The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-01-22
G0MPERS OUTLINES
LAB0R'S POSITION
Head of Federation of Labor
Talks to feei. h. About
Prep". is.ss! 4st
MUST GUARD AGAINST
EVIL OF MILITARISM
Whatever Is Done Labor Should
Be Represented and Given
Voice In Plans.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2o.-Ade-
quate preparedness for national de-
Tense was advocated here by Samuel
Gompers, president of the American
Federation Of Labor, in a speech be-
fore the session Of the annual conven-
ton of the National Civic federation,
devoted to that subject Tuesday.
While he insisted that military Or
ganiZations must be democratic and
the nation must be safeguarded
against the evils Of militarism, Mr..
Gompers declared that "America's
own freedom had been achieved by
resistance to tyranny and the pacifists
failed to understand that quality of
the human race which made men
willing to risk their all for an ideal.
Will Fight for Scrap of Paper.
Men worthy of the name," he said,
twill fight even for a scrap Of paper
when that paper represents ideals Of
human justice and freedom. There is
little progress made in the affairs of
the world in which resistance Of
others is not involved. Though we
may realize the brutality of war,
though we may know the value of
life, yet we know equally we'll what
would be the effects upon the lives
and the minds Of men who would lose
their rights, who would accept denial
of justice rather than hazard their
physical safety. The progress of all
the ages has come as the result Of
protests against wrongs and existing
conditions and through assertions Of
rights and effective demands for JUS
tice. Our own freedom and republi-
can form of government have been
achieved by resistance to tyranny and
insistence upon rights. Freedom and
democracy dare not be synonymous
with weakness.
Opinions Modified.
"As the result of the European war,
there is hardly citizen who has not,
in some, degree, modified his Opinions
about preparedness and national de-
Tense. The belief prevails that there
must be some policy of preparedness
and national defense, although there
Is wide divergence as to what policies
ought to be adopted.
National preparedness involves
power to coordinate and to utilize
national forces and national re-
sources War, as it is waged today,
Is not determined merely by the men
on the battlefield, but also by the mo-
bilization Of natural resources, ma
tional industries and commerce. The
real problem is the organization of
the material forces and resources of
the country, the coordination of
these in the furtherance of a definite
defensive military policy
Principles Must Be Regarded.
"Whatever plan may be adopted -
said Mr.. Gompers, explaining the atti-
tude of labor, "the organized labor
movement Of America demands that
certain fundamental principles must
be regarded. All policies and plans
for national defnse must be deter
mined by representatives Of all the
people. The organized labor move
ment, which is the only means for
expressing the will and the desires of
the great masses of our citizenship,
asserts it's rights to representation in
all committees, commissions or bodies
that decide upon military defense.
''The labor movement demands
democracy in all things, including
military organizations and institutions
of the country. 1t holds that it's poll
cies Of self-defense are best safe
guarded when there is equal oppor-
tunity for all to become members of
whatever organizations and institu-
tions, whether military or otherwise,
exist throughout the country. Not
only must entrance to all institutions
be freely and equally accorded to all,
but the military must be democratic
cally organized, democratically Off