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 cially preoccupied with humouring the Russians. They were afraid of their meeting with the Germans only. The opinion was expressed that Socialists of the Allied countries ought also to attend this Conference to plead energetically the cause of the Western Democracies.

It seemed, indeed, at one time as if Albert Thomas were of this opinion, and that he had said so to his friends, Moutet and Cachin; but the latter, very much impressed by the Russian Revolution, went further, and on their return to France advised enthusiastically the national duty of the Socialist party to attend the Conference without making any stipulation or accepting any guarantee. We know what followed.

Thomas returned to Petrograd when the news reached Russia from France. We found him very much upset by the clearly hostile welcome that Parliamentary opinion gave to the idea of a meeting with the German Majority Socialists.

The same evening we had an interview with him, along with Henderson, who had just arrived from London.