The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-05-29
LABOR HAS BORNE
MOST OF BURDENS
Growing Out of the Wars in the Past and
with Little to Say About Declaring
Wars Or Their Conduct

Washington. d. c.. May 27.-Labor has
borne most of the burdens growing out
OF wars in the past, with little TO say
in regard to the declaring Of wars OIL
their conduct, and in the peace OF the
future labor must have ag increasing
voice, Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, declared
in an address here last night at the first
annual assembly of the league TO enforce
peace.
| Mr.. Gompers outlined five principles
which be declared represented not only
the international program for which la
Dor will work in the future, but for which
labor has been contending through the
years These principles, he said, are as
follows
Il. 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 maintenance of a
higher standard of morals, law and JUS
tice; program that will so safeguard
the use of military power that it can
not be used by the reactionsry forces of
privilege in imperialistic aggression, or
dragged like red herring across the path
of Democratic progress.
g. II must be program elastic
enough TO admit of those fundamental
changes that the growing life of the
world makes inevitable. Any inteTna
tional arrangement that does not afford
peaceful methods of securing the results
that now can be achieved only by sue
cessful fighting will make little head
way against war. Labor will oppose any
federation of nations so organized that
the more powerful nations can use the
machinery TO maintain the status quo
against the demands for change made in
the interest of democracy and larger OPP
portunity for the masses.
g. II must be a program under which |
the small nation, as well as the large ma
ton. will have a free hand in every |
Just individual development; a program
that will make il impossible for a few /
strong nations to dictate the policies and
development of the world. 1t must not
deny to small and dependent states that
final right of revolution that sometimes
is the only road TO justice and free
dom.
a. II must be a program that will
give the masses greater influence in those
decisions that plunge nations into war:
hat is TO say. a program under which
he powers of autocracy and absolute Sc
ret diplomacy cannot. over night. rush
nation into war before the citizenship
{ the nation has a chance To express
tself
IS. II must be program under which
he international machinery that is ere
ted viii afford a medium through which
N classes Of society can voice their
Judgment and register their demands. We
INST not deludc ourselves into thinking i
hat the international problem will lie !
olved by the establishment Of an inter.
ationsl court along traditional lines, ;
resided over by LAWYERS 20 pass judC- $
lent upon violations Of established in Y
,rna tional law. The fact y that the real !
luses Of modern wars are not 80 much
ioiations II established law. as they are +
lnlicts over new problems and new
ecds that have not vet become part Of
International law 30 that any adequate
International progress must include the
Establishment Of = system ri stated in
irrational conference in which TIE rep
.senfativss ri such Democratic interests
labor and business can present and |