full effect.
ar Very WELL but experience prove
at that in the conferences where one
n supposed not to vote, one gives a tok
d. en- vote. For that reason We regar
re it as indispensable that, before call
so ing a plenary assembly the delegate
a should decide exactly how it is to b
n summoned and how it will vote. has
so ten to add that if these preliminar
i'll measures are taken, if the minorit
I'd artificially inflated does not imped
81 the expression of the majority view
:" there should be no serious difficult
of in reaching a definition of war aim
as well as defining the conditions {
a democratic peace. These subject
- should not reveal profound diverger
cies amongst US.
op1o q