The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-20
BRITISH LABOR
WANTS A LEAGUE
OF ALL NATIONS
Favors The American Naval
Proposals And Wants Them
Extended To All Ar
mament

London, November ia mani
festo issued today by the labor par
ty on behalf of the whole labor
movement of Great Britain promises
support of any steps that may be
necessary to make the American
proposals for naval ornaments re-
duction effective and calls for the
extension of the proposals to all
forms of armament.
The manifesto expresses regret at
certain tendencies lately felt in re-
lation to Great Britain and the
United States" adding that in view
of the Washington conference Brit
ish labor proposes frankly to state
its points. having always maintained
policy of friendship and co-opera-
ton between the two countries. 1t
asserts that there are four main
questions which led to friction,
namely. Ireland, disarmament. the
Anglo-Japanese alliance and tho
peace settlement. Regarding Ireland
the manifesto says:
Should the present conference
fail. labor Will continue to demand
whatever constitution the Irish poo
pie desire. subject to the conditions
that it affords protection to minori-
ties and prevents Ireland becoming
military or naval menace to Great
Britain.
Regarding disarmament, the docu-
ment says:
"As regards the special question
OF naval ornaments, which peculiarly
concerns this country, America and
Japan. labor would support any
agreement among them imposing OBJ
ligatory and drastic reduction and
limitation of naval ornaments. 1t
also favors the extension of this
agreement to other countries, and
also to military armament. for 1t is
convinced that those measures of
disarmament imposed upon the sew
eral defeated nations by the peace
treaties are capable of being applied
by voluntary agreement among the
other nations TO their own military
and naval ornaments"
Labor, declares the manifesto, has
always held that complete disarma-
ment depended upon the acceptance
by the various nations. particularly
the great powers of certain princi-
Piles of international policy and or
ganization.
"Firsti The nations will not
disarm urlers they know TINT
there IN regular method and
machinery In existence for the
settlement OF international dis
putes, and unless they have, ire
spective of military strength or
weakness, n guarantee against
aEgrcssion. Labor. therefore,
has always supported the idea OF
an association of nations ms the
only practicable alternative TO
ornaments and wnr, but such an
association must be open TO all
nations.
Second: Complete disarmament is
not practicable unless there is a gen
eral International settlement of an
equitable and permanent character.
No nation will permanently accept
conditions which penalize 1t racially.
politically or economically. Such
conditions exist today inside and out
side of Europe as the result of the
peace treaties, and labor holds that
the revision of these unjust penal
terms is condition precedent TO any
complete disarmament.
Third 1t is probable that there
can be no complete disarmament un
less considerable measure of equal
ity and economic opportunity Is as
sured to all nations"
The manifesto says the terms of
the peace treaties which concern the
relations of Great Britain and the
United States are those dealing with
the disposal of Germany's overseas
possessions and parts of the Otto
man empire.
Labor" 1t continues. sis opposed
to the interpretations of any of this
territory in the British empire. It
proposes that these are as shall be
dealt with under the mandate sys-
tenn, in accordance with the spirit
and the letter of Article XXI of the
covenant"
The document concludes with
statement of belief that the workers
OF Great Britain and the United
States share the same convictions re-
garding foreign policy and inter
national relations and that 'lf they
work together for the furtherance Of
their common policy all possibility
of conflict or hostility between the
two countries will vanish and the
greatet step Will have been taken
toward world peace"