cess of Russia at the present day would
be a curse to the world.

There is no time to lose. Already, by secret agreements and
understandings, of which the democracies of the civilized world
know only by rumor, steps are being taken which may fling us all
into the fray.

Workers, stand together therefore for peace! Combine and conquer
the militarist enemy and the self-seeking imperialists today, once
and for all.

Men and women of Britain, you have now an unexampled opportunity of
rendering a magnificent service to humanity and to the world!

Proclaim that for you the days of plunder and butchery have gone
by; send messages of peace and fraternity to your fellows who have
less liberty than you. Down with class rule! Down with the rule of
brute force! Down with war! Up with the peaceful rule of the
people! (Signed on behalf of the British Section of the
International Socialist Bureau,)

J. KEIR HARDIE,

ARTHUR HENDERSON.

* * * * *

KEIR HARDIE'S QUESTIONS.

Directed at Sir Edward Grey, British Minister for Foreign Affairs, in
House of Commons, Aug. 27.

_Mr. Keir Hardie_ (Merthyr Tydvil, Lab.) asked the Secretary for Foreign
Affairs whether the suggestions for a peace settlement made by the
German Ambassador, ["White Paper," Page 66, Item No. 123,] together with
his invitation to the Foreign Secretary to put forward proposals of his
own which would be acceptable as a basis for neutrality, were submitted
to and considered by the Cabinet; and, if not, why proposals involving
such far-reaching possibilities were thus rejected.

_Sir E. Grey_ (Northumberland, Berwick)--These were personal suggestions
made by the Ambassador on Aug. 1, and without authority to alter the
conditions of neutrality proposed to us by the German Chancellor in No.
85 in the "White Paper"--Miscellaneous, No. 6, [1914.]

The Cabinet did, however, consider most carefully the next morning--that
is, Sunday, Aug. 2--the conditions on which we could remain neutral, and
came to the conclusion that respect for the neutrality of Belgium must
be one of these conditions. ["Hear, hear!"] The German Chancellor had
already been told on July 30 that we could not bargain that way.

On Monday, Aug. 3, I made a statement in the House accordingly. I had
seen the German Ambassador again at his own request on Monday, and he
ur