Evening star., 1914-11-09
Federation of Labor So Re-
CARDS the Passage of the
Clayton Measure.
FEATURE OF THE REPORT
OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Annual Meeting Today Of National
Organization in Philadelphia Pre-
ceded by Street Parade.

PHILADELPHIA, November THE
thirty-fourth annual convention of the
American Federation of Labor was
opened here today to continue for two
weeks. Prior TO the assembling OF the
delegates there was short street par
ade, in which nearly all the delegates
participated. The city of Philadelphia
appropriated $4,000 to assist in de-
fraying the expenses of the conven-
ton and in entertaining the delegates.
4 court of honor, stretched from city
hall to the convention place, greeted
the visiting delegates.
Jurisdictional fights which have fea-
tured some of the past conventions Of
the federation are likely to take up
some of the time of the present gather
ing. The status of American employees
in the Panama Canal Zone will also be
discussed. The most hnportant contest
over the seating of delegates is that in
the United Garment Workers of Amer
ica. Two sets of delegates are apply
ing to be seated One faction is head
ell by the old general officers of the
union and the other by a new set of Of
ficerS elected at convention held in
Nashville last month.
Executive Councils Report.
Pronouncing the passage of the Clay
ton antitrust bill as organized Ia boris
greatest single accomplishment for the
last year, the executive council of the
federation presented it's annual report
today to the convention here. The
voluminouS document covers every
question which has affected labor dur
ing the year, including the European
war.
OF the Clayton bill the councils state
ment says that it contains the most
fundamental. the most comprehensive
enunciation of industrial freedom found.
in any legislative act in the history of
the world" and that it was obtained
through "the organized economic pow
err represented by the workers OF the
United States. --.-.r--...
Discussing economic organization as
the keynote of the federations thought
and effort, the council expressed pride
in the report OF progress transmitted
"at a time when most OF the civilized
countries are submerged by a world
wide war;" while in the United States
ION every hand the workers are in
sisting upon the maintenance of Or
ganiZatfon and resistance to deterio-
ration of present working conditions"
"Organized labor, it adds, has as
sisted the effort to mitigate the indus
trial disorganization and losses entail
ed by the European war"
Men as Military Pawns.
Before the war; it continues, "the
thought and effort of civilization were
centered upon the development and
glorifcation of human life. One life
was counted of infinite value. But
since the cataclysm that brought war
between the nations men are treated
as only military pawns. Things are
valued for their life-destroying power,
Guns are worth more than men,
The war is said TO be the product of
artificial conditions and policies and re-
pugnant to the thought and political
progress of the age, but SO ar We have
made little progress in providing agencies
for organizing international relations to
maintain peace and justice. The war has
shown that war cannot be stopped by
resolutions and that war cannot put an
end TO itself. War will cease only when
society is convinced that human life is
agencies international as well as ma
tional fo- projecting lives.
Summing up steps that may be taken
toward the abol shment of war, the re-
pert continues:
'Militarism and competitive armament
must be abolished and tribunals for
awarding justice and agencies for en-
forcing determinations must be institut-
ed. International interests and ssues ex-
list Political institutions should be eS-
tablished corresponding to political de-
velopments. Those most interested should
lead in demands fer world federation and
working people of all lands bear the brunt