Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-21
LABOR UNIONS LOYAL.
Fear Held by France Regarding Organ
lied Labor Dispelled.

( (COrreSpOn Gence OF ASsocIdleo TieSS'
Paris. Jan. S-The relation of the labor
unions TO the war has been altogether
creditable TO them. according TO M.
Marck, treasurer OF the Federation OF
Labor Unions OF the Seine. He said
the government had always been nerV-
Gus about labor unions IN case OF war,
and as the anti nilitarist campaign MAD
reached alarming proportions IL was
thought a serious question what might
be the extent of defec;ions in case oil
ar outbreak.
That tRis had been false alarm OF
fear Vas evident from the fact that
three hundred thousand trades un :
ionists-not revolutionists-have raised
their voice agains; the aggressor
The militant union Leaders are now
too muca occupied in the trenches. and
al other points where there's patriotic
work 10 do. to think of the fight De-
tween labor and capital" ne said.
But" ne added, because were 90
ing our duty II viii be mistake TO
pose that after it's over we shall dis
arm and abandon our fight Tor the
eight hour day and the Saturday hair
holiday; the fighting. in my opinion.
viii then be hotter than ever.
But that Is for later on, just no" we
are 100 busy distributing tickets for
meals to unemployed. and we are snort
of help for most of the union leaders
are at the front. many of them have
proven by, giving ,heir lives to the
cause tnat they were as much patriots
a. those svhp we're denying them the
right 10 be so called.
'.C'naiopir. OF the school teachers I'M
ion, has been killed. as Well as Renauh
OF the railroad mems union. while capy,
OF the jewelers. union, has lost his two
I legs.
! It's not only the younger men who
are serving their country. the older ones
I are doing their part in different ways;
| five thousand Of the navvies were re-
! cruited in one day 10 hustle the work
( Of intrenching the army OF Paris when
! the Germans were on their way to-
! ward the gates Of the city. and they
all went cheerfully without mur'nur;
they slept in the open, just as the SOL
d.ers do. and they rushed thru the
work so that If Won Kluck had ever
gotten within gunshot Of ouf outer
trenches, he would have received a dis
agreeable surprise.
!, Another. and far more disagIeeable
J duty performed by the navvies' union
was the burying OF the abandoned
German dead on the field OF the battle
of the Marine
In the relief work we are doing. 1t
has cost us nothing at all 10 take our
seats In the commission side by side
with the police. represented by Lepine
with the priests. represented by Car
dinal Annette, with the Jews. repre-
scented by the Grand Rabbi Of Paris. the
protestants. represented by Rev
Charles Wagner-men representing al
the sects, while all the opinions am
all sides of every conflicting issue o.
life are working iiarTion!ously 70 re-
lieye the distress Of war, the details
devolve upon US because we are or
ganized When 1t came to distributing
relief, we told the committee that i
they would let us go at 1t with our or
ganization, we would answer for thu
result: in forty eight hours seventeen
sections OF our federation were read,
and we distributed 5000 repasts tin
third day; today we are distributin,
100000 meals day. and it is all dom
by ticket, SO that we may be certain
the relief goes to the right place.
Our fund today amounts to sevel
million francs and our monthly outla,
Is about 10000 francs divided be
tween 225 different soup houses o
course the commission has other de
mands upon 1t than the mere feedin
Of the hungry. but, with the fund il
D hand, we can face the future wit
0 equanimity."