The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-08-05
UNION LABOR IS
EAGER FOR PEACE
American and Mexican Leaders
Hold Harmony Conference
In Washington.
JINGO CAPITALISTS
AND PRESS SCORED
"Real Bandits" Declared In Wall
Street; Mexican People
Friendly..I
Bv GEORGE p, WEST.

WASHINGTON, Aug: 3.-While
every big special interest newspaper
and every jingoist in the country has
been shouting for war with Mexico
five official representatives. of the
Mexican labor movement have been
meeting with the executive council
of the American Federation Of Labor
in complete harmony and friendship
At the federation headquarters in
Washington, the common interests OF
the peoples of the United States and
Of Mexico are being emphasized in
the conferences that are proceeding
with a view to removing misunder-
standings and preventing war.
The Washington meeting are his
toric as being the most effective ef-
fort ever made by the workers of two
countries to avoid war. Mexican del
egates to the conference are in close
touch with First Chief Carranza, while
American labor through President
Gompers is making it's wishes. known
to the American administration.
The Mexican labor representatives
include Carlos Lovera, Baltazar Pages
Luis Morones, Salvador Gonzalo Gar
cia and Col. Edmund Martinez. They
are here at the invitation of President
Gompers. -, -:
Women and children will join with
the men Of Mexico in resisting Ameri-
can occupation, the Mexican delegates
told Washington newspaper cores
pondents who had asked what would
happen if the American trrops are
not withdrawn. K
The interview was arranged in the
office of the Committee :on Industrial
Relations by Lincoln ,Steffens, who led
the questioning with a view to bring
ing out the attitude, ,ser the: Mexican
people. ~.s y. -s,~.-.'.,c...
Represents 100000 Men.
1--WE represent 60 Mexican labor
unions with a membership Of 100, ,O00,''
said Carlos Lovera, of Yucatan. and
chief spokesman for the Mexicans.
We shall have to go to war when we
I'VE realize that it is quite possible
we shall have to go to war when we
have no quarrel, and we are here to
do what we can to prevent it. It may
be that we shall fail, just as labor
failed in Europe.
Since we arrived here we have
learned that the American people do
not want war. and especially the
working people. To certain extent
We can carry that news to the Mexi-
cans and give them that impression,
that the American people have no
quarrel with us and do not want
war. We believe the trouble is made
by the special interests, and not by
the people.
"Mr. Carranza does not want war.
nor do the men around him.
LAS far as we know, we don't think
there is anyone in Mexico that wants
war.
Labor and the government of Mex
leo are working together. The gov
ernment recognizes us, and the labor
movement agrees to help the Consti-
tutionalist revolution. We had regi-
ments in the field, under our own
officers. They were called the red
battalions.'
when we have a big strike now,
the military does not help the en-
ployers. They do not interfere. they
do not help us, but they leave us
free to use the strike weapon. The
government of Yucatan is helping all
they can. We. have the eight-hou
day and the English week Of "A hours.
We quit work at H. o'clock on Satur-
day morning and are paid for the full
day.
ION the day we left Mexico, we had
the first actual distribution of land in
Yucatan."
The Mexican delegates were told