El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-03-27
To HOLD
PEACE CONGRESS
Call For Labor Congress to
Meet When Belligerents
Begin Making Terms.


Washington. j. g.. March 2l.-Organ-
lied labor. through the American Fed
Grafton. has issued a call for a World
Peace Congress of Labor. to meet at
the same time and place the belliger-
ents meet to make terms for ending the
world war
The call for Labor's World Peace
congress. signed 10y samuel Gompers,
says:
"The American Federation Of Labor
convention. held November, 1914, four
months after the war began, adopted
q resolution which provided for the
calling of q Labor Congress for the
same time and place that the general
Peace Congress shall be held. which
will determine conditions ana terms o.
peace at the close of the war. rms
action was officially communicated 10
all national trade union centers.
I'VE are not unmindful Of the issues
involved for which men are shedding
their blood and giving their lives w e,
too. have been confronted Dy naLlollaI
uroblems which have grown out OF war
conditions, and now our great concern
is that out Of the horrors, the suffer-
ing. the destruction Of war. there shaIt
come greater opportunity. freedom ana
nrotection for those who do the worlds
work-the toilers of all countries.
Wage Farmers Prove Loyalty.
Everywhere the wage-earners ha'
proved their loyalty TO concepts Oh
honor their patriotism, their value as
/, mon and women. In the past they
have borne not only the burdens OF
fighting during the war, out nave
hen weighted down by the debts and
readWstments attending a return 10
neace conditions.
.The workers can refuse to be the
victims Of the blundeTers, the eNll
pIaus the ambitions of those re-
sDousfbIe for the war. in their strug-
&c against oppression, have been born
Warnings for human freedom, Tor pet
Ter opportunities, for justice in life and
work. During the centuries they have
made progrcss-sOmeume SLOW IL is
true, but always progress IL mas pee1
a long fight from slavery to the pres
ent degree Of freedom.
There is great opportunity IN the I'M
mediate future for democracy anu
freedom. a century ago lhe leuual
system died in the Napoleonic wars
that convulscd Europe, and the third
estate established their right 10 lreer
dom and PARTICIPATION in the affairs OF
government and society
In appreciation Of their dignity and
value, it is the duty Of the Wage-earn-
ers TO make demands upon the world
assembled in the next world congress
that nothing touching the lives or the
workers shall be determined without
taking counsel with them. such a de-
mand made by the personal represeh-
tatives Of the wage earners assehlDleu
in the same place and at the same time
as the World Peace Congress would
have a tremendous effect upon the
spirit and the determinations Of that
Congress
plan Outlined.
mi ha Am1nTi .
Federation Of Labor contains the toI-
lowing general suggestions:
Let every national center affiliated
with the International Federation OF
Trade Unions send not more than two
delegates to the conference. The labor
movement Of any country. even though
not affiliated. could send one delegate.
II there is no general labor movement
fin "a country. let the representatives OF
the organizations OF that country agree
to send one delegate. Then II should
also be understood that representatives
OF this congress must be either OIL
ficials OF duly accredited representa-
tivcs Of economic organizations OF
wage earuers. The delegates 80 thIs
International conference before leaving
their home countries should make pro-
visions for publicity through the labor
and reform press of their countries for
the deliberations and the decisions OF
the labor conference so tnat the wage
in possession of the truth In regard TO
what transpires.
The proposed plan for the Labor
Congress is formulated for the purpose
Of securing the representative thought
and conviction Of the organized labor
movement of the world It is Wen
known that the labor movements N
every country are n power for democ-
racy, and insistently and fearlessly
urge in every relation the paramount
Importance of the human element.
Urhere are no other organizations thaJ
are concerned wholly or purely with
human welfare-the protection and
conservation Of human life. The labor
movement everywhere is a movement
OF the people. in the interest of the
people and for the rights Of the people.
n IS this wider and broader concept
that we wish to bring into the next
world congress and so 10 humanize and
elevate the thought and the decisions