The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-05-27
Which It Will Work under in the
Future, in An Address
at Meeting.

WASHINGTON. May 26.-Iabor has
borne most OF the burdens growing out
OF wars In the past, with little to say
in regard to the declaring OF wars or
their conduct, and in the peace OF the
future labor must have an increasing
voice. Samuel Gompers, president of
the American Federation OF Labor,
declared in an address here last night
at the first annual assemblage OF the
League to Enforce Peace.
Mr.. Gompers outlined five principles
which he declared represent not only
the international program for which
labor will work in the future. but for
which labor has been contending
through the years" These principles,
he said, are as follows:
First. II must be program under
which the military forces of the world
will be rescued from the dictation of
arbitrary autocracy and absolute secret
diplomacy and dedicated to the main
tenance OF higher standard OF morals,
law and Justice; n program that will
so safeguard the use Of military power
that 1t cannot be used by the reaction
airy forces Of privilege in imperlalistic
aggression, or dragged like a red her
ring across the path OF democratic
progress.
Second. 1t must be program elias
tic enought to admit OF those funda-.
mental changes that the growing life
OF the world makes inevitable. Any
International arrangement that does
not afford peaceful methods OF secur-
ing the results that now can be acheiy-
ed only by successful fighting will
make little Roadway against war La
Dor will oppose any federation OF ma
'lOns S organized that the more power
full nations can use the machinery to
maintain the status quo against the
demands for change made in the inter-
est OF democracy and larger opportun-
ity for the masses.
Third. 1t must be program under
which the small nation, as well as the
large nation. will have a free hand in
program that will make ii impossible
for few strong nations to dictate the
policies and DEVELOPMENT Of the world.
II must not deny to small and depend
ant states that final right OF revolution
that some times Is the only road to JUS
tice and freedom.
Fourth. 1t must be a program that
will give the masses greater influence
In those decisions that plunge nations
into war; that is to say. a program I'M
der which the powers OF autocracy
and absolute secret diplomacy cannot.
over night, rush nation into war be-
fn hn nj IN, ,,R
a chance to expires sitself.
Fifth. It must be program under
which the international machinery that
is created will afford medium
through which all classes Of society
can voice their Judgment and register
their demands. We must not delude
ourselves into thinking that the inter-
national problem will be solved entire
ly by the establishment of an inter-
national court along traditional lines,
presided over by lawyers to pass judg-
ment upon violations of established in
ternational law. The fact is that the
real causes of modern wars are not
so much violations of established law.
as they are conflicts over new prob
lens and new needs that have not yet
become part of international law.
SO that any adequate international
program must include the establish
ment of system OF stated international
conferences in which the representa-
tives of such democratic interests as
labor and business can present and
discuss. not under any established
rules of evidence but in the spirit of
impartial examination. those difficult
ties and differences that threaten to
give rise to war;
Mr.. Gompers declared that insofar as
the program Of the League to Enforce
Peace represented an effort to meet the