Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-08

apart from the danger of misleading man.
kind to the real state of the world.
What we need is that war should become
impossible. The surest way to work to
avoid an outbreak OF war Is to multiply
the reasons nations have to maintain peace
Labor conferences and commercial treaties
have introduced new element of good will
and harmony into international relations
and by aSSmilating their interests, by les
SEEMING the differences of law and customs.
and by softening the severity of economic
competition, they have contributed to an
interna tional rapprochement. Not content
merely with eulogiZing the advantages OF
peace let us work to convince the world OF
them. From this point of view. too, the
conference at Berne is an event Of which
1t Is impossible to overrate the Importance.
International Congress.
On Thursday. May 8. 1906 there assem-
bled in the hall of the Conseil des Etats,
in the federal buildings at Berne. the inter-
national congress for the protection of the
workingman. The mere idea of inter-
national scheme for the protection of work
men is no novelty. but there is consider
able novelty in putting such a scheme in.o
practice. l admit that a conference of
like nature was called together at Berlin
In 1890, upon the invitation of the German
emperor, which completely overshadoWed
the earlier initiative of the Swiss federal
council, but its program for the working
mans protection was too vast 1t was
aimed at the regulation of work in mines,
Sunday labor child labor and the labor OF
women and young persons-the consumma-
ton in short of all their ideals. The pro-
gram was brilliantly developed on the plat
FORM where the protagonists of France
Jules Simon and Burdeau, out the
Immediate and practical results We're IN
different. 1t cannot however, be said That
the conference abOruVe; much OF the
credit for the real progress of social legls-
lation In nearly every country of Europe
since 1890 Is due to the Initiative of the
Swiss federal council and OF the German
emperor
necessary lesson The 1900 universal eX-
hibition at Paris-that center where so
many generous and fruitful ideas came to
light-saw the birth of an international
association for the protection of work
men whose works were soon 10 make
Ii known. 1t held general assembly at
Cologne in 1902, when two questions In
particular were dlScuSSed-the prohlDl-
ton Of the use of phosphorus in match
making and the suppression OF night
work for women. A commission met the
following year at Basic to consider the
matter further. and decided to request
the Swiss federal council to take the in
itiative in summoning a conference whose
aim should be to forbid. by international
agreement:
l. The use of white phosphorus in the
manufacture of matches; and
3 The night employment Of women en-
gagged in any trade.
1t was thus no longer a question, as at
Berlin, of studying four important sub
jects in all their bearings-not even one
subject in its entirety. The labor OF
young persons and women, which had
been one of the four subjects inquired
into by the 1890 conference. was divided
into two sections or these only one. the
employment of women, was taken up. and
the solution of the problem was still
further limited to the prohibition of
night work for women engaged in trade.
very special and technical question was
add 70 a of the first mentioned
problem in the prohibition Of the use of
trade poisons in a particular industry.
The Prohibition of Phosphorous
1t was generally thought that agree
ment regarding the prohibition OF phos-
phorus would be arrived at without Diff
Guilty. and even without debate. Only with
regard to the other question was any fear
felt. Events speedily belied this prediction.
From the opening of the debate on the
question of phosphorus element of OPP
position was apparent, the motives OF which
clearly showed there would be great diff
Guilty in overcoming 1t. Some countries,
spch as Switzerland and France, which has
already legisIated against the use of phos-
phrous. showed themselves disposed to pro-
hibit its use even in the manufacture of
products other than matches. But several
delegates cast doubt on the utility OF such
prohibition, which, according to them.
had become superfiuous by the use of more
perfect machinery. Just there Is ma
chine which takes rabbit and turns it into
a hat. there was. they said. machine
taking In wood and some chemicals at one
end and turning out boxes of matches
ready for sale at the other. Handling OF
the phosphoric paste being done away with.
all danger OF necrosis had disappeared. One
group Of powers made no effort to conceal
their invincible antagonism, dictated by
self-interest to any measures of prevention.
why" said one delegate. kill an Industry
which means q living to 1900 workmen,
and which brings into our country. through
export trade. four and a-han million trans
year, whsn No substitute has been found