Mr. Henderson's suspicions might have been set at rest by
the Prime Minister's letter, which was read at the opening of the Conference. Mr. Lloyd George pointed out that a statement on war aims must be made by the Allies as a whole. He recalled his own recent speech on British war aims, and declared that we were still fighting for the ideals on behalf of which we entered the war— namely, to free the world once and for all from " the intolerable menace of a militaristic civilization." Mr. Lloyd George agreed that every worker and every fighter should feel sure that he was really helping to free the world from autocracy. " I was never more convinced than I am to-day," he concluded, " not only that the purposes for which the Allies are continuing the war are not Imperialistic or vindictive, but that their achievement is essential to the future freedom and peace of mankind."
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