18 AUGUST 1917, Page 2

It is important to notice—as Mr. Asquith reminded the House

on Monday—that the peace terms drafted by the Executive Committee of the Labour Party for last week's Conference accord in the main with the well-known views of the Allies, and are, as Vorwarls has pointed out, utterly repugnant to the Germans. The Labour Party stands-for -the complete restoration of the inde- pendence of Belgium, Serbia, and Poland, for the return of Alsace to France and of the Trentino arid Trieste to Italy, for the permanent, exclusion of the Turk from Armenia and Mesopotamia, and-forthe conversion of Constantinople into a- free and neutral port. It insists on reparation for the harm done in Belgium and elsewhere, and on the punishment of the guilty parties. It- declares for a League of nations to prevent future wars, and looks to the demoora- .tiiatien of Germany and.Austrioanetto thereductionef arnseenents.

The Labour Party is on more debatable ground in proposing to place all tropical Africa under an International Commission. It is opposed to an aggressive economic war after peace returns, but, like the Allied Conference at Paris, it affirm, the right of every nation to defend its own economic interests,