New-York tribune., 1918-06-10
Executive Committee Will
Make Recommendation at
Conference June rs
Henderson Is Prime
Mover in Campaign
Action Would Have Impor.
tant Bearing Upon
Peace Policy
By Arthur S. Draper

IONDON, june S.-X ne QeClSlOn OF
the national executive committee of the
British Labor party to recommend at
the annual conference on June 26 that
the organization abandon forthwith
the party truce is a sign of the times
and indicative of the confidence labor
has in its ability to conduct an inde-
pendent political campaign. Without
doubt the conference will adopt the
recommendation.
To Americans interest in this decis-
ion lies in the effect it will have on
international questions, especially the
policy of comforting with enemy repre-
sentatives during the war. Broadly the
British Labor party has had two OBJ
jectives: first, to shorten the war
through negotiation. and, second, to
Britain. Any advance toward peace
would prove of inestimable assistance
to labor in obtaining its second OBJ
iective. The prime mover in the pres
ent campaign is Arthur Henderson.
Working with him are Sidney Webb and
Ramsay Mcdonald
fortnight ago a candidate who ran
for Parliament on a platform of peace
by negotiation polled 5000 votes. and
was beaten only by few hundred votes.
That election convinced the Labor
party executive committee that it was
time to begin a campaign.
Neutral Leaders Asked
Branting. the great Swedish Socialist,
who is supposed to hold pro- Entente
views, and Troelstra, the Dutch Social
ist leader, who is reputed to be in close
touch with Philip Scheidemann and
other German Socialists. have been in
vited to attend the British conference
on June 26 That conference is bound
to be political event Of the first mag
nitude.
II, as has been reported, the Amer-
can Labor Mission returned to the
United States with the opinion that the
British Labor party had abandoned the
idea OF conference it was badly mis-
informed. Should the conference of
June 26 accept the recommendation of
~ It's executive committee-which almost
certainly it will do--this will furnish
striking evidence that British labor in
tends to work for an international meet
ing to discuss peace. Also, if the rec
ommendation is accepted, the labor
members Of the government must
ign from either their posts or their
party: A serious split in the party
would be a calamity at this time. This
is no time for the Allies to consider
peace, but though the death struggle
between the gigantic forces in France
has absorbed the interest and energy
OF most, there are some here who are
looking ahead.
Just Peace Sought
The Paris Journal Des Debats" says,
apropos of the recent German peace Of
fensive: Neither France nor any other
OF the Allies has any interest to serve
IN refusing point blank any suggestion
of peace. from whatever source it may
come. On the contrary, it is essential
that we should be seen from within and
without to be continuing the struggle
with the object of achieving a just
peace. If the opportunity occurs for US
TO show how we understand this peace
we ought to seize it. We have often
expressed regret that the Allies haven't
published their general ideas on this
subject, which should be of nature to
. strengthen US within and to assure US
valuable aid from without. Our moral
weapons are exceedingly powerful. We
should know how to make use of them.
Don't let US fear to enter discussions
as to the conditions of peace. Rather
let us seek them
"If the Central Powers make a So
tate to agree to discussion so long as
1t is public discussion. Diplomatic
snares are concealed in secret negotia-
tons and private conversations. Va
rous proposals of which one has heard
so much lately are full Of them This
wouldn't be the case in general dis
cussion at which all the Allies were
represented with single programme"
That liberal organ certainly is not
classed with the pacifsts, which fact
adds significance to its comment. H.
G Wells has just published a book,
I'm the Fourth Year." in which he makes
valuable contribution to the discus
sion of war aims. He pictures future
wars as infinitely more terrible than
the present one, because of the devel-
opment Of aerial fighting and mechani-
cal ingenuity of inventors of war
weapons. Then he considers the
league of nations. He says thare are
only two tolerable alternatives one q
unlfcaton of the nations of the earth
under a single power, another Roman
Empire, and the other league of free
peoples.
For General Disarmament
He dismisses the first and argues
Tor the formation of league which
would enforce international disarma-
nent and itself control the worlds
military resources. Wells would have
ihe league include all nations, but he
Is insistent every member be free
nation. He would form the league
Professionally among the Allies who
pave been drawn together by the war.
! Lord Robert Cecil pointed out yester-
Gay the obvious objection to this when
I ne said the league would be open to
criticism as being reorganized as war
ieague rather than a peace league.
Recently G. N. Barnes, labor men,
y oer OF the war cabinet. went so far as
=, suggest preliminary conference at
me Hague to consider the formation
o' such league. In all these utter
snces it is perfectly clear that Presi-
cent Wilson's idea of league Of ma
uons is gathering strength and sup
port constantly. A profound change
mas come since Sir Edward Carson and
o'her statesmen dismissed the idea
with sneers.
only miracle could bring peace
within a few months, and thus far
4 'nis war has bcean waged in purely
mundane way, superior strength still
n winning every time. The German mill
sarists have high hopes Of obtaining
peace by conquest during the next three
months, and the pan-German peace Of
IA lensive has stopned as suddenly as It