resenting the Socialist parties of twenty different countries. The
crux of the question was to find a form of words which satisfied all
susceptibilities; and Sidney Webb, who was chosen chairman of a part of
the proceedings when the British delegates met by themselves to
formulate the terms of agreement, was here in his element; for it would
be hard to find anybody in England more skilful in solving the
difficulties that arise in determining the expression of a proposition
of which the substance is not in dispute.

An agreement was arrived at that the Joint Socialist Council should be
formed as soon as the British Socialist Party was affiliated to the
Labour Party. The B.S.P. confirmed the decision of its delegates, but
the Labour Party referred the acceptance of affiliation to the Annual
Conference of 1915[39].

Then came the War. The Labour Party Conference of 1915 did not take
place, and a sudden new divergence of opinion arose in the Socialist
movement. The Labour Party, the Fabian Society, and the leaders of the
B.S.P. gave general support to the Government in entering into the war.
The I.L.P. adopted an attitude of critical hostility. Amidst this
somewhat unexpected regrouping of parties, any attempt to inaugurate a
United Socialist Council was foredoomed to failure. The project for
Socialist Unity therefore awaits the happy time when war shall have
ceased.

FOOTNOTES:

[39] The Labour Party Conference held in January, 1916, unanimously
accepted the affiliation of the British Socialist Party.

Chapter XI

The Minority Report, Syndicalism and Research: 1909-15

The emergence of Mrs. Sidney Webb--The Poor Law Commission--The
Minority Report--Unemployment--The National Committee for the
Prevention of Destitution--"Vote against the House of Lords"--Bernard
Shaw retires--Death of Hubert Bland--Opposition to the National
Insurance Bill--The Fabian Reform Committee--The "New Statesman"--The
Research Department--"The Rural Problem"--"The Control of
Industry"--Syndicalism--The Guildsmen--Final Statistics--The War.

A former chapter was entitled "The Episode of Mr. Wells." The present
might have been called "The Intervention of Mrs. Sidney Webb," save for
the fact that it would suggest a comparison which might be misleading.

I have insisted with some iteration that the success of the Society,
both in its early days and afterwards, must be mainly attributed to the
exceptional force an