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Together At Last! International Democracy States Its War Aims. The Will To Peace Audible To All — German Proletariat To Become Vocal. I At last the cultillion peoples" of the Allied Sxdligerent. nations have come together with the serious intention of givmg to the world a Peace that shall end war for ever. After the abject failure of Governments even to offer the basis of a statesmanlike settlement, those whom a noble •{.Veil would as soon think of entrusting; with the nlRking of pease a, lie would of entrusting an -Aeroplane, to the. care of an infant, have taken the. matter in their own hands, and on the basis Or the British Labour Tarty Memorandum on War Aims, the Inter-Allied Labour and Socialist 4 Conference that met in Ixmdon last week on Saturday agreed to a Memorandum, the main points in which are subjoined. The statesman- ship ot the doeument. and the sincerity of its guarantees for Democracy, are so glaringly apart, from the futile insincerities, and shifty subter- fuges of the official pronouncements oi Govern- ments 011 both sides that even the non-Socialist, non-i~i!>our reader must be s"ruck by the sanity of the Democratic movement. Better still,, the proposals are to be -submitted to the proletariat, •oi Germany and her allies, and. in view of the superficiality of what differences exist, between the Memorandum and the already published aims O; the German social Democracy, minority and majority sectoins, it is almost a. sale calculation to say that unanimity between the organised M'orking classes oi the whole belligerent nations is immediately practicable. Once an undo stand- ing is arrival a,t. and the organisations put in force internationally, then peace is ours. It. has long Ix-en obvious, that only the peoples could ^et the world out 01' the imbroglio into which it | has stumbled, but. not until la?t. wee k did the w;lI Lo undertake the task maniin- itself tan- gibly. Now the will has expressed itself, the "Joed is as good as done. 'THE LEAGUE OF NATiONS. ,I Regarding the e.sta.hiis/iment .»i a. lyeamie o, -Nations, J lcmoraiidum sayt; whatever may have been the ob.i'ccts for whi<i "the war was begun, the fundamental purpose of the Inter-Allied Conference in supporting the, continuance of itc. struggle is that, the world may henceforth uo made sate tor democracy. Whoever triumphs, the j>eoples will liave lost un- J,kt,s an international i>^W!ii is established winch will prevent war. That authority can lw no ••archer than the League of Nations, in which not. only all the present belligerents, but every other l k i Ix, t-o )(-)IT).. independent State, should pressed to join. Tho constitution of such a League of Nations implies the i 111 mediate establishment. ot an In- ternational High (Vrun. not only tor the <ettle- .'X,i ,rl,, "I' all that atv justiciable nature, but also tor prompt and mediation between States in other issues that vitally interest the power or honour or such States. I t, is also umler the nontirol of ÛIlI League of Nations that consultation of peoples for purpose* ot' self determination must, be or- ganised. This popular right can 1,( vindicated *»nU* bv poftuhir (of Nation- shall establish the pro- cedure of mternationai jurisdiction, tlx the tt.ethods which will maintain the ire<-dom and security of tho election, restore the political rights oi individuals wh ich violen-c and conquest may have iniiired. repass any attempt. to use pressure or norruption, and prevent any subse- quent. reprisals. It will foe also neee»arv to form -an International Legislatuer, in which the repre- sentatives of ♦'•very civilised State would have their allotted share, a.nd energetically to push forward step hy s;t.p tfi(- development or inter- national legislation agreed toO oy and definitely binding upon the sev eral States. lh- a solemn agreement alt ÚHI States and peoples consulted -hall pledge themselves 1.0 sub- mit evorv issue hM,w'n two or more of them for vet.tlenlent as aforesaid Metiisal to accept, ar- bitration or to submit to the settlement will im- ply deliberate aggression, and all the nations will Co*, essarily to make common cause. by any and every means 3.T. their disposal, either ~>oonomi<«l or military, against aaiv State or ■Suite's refusing to submit to the arbitration award, or attempting' to break rh< worh!' ;xr. enant ot pea< e. Hu?Tht sincere lUteptanoo of the rules ami leeisions of the supornatiormi authority implies the complete dem<xTH.t.i.sation in all c.ountriof<; the removal of all the ar bitrary powers who uu- til now have assumed tho right. 01 choosing be- tween }>eaoe war: the maintenance or crea- tion of legislature's. elected by and on behalt of the sovereign right of the jMopIo; the suppres- sion of secret diplomacy. Do be replaced by the oonduct of foreign. ]>oluy under the contro of popular legislature-, and the publication of all treaties, which must never be in contravention of t.he stipulation of the League of Nations, with the absolute responsi'oibty or the Government, and more particularly of tho Foreign Minister of each country to its Legislature. The League of Nations, in order to prepare for the concerted abolition of compulsory mili- tary service in all countries, must first, take stops for the prohihitior: of fresh armaments on land ;,nd .P;t, aud for the common limitation of the existing armaments by which all the peoples are burdened; as well its tne control of war manu- factures and the enforcement of such agreements -as may be agreed to thereupon. The States must undertake such manufactures themselves, so as entity to abolish profit-making armament firms, whose {KH*uniary interest lies always in the war scares' and progressive competition in the pre- paration for war. The nations being armed solely for and for such action as the League of Nations may ask them to take in defence of I •right, will he left free, under internationa l con- 'trol, either to create a voluntarily recruited force or to organise the nation tor defence with- i out. professional armies for long terms of mili- ta rv To effect to the above principles, the In- j ter-Vlfied Oonferenct:- declares that the rules Upon which the League of Nrtions will he founded must be included in the Meaty of peace, -aid will henceforward become the basis- of the settlement- of differences. In that spirit the Conference expresses its agreement with the pro- positions put, fco-ward by President Wilson in his last message. Defining what is meant by the right- of each People to determine Ih: own destiny, the memo- randum says that neither destiny of race nor identity or language can be regarded as afford- ing more than a presumption in favour of feder- ation or unification. Any adjustments of bound.. aries that become necessary must be based ex- i clusively upon the desire of the people concerned. As to the consultation of those desires, the pro- Oedure adopted should he decided by the super- II national authority. Upon the basis of t.he general principle- for- mulated in the Memorandum the Conference suggests the. following solutions of partieular pj'obloms I (a) BELGIUM. I The Conference- emphatically insists that a foremost condition of peace must be the repara- tiun by the Germun Government, under the di- rection of an international commission, of the wrong a<lmittedly done to Belgium; payment, by that Government for all the damage that has resulted from this wrong, a.nd t,he restoration of Belgium as all indejiendent Sovereign State, lea\*ing to the decision of the Belgian people the determination of tlweir own future policy m all T( S}M-et> I (b) ALSACE AND LORRAINE. Th. ( on i'-rcuce declares that, the problem of Alsace and Lorraine is not one of territorial ad- justment-, but, one of right, and thus an inter- national problem the solution of which is indis- jK Ji^a.bh it peace is to be either just or lasting. The Treaty of Frankfort at, one and the same time mutilated France and violated the right of the inhabitant's or Abaee Lorraine to dispose of their own <?'stinie?, a ri?ht which they han' re- whl,-Ii thvv biv(- Y- ( The new H'OOty of peace, in recognising that Germany, by her declaration of war of 1914, has herself broken the Treaty of Frankfort, will make null and void Lhe gains of a brutal con- quest and of the violence committed against the ??eople. Fra-nce, .having secured this recognition, can properly agree to a fre-?h consultation of the population of Alsace and Lorraine as to its own desires. The Treaty of Peace will bear the signatures ox every nation in the world. It will be guar- anteed by League of Nations. To this League of Nations France is prepared to remit, with ih<- tre?dom an<i smocrn.y of a popu!ar vktte. of which the details can be subsequently, settled, 1.W organisation of such a consultation as ?'!?H s<<nk' fA?r en'r, as a ?la?T?r of nght, the itmire d("Stinv of Alsace and Lorraine, and as shall linallv remove from the common life of all Europe a quarrel which has imposed a heavy burden ujwjn it. (c) THE BALKANS. The Conference lays down the principle that all the violations and perveisions. of the rights of the people which have taken place, or are still taking place, in the Balkans, must, be made the subject, of redress or reparation. Serbia, Monte- negro. Rumania. Albania, and all the territories <* cupeid by military force should be evacuated Wherever any population of the same rcwe and tongue demands to be united this must be done. Each such people must be accorded full liberty tosettJe its own destiny without, regard to the imperialist pretensions of Austria. Hungary- Turkey. or other State: A<Nfpting this principle, the Conference pj-o- poses that, the whole problem of the administra- be dealt with by a special conference of their re- presentatives. or. in case of disagreement, by an authoritative International Commission on the bisis oi— (a) The. concession within each independent sovereignty of local a.ut0110my a.nd security for the development of its )>art,if.iila,r of every racial minority; Co) The universal guarantee of freedom of re- ligion and jx>litical equality for all races; (t ) A Cu.st.oms and postal uni-on embracing the whole of the Balkan States, with he access for each to its natural seaport; id) The entry of all the Balkan States into a federation for the concerted arrangement by mutual agreement, among themselves of all nUl-t- ters of cojnmon interest. (d) ITALY. The Conference declares its warmest sympathy with the people of Italia.n blood and speech who have been left outside the boundaries that have, ;u< a result, of the diplomatic agreements of tho past, and tor strategic reasons, b. en assigned to t.he kingdom) of Italy, and supports their claim to be united with those of their own race and tongue. It realise-- t,hat. arrangements may be neces- sary for securing the legitimate interests of the people of Italy in rJw adjacent seas, but it oorl- demns the aims of conquest of Italian Imperial- ism, and believes that all legitimate needs can wit-hout precluding a like recog- nition or the needs of others or annexation of other people's territories. Regarding tho Italian population dispersed on the eastern shores of the Adriatic, the relation between Italy and the Jugo-Slav populations must be based on principles of equity and oon- ion, so as to prevent any cause of future quarrel. If there a re fouud to be groups of Slavonian ra.ee within the newly-defined kingdom of Italy, or groups of Italian race in Slavonian territory, mutual guarantees must be given for the assur- ance. of all of them, on one side or the other, full lioerty of local self-government and of the natural development of their several activities. (e) POLAND & THE BALTIC PROVINCES. In aixxjrdnnee with the right, or every people to determine its own destinies, Poland must be reconstituted in unity and independence, with free access to the sea. The Conference declares further that any -in- nexation by Germany, whether open or dits- guised, oi Livonia, Courland. or Lithuania would be a flagrant and wholly inadmissible vio- lation of international law. (f) THE JEWS AND PALESTINE. The Conference demands for the Jews in all countries the same elementary rights of freedom ot religion, education, 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 tihould be set free from the harsh and oppressive government of the Turk, in order that this country may form a free State, under inter- national guarantee, to which such of the Jewish people as desire to do so may return and may work out their own salvation, free from inter- ference by those of alien race or religion. (g) THE TURKISH EMPIRE. The Conference condemns the. handing back to the systematically cruel domina.tion of the Turk- ish Government any subject people. Thus, what- ever may be proposed with regard to Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Arabia, they cannot be re- stored to the tyra-nny of the Sultan and his pachas. The ('.onfoi'ence condemns the Imperialist, aims of Governments and capitalists-who would make of those and other territories now dominated by the Turkish hordes merely instruments either of exploitation or militarism. If the jM-oples of these teritories do not feel themselves able to settle their own destinies, the Conference insists that, conformably wjth the t)]<*y shou)d bp policy of 110 annexations," they should be placed for administration in the hands of a. com- mission acting under the Super-National Author- ity or League of Nations. ft j, further sugested that the peace of the world requires that the Da.rdanelhw should be j>ermanorifly and effectively neutralised and opened", like all the main lines of marine- com- munication, under the control of the League of Nations, freely to all nations without hind nine-' or Customs duties. (h) AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. I The Conference docs not propose, as a war- aim. the .dismemberment of Austria-Hungary or its deprivation of economic access to the: sea. On the other hand, the Conference cannot ad- lnit that the claims to independence made by the CVveoho-Slovaks and the .logo-Slavs must be re- garded merely as questions for internal decision. National independence ought, to be accorded; ac- cording to rul es to he laid down by the League of Nations, to such peoples as demand it, a.nd and these eominunities ought to have the oppor- tunity of determining their own groupings and federations, according to their affinities and their interests. If they think fit, they a re free to substitute a. free federation of Danubian States for the Austr<>-Hungarian Empire. (i) THE COLONIES AND DEPENDENCIES. I Tlx1 International has always condemned the colonial policy of capitalist Government. With- out ceasing to condemn it, the Inter-Allied Con- ference nevertheless recognises the existence of a state of things which it is obliged to take into account. The Conference considers that the treaty of pe-ice ought to secure to the natives in all colonies and dependencies effective protection against the ex<*vse.s of capitalist colonisation. The Conference demands the concession of ad- ministrative autonomy for all groups of people that, attain a certain degree of civilisation, and for all the others a progressive ])artici;wtion in to<'ai govrnmcm. of ol)lnloii t.iitt, t l i(, (i The Conference is of opinion that the return of the <-o)om<.? to those who po-xes.sed them be- fore the war. or the exchanges or compensations whidl migln. hp effected, ought not to he an ob- stacle to the making of peace. Those (olonies which have been taken by con- quest. from any belligerent 'must be iiiajo the subject, of special consideration at the Peace Conference, as to which the communities in their neighbourhood will be entitled to take part., But. the clause in the treaty of peace on this point must secure economic equality in such territories for the peoples of all nations, and thereby guarantee that none are shut out from legitimate access to raw materials, prevented from disposing of their owli products, or deprived of their proper share of economic development. As regard s more especially the colonies of all the belligerents in tropical Africa, from sea to i sea, including the whole of the region north of Zambesi and south of the Sahara, the confer- ence condemns a.ny Imperialist idea w hich would make these countries the booty of one or severa l nations, exploit them for the profit of the capi- talist, ami use them for the promotion of the mditarist aims of the Governments. With respect to these colonies the Conference declares in favour of a system of control, estab- lished by international agreement under the League of Nations and maintained by its guar- antee, which, whilst respecting national sover- eignty, would he alike inspired by broad concep- tions of economic freedom and concerned to safe- guard the rights of the natives under the best conditions possible for them, and in particular: (1) It would take account in eiteh locality of the wishes of the people, expressed in the form which is possible to them. (2) The interests of the native tribes as regards the ownership of the soil would be maintained. (3) The whole of the revenues would be de- voted to the well-being and development of the colonies themselves. ECONOMIC RELATIONS: FREEDOM OF THE SEA. The Memorandum goes pn to deal with econo- mic relations, and the Conference therein de- dare.. against all tho projects now being pre- pared by Imperialists and capitalists, not in any one country only, but in most countries, for an economic v%-wix. after peace has been secured, either against one or other foreign nations or against all foreign nations, as such an economic war, if begun by any country, would inevitably lead to reprisals, to which each nation in turn might in self-defence be driven." The main line of marine communication should be open without hindrance to vessels of all nations under the protection of the L(,.tl,1-! of Nations, declares t!?e Memorandmn. The Conference accordingly urges upon the Labour and Socialist parties of all countries the import- aneo of insisting in the attitude of the Govern- ment toward- commercial enterprise, along with the necessary control of supplies for its own peo- ple, on the principle of the open door, and with- out hostile discrimination against foreign coun- tries. PEACE PROBLEMS. The Conference insists that. in view of the pro- bable world-wide shortage after the war of ex- portable foodstuffs aud raw materials and of merclumt shipping, it is imperative, in order to prevent tho most serious hardships, and even possible famine, in one country or another, that systematic arrangements should be made on an international basis for the allocation and con- veyance of the available exportable surpluses of these commodities to the different countries in proportion, not to their purchasing powers, but to their several pressing needs, and that within each country the Government must for some time maintain its control of the most indispen- sable commodities in order to secure their ap- propriation not in a competitive market mainly to the richer classes in proportion to their 'means, but systematically to meet the most argent needs of the whole community on the principle of no cake for anyone until all have bread." The Conference therefore urges upon the La- bour- parties of every country the necessity of their pressing upon their Governments the pre- paration of plans for the execution of all public works. RESTORATION. The Inter-Allied Conference holds that one of the most, imperative duties of all countries im- mediately peace is declared will be the restora- i tion of the devastated areas and the reparation of wrong-doing; that the restoration should not i bo limited to compensation for public buildings, capitalist undertakings, and material property proved to be destroyed or damaged, but should be extended to setting up the wage-earners and peasants themselves in homes and employment; and that to ensure the full and impartial appli- at.-ion of these principles the assessment and dis- tribution of the compensation, so far as the cost is contributed hy anv international fund, should be made under the direction of an international commission. ACTS OF CRUELTY AND OPPRESSION. I The Conference wdl not bo sat,jsf¡d unl('s I there is a mH and fr?c judicial investigation into rh? accusations ]nad? on all sides that- ?u'?cultbr Governments have orderied, and particular ofifcers have exercised, a<*ts of cruelty, oppres- sion, v iolence, and theft, against individual vic- tims. for which no justification can be found in the ordinary usages of war. It draws attention, in particular, to the lo-s of life and property of merchant seamen and other non-combatants including women and children) resulting from this inhuman and ruth- less cond uct. A SOCIALIST CONFERENCE. I I Awaiting the resumption of the normal activi- ties of the International Socialist Bureau, the Conference consider that an International Con- ference. held during tho period of hostilifciVs. should be organised by committee whose irn- partiality cannot, be questioned. It should be held in a. neutral country, under such conditions as would inspire confidence; and the confeernce should be fully representative of ali Th. Labour and Socialist movements in nil the belligerent- countries accepting the condi- tions under which th? oon?T?nc? i? convoked. I LABOUR AND THE PEACE CONFERENCE. The Conference further expresses the opinion that, the working classes, having made such sacrifices during the war, are entitled to take part in securing a democratic world peace, and that M. Albert Thomts (.France), M. Emile Van- dervelde (Belgium), and Air. Arthur Henderson (Great Britain) be appointed as a Commission to secure from aU the Governments a promise that at least one representative of Labour and Socialism will bo included in the official repre- sentation at any Government conference, and to organise a Labour and Socialist representation to sit concurrently with the official conference further, that no country be entitled to more d an four representatives at such conference. I TO ENEMY PEOPLES. In conclusion, the Conference resolved "to transmit to the Socialists of the Central Em- pires and of the nations allied with them the Memorandum in which the. Conference has do- fined the conditions of pe;we conformably with the principles of 'ialj<;t, and international jus- tice. Th? Conference is convinced that these conditions win commend th?ms?Ives. on reflec- tion, to the mind of every Socialist, and t,h c- Conference asks for the answer of the Socialists of the Central Empires in the hope that, these will join without delay in a joint effort of the .International, which has now became more than ever the best- and the most, certain instrument of democracy and peace." The Conference decided to appoint a deputa- tion to the United States for the purpose of con- ferring with the representatives of American democracy on the war situation. The deputa- tion will lie composed of one representative of France, Belgium, Great. Britain, and.Italy, with the International secretary, M. Camile FCuys- mans.

JINI ØS8I 1- l.. A THE DIRECTORS OF LLOYDS BANK LIMITED desire to call 'the attention of their customers and others to the advisability of investing all available moneys in I. NATIONAL WAR BONDS and of applying further savings in the same way. In the Savings Bank Department small sums can be accumulated at interest until they reach the minimum required for purchasing WAR BONDS. | L——1——II—» iimn—nan—mninii i—T——— J