Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

14 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

War Aims of Labour Party.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

War Aims of Labour Party. I., Demand for a Super-National Power or League of Nations. 41 Henceforth on Earth No More War.' The following memorandum on Labour's War Aims was passed bv th-, Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress and the Executive of the Labour Party, and it will be pre- se-uted to the special conference of the Labour movement held to-day, Decem- ber 28th.. The British Labour Movement de- clares "that whatever may have been the oauaes of the outbreak of war, it is clear that the peoples of Europe, who are necessarily the chief sufferers from ita horrors, had themselves no hand in it. Their common interest- is IWW ko to conduct the terrible struggle in which they find themselves engaged as to bring it, as soon as may be pos- sible, bS an issue in a secure and last- ing peace for the world." There i. no departure from the de- claration of the Socialist parties in February 1915. "Whatever may have been the ob- jects for which the war begun, the fundamental purpose of the British Labour Movement in supporting the Gontinuanoe of the struggle is t"t the world may henceforth be made safe for democracy." Of all war aims none was so impor- tant to the. peoples of the world as that there should be henceforth on earth no more war. Whoever triumphs the peoples have lost, unless some effective method of preventing war can be found. As means to this end the Britiah Labour Movement relies very largely upon the complete democra- tiaation of all countries; on the frank abondonment of every form el "Im- perialism"; on the suppression of secret diplomacy and on the plaeihg of fomign policy, just M muck so iiome policy, under the control of popularly elected legislatures; on the absolute responsibility of the Foreign Minister ef each country to its legislature; on Such concerted action as may. pos- sible for the universal abolition of oom- pulsory military service in all coun- tries, the common limitation of the aostly armaments by which all the peoples are burdened, and the enti re abolition of profit-making armament firms, whose pecuniary interest lies al- ways in war scares and rivalry in pre- paration for war. LEAGUE OF NATIONS. But it demands, in addition, that it should be an essential part of the Treaty of Peace itself that there should be forthwith established a super- ftational authority, or League of Nations, which should not only be adhered to by all the present belliger- ents, but which every other indepen- dent Sovereign of State in the world Should be to join; the imme- diate cetablishment by such League of Nations not enly of an International High Court for the settlement of all disputes between States that are of justiciable nature, but also of appro- priate machinery for prompt and ef- fective mediation between States in issues that are not justiciable; the formation of an international legisla- ture in whioh the representatives of every civilised State would have their allotted share; the gra.dual develop- ment, as far as may prove to be pos- sible of international legislation agreed to by and definitely1 binding upen the several States; and for a solemn ag- reement and pledge by all States that every issue between any two of or more of them shall be submitted for settlement as aforesaid, and that wherever possible common oause will be JÐaiie against any State or States by the use of any and every means at their disposal to enforce adherenoe to the terms of the agreement and pledge. TERRITORIAL ADJUSTMENTS. The British Labour Movement has no sympathy with the attempts made, now in this quarter and now in that, to convert this war into a war of con- quest whether what is sought to be acquired by force is territory or wealth; nor should the struggle be pro- longed for a single day, once the con- ditions of a permanent peace can be secured, merely for the sake of ex- tending the boundaries of any State. But it Is impossible to ignore the fact tkat, not only restitution a.nd repara- tion, but also certain territorial re-ad- justments are required, if a renewal of armaments and war is to be avoided. These re-adjustments must be such as can be arrived at by common agreo- aaent on the general principle of allmv- all peoples to Bottle their own j destinies, and for the purpose of re- I moving any obvious cause of future in- ternational oonflict. BELGIUM. 1 he British Labour Movement em- phatically insists that a foremost con- dition of peace must be the reparation by the German "Government, under the direction of all International Commi- sion, of the wrong admittedly done to Belgium; payment by that, Govern- ment for all the damage tha t has re- sulted from this wrong; and the re- storation of Belgium to complete and untrammelled independent sovereign- ty, leaving to the decision of the Bel- gian people the determination of their own future policy in all respects. ALSACE AND LORRAINE. I The British Labour Movement re- t j affirms its reprobation of the crime J against the peace of the world by which Alsace and Lorraine were forci- bly torn from France in 1871, a poli- tical blunder, the effects of which have I contributed in If-) small degree to the I continuance of unrest and the growth > of militarism in Europe; and. pro- I foundly sympathising with the unfor- tunate inhabitants of Alsace and Lor- raine who have been subjected to so much repression, asks in accordance j with the declarations of the French Socialists, that they shall be allowed under the protection of the Super- f J National Authority or League of Na- tion., freely to decide what ehall be their future politicaJ position. 1 TIE MALKANS. The British Labour Movement sug- gests that the whole problem of the reorganisation of the.administratMn of the peoples of the Balkan peninsula might be dealt with by a Special Con- ference of their representatives, or by an authoritative International Commi- sion, on the basis of (a) the complete freedom of these people to settle their own destinies, irrespective of Austrian, Turkish, or other foreign dominion; w^iapiviKlf-nt jovereignties ot the several nationalities in those districts in which these are largely pre- dominant; (c) the universal adoption of religious tolerance, the equalcitizen- ship ot all races, and local autonomy (d) a Castome Union embracing the whole of the Balkan States; and (e) tile entry of all the Balkan National States into a Federation for the oon- øened, arrangement by mutual agree- ment among themselves of all matters of common concern. ITALY. The British Labour Movement de- lares its warmest sympathy with the .people of Italian blood and speech who have been left outside the inconvenient and iudefensible boundaries that have, M a result of the diplomatic agree- menta of the past, been assigned to the kingdom of Italy, and supports their claim to be united with those of their own race and tongue. It realises that arrangements may be necessary for se- curing the legitimate interests of the people of Italy in the adjacent seas, but it has no sympathy with the far- i reaohing aims of conquest of Italian Imperialism and believes that all legi- timate needs o:ui be safeguarded, with- out precluding a like recognition of the seeds of others or annexation of oihor people's territories. I POLAND, ETC. With regard to the other cases in ispute, from Luxembourg, on the one hand, of which the independence has been temporarily destroyed, to the kinds now under foreign dominion in- habited by other races-the outstand- ing example being that of the Polee- the British Labour Movement relies as the only way of achieving a lasting ftottlement on the application of the principle of allowing each people to settle its own destiny. I THE JEWS AND PALESTINE. The British Labour Movement de- mands for the Jews in ah countries the same elementary rights of toler- ance, freedom of residence and trade, and equal citizenship that ought to be extended to all the inhabitants of every nation. It further expresses the opinion that Palestine should be set free from the harsh and oppressive government of the Turk, in order that this country may form a Free State, under international guarantee, to which such of the Jewish people as de- sire to do so may return, and may work out their own salvation free from interference by those of alien race or religion. TURKISH EMPIRE. The British Labour Movement con- demns the handing back to the univer- I sally execrated rule of the Turkish Government any subject people. It is further suggested that the peace of the world requires that Constantinople should be made a free port, perma- nently neutraJised, and placed (to- gether with bo?h shores of the Dar- danpUcs and possibly f?ome or all of Asia Minor) under the same impartial administration. COLONIES OF TROPICAL AFRICA., With regard to the Colonies of the several belligerents in Tropical Africa, from sea to sea, the British Labour Movement disclaims all sympathy with the imperialist idea that these should ) f form the booty of any nation. It is I suggested that the interests of human- ity would be best served by the full and frank abandonment by all the bel- ligerents of any dreams of an African Empire; the transfer of the present Colonies of the European Powers in Tropical Africa, however the limits of this area may be defined, to the pro- posed Super-National Authority or League of Nations herein suggested. I ECONOMIC RELATIONS. The British Labour Movement de- clares ag.nnst all the project* now bc- ing preparo i by Imperialists and capi- talists, not in u.y one oountry onlv, but in most « unt-ries, for an economic war, after pO<"lb' lias neen secured, either against one or other foreign nation or against all foreign nations, as such an economic war, if begun by any country, would inevitably lead to reprisals, to whiciv each nation in turn might in self-defence lie driven. ) PROBLEMS OF PEACE. I To make the world safe for democ- racy involves much more than the pre- vention of war, either military or economic. Within each country the Government must for some time m»in- tain its control of the most indispens- able oommoditiea, in order to secure their appropriation, not in a competi- tive market mainly to the richer classes in proportion to the means, but systematically, to meet the most -ur- gctnt needs of the whole community on the principle of "no cake for anyone until all have broad." In view of the fact that widespread unemployment in any country, like a famine, is an injury not to that ooun- try alone, but impoverishes also the rest of the world, the British Labour Movement holds that it is the duty of every C-averniB^nt to take imme- i diato aotion, not merely to relieve the unemployed, when unemployment has set in, but. actually, 80 far as may be practicable, to prevent the occurrence of unemployment. I REPARATION OP WIOS« DOLNG. I The British Labour Movement kolds that one of the most imperative duties of all countries immediately peace is declared will be the restoration, so far as may be possible, of the homes, farms factories, public buildings, and means of communication wherever des- troyed by war operations. The British Labour Movement will not be satisfied unless there is a full and free judicial investigation into the accusations made on all aided that par- ticular Governments have ordered, and particular officers have exercised, acts of cruelty, oppression, violence, and theft against individual victims, for which no justification can be found in the ordinary usages of war.. It draws attention, in particular, to the loss of life and property of mer- chant seamen and other non-combat- ants (including women and children) resulting from this inhuman and ruth- less conduct. It should be part of the conditions of pea<v that there should be forthwith set up a Court of Claims and Accusations, which should investi- gate all such allegations as may be brought before it ,summon the accused person or Government to answer the complaint, to pronounce judgment, and award compensation or damages, I payable by the individual or Govern- ment condemned to the persons who had suffered wrong, or to their de- pendants. The P-veral Governments must be responsible, financially and otherwise, for the presentation of the cases of their respective nationals to such a Court of Claims and Accusa- tions, and for the payment of the oom- pensation awarded.

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