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

were actually 1lghtlnS IOf.
AS soon as such joint statement
can be authoritatively formulated, it
will be brought effectively to the no.
, tice of the German and Austrian So
ciafist organizations. and trace unions
with the request that they will SINH
larly formulate their own war aims
and state what it is that they, as dis
tinguished from their governments are
continuing to fight for.
Once the two statements are au-
thoritatively maze, it will be found.
it is believed that the obstacles to
acknowledged though they will
doubtless appear to be at first sight
are not hopelessly beyond adjustment.
1t is very doubtful whether the
wage learning classes of the world
really want to go on with a war of
conquest. It is the reciprocal en-
broidery of each others presumed de-
signs of economic aggression--the in
ability, on both sides, of the govern
ments to shake themselves loose from
the sections of society that are still
in their inmost souls Imperialist, mill
tarist, Chauvinistes, and advocates oil
a perpetual economic war-that is
present ruinous waste and slaughter.
We must, at any rate, give the dem
ocratic organizations of the Contra.
Powers a chance of responding with
their own statement of war aims.
If they refuse, or if they formulate
a program of aggression, we shall at
least know where we are, and we
shall settle down in grimmest earnest
.of +1oa n XHyh1
extremity is necessary to gain peace
for democracy.
But we decline to believe that the
democratic organizations of Germany
and Austria will refuse to formulate
their own war aims, when the Allied
democracies shall have done SO; ant
we are confident that a comparison o
war aims so formulated will reveal {
much less impossible gulf between tn
two documents than appears whel
statesmen shout at each other acros
world in flames.
A Socialist Conference at Switzerlan
At this point-who knows how 500
it may not come ?-the working Gas
organizations of all the world will re
new their demand for an interna
tional congress, if not at Stockholm
then in Switzerland; and it may b
that there will then be no repetitio,
of the calamitous mistake of Angus
last when Mr.. Lloyd George above
himself to be pushed into a refusal c
passports The time will come whe
the diplomatists of all countries ma
be willing to let Labor try its han'
The object of the Inter-Allied confer
icI, hn
in this program.
Wha are he prospects of success
The first attempt, made in Londo
last August, failed for lack of pre-
lininary negotiations, and the impo
sibility of keeping the delegates II
gether long enough to get their Sc
eral declarations, made in differel
languages from different standpoint
into any document that could be III
animously agreed to.
The second conference, summont
Jointly by the British Labor party al
the parliamentary committee of Il
Trade Union Congress, has the
vantage of starting from the basis
the Memorandum of War Aim
agreed to by both these great organ
cations. At Nottingham last mon
and Belgium expressed the belief tn
this memorandum could be accept
as the basis, and merely subjected
revision on particular points. La
{ week half a dozen representatives
the British working class organic
lions continued in Paris the prelimi
airy negotiations begun at Nottingha
finding nearaly everywhere t
fcT oil a
among the Allied democracies and
determination to make the prese
conference a success.
Representatives From Allied Countr
The conference that opens forma
today, which will have the great
vantage of the presence and col
horation of M. Camille Huysmane,
accomplished secretary of the Int
national Socialist Bureau, will be
tended. it is believed, by two of tn
dozen duly accerited representati
from the Labor and Socialist orga
cations of France Belgium, 1ts
Serbia. and probably also of Portu
and Greece. Those of Russia "
apparently. not be in a position
he represented; whilst the Amerit
Federation of Labor, together with
Labor Parties of Canada, Austrs
and New Zealand have found it
possible to send delegates in time.
1t is, indeed, not easy to get alb
the world just now! Thus the d.
gates of one section of the Ital
Socialists prince Teano, Signor c
apa, and others) got to Paris on Il
way to London, only to find that
dAlAgates of the other section ones