The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-12-17
NOT FOR PEACE AT ANY PRICE

Organized Labor Maintains hat a
Necessary Assurance of Peace ls
Power For Self Protection and Readi-
Justice Its Aim.
"It has been due to the integrity, the
honor and manhood of the wage earn
ers that many efforts to embroil our
country in the present international
complications have failed
So declares the report of the execu
tive council which President Samuel
Gompers presented at the thirty fifth
annual convention of the American
Federation of Labor in recent session
at San Francisco.
"These efforts have come In all man
ner of guises.
"They have come as humanitarian
efforts; they have come as patriotic ap-
peals; they have come as promoting
the highest ideals which human beings
have conceived. But the trade union
movement of America has steadfastly
piles upon which it has built up its
present power and effectiveness. The
trade union movement, the powerful
militant organization in industry for
the protection of the rights of the
workers and for the maintenance Of
industrial justice, has refused to give
its sanction to any political movement
While the trade union movement recog-
nizes that peace is absolutely neceS-
sary for normal, consecutive develop
ment and progress, yet it refuses to
secure this peace at the sacrifice Of
ideals and standards of justice. 1t
maintains that a necessary assurance
of peace is power for self protection
and readiness to maintain rights. The
principles of craftsmanship that hold
true In the Industrial world hold true
In the political world.
1.-THE nature, the extent and the di-
rection of our commerce have almost
completely changed during the months
that the war has been in progress. 1t
was necessary for the protection OF
American citizens to continue our for
eign commerce There has developed
In this country and in some other
countries q conscience that is extreme
ly sensitive to the effects of our for
eign commerce. According to this con
cept, commerce that supplies nations
with certain products becomes, in some
degree at least, responsible for the war
itself and for the loss of life.
"Those who have this conviction feel
that an embargo should be put upon
such products and that all trade should
be forbidden in those things which en-
able Europe to continue the struggle.
But these persons do not consider
fully the disastrous effect upon the
workers Of our country as well as upon
all of the citizens that would come
from such a restriction and discrimina
ton Of trade which would result in
closing so many industries and would
quickly reduce thousands Of men, wo
men and children of our country tC
starvation. There Is no middle ground
for it is impossible to distinguish be
tween munitions of war and the ordi
nary article of commerce.
Cotton, automobile trucks, horses an(
mules are normal and necessary agen
cies for the cultivation of peace-they
are also necessary agencies In carrying
on war. Should we make any attemp
to differentiate we would be involved
In an interminable dispute over tht
DOgSihlp DurDOSq TO which material;
can be put All nations are now turn
ing to America as the great produces
OF food, clothing and the necessaries o
existence.
1.-THE efforts to use the workingmeI
of our country have been OF two kind
Que to get through them the indorse
ment of the foreign policy to place al
embargo upon SO called munitions o
war; the other has been to stir up In
dustrial contentious and disputes an
thus interfere with the actual process
of production so that products to b
sent abroad may be stopped. Foreign
agencies have been trying to reacl
some Of the organization workers, bu
they have not succeeded.
'4They have sought all angles Of cor
troll, but everywhere they have found
spirit of faithfulness in America,
spirit of unity and solidarity anon
the workers that impelled them indie
nantly and decisively to reject any oi
fers after their real nature was mad
clear"