File No. 763.72/9114
The Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 8, 12.33 a.m.]
8946. Your 6719, February 28, 7 p.m.1 My 8860, March 1, 6 p.m.2 I can now report views of Webb, Brailsford and Henderson which I summarize briefly as follows:
First, there has been no opportunity of testing the reception by British Labor of the recent memorandum on war aims of the international conference3 published in the Times of February 25, but all agree that since the general principles enumerated in that memorandum are practically identical with those approved by British Labor at Blackpool last August, and by enormous majorities at two conferences held since, there can be no doubt that British Labor strongly supports the general principles embodied in the international memorandum, particularly those of the League of Nations, of disarmament, and of no economic or tariff boycotts after the war. The specific territorial claims put forward in the international memorandum stand in quite a different category from the general principles and except in so far as they logically follow from or illustrate those principles, British Labor has no direct interest in such claims; they were inserted in the memorandum at the instance of the various foreign delegations represented in London, and British Labor men realize that in many points of detail these claims will be subject to modification.
Second, of the five delegates to the United States authorized by the International Conference, only three have as yet been chosen: [Page 152] Jouhaux, Secretary French Confédération du Travail, Lieutenant Demaine, a Belgian Socialist, and Huysmans, Secretary of the International. J. H. Thomas, Secretary, Railway Men’s Union, is strongly urged to go both by Webb and Henderson and will probably represent British Labor. An Italian representative acceptable both to [omission] Reform Socialists has not yet been chosen.
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