The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1916-02-05


the life, the securement of better oppor-
tunities for the sailors, the protection
not only of the power to work, supply
ing human motive force necessary to
the industry but the conservation of that
infinitely sacred thing, human creative
ability and human aspiration. Under
existing practices it would seem that we
value the dollar more than we value
men.
On this Pan-American Commission
there are representatives of those who
profit by the expansion of financial in
terests and institutions, but there are no
representatives of those whom these
financial interests are supposed to serve
The banks could not and would not
exist if there were no borrowers and
no depositors, yet it is only the financial
manipulators who are represented and
not the vastly more numerous deposit
ors and borrowers. There is not a
single occupation or industry that does
not have a human side and is not de-
pendent upon human agencies-those en-
ployed in the industry and among those
whom the industry serves. The per-
sonnel of this commission represents
only the material side of all industries
-lllC Sluc Is ignored.
There is among our institutions one
agency that stands pre-eminently and
absolutely for human rights and human
interests. 1t, therefore, falls upon that
organization to press home the Just
claim for representation OF human in
terests on all political bodies The
American Federation of Labor has be-
gun this fight in the United States. After
~, & Al,
Commission, the President of the A. i.
OF l.. directed the attention of the Sec
retary of the Treasury to the principle
presented above and urged upon him
that some member representing human
interest ought to be appointed on that
commission. This effort should be sec
onded and taken up by the labor move
ments of all of the other Pan-Amer
lean countries until there is fitting and
adequate representation for the work
ers of all countries upon this and other
like bodies.
Not only ought the wage-earners be
represented on the Pan American Com
mission but they ought to be represent
ed on every commission that controls
or determines public policies and mat
tiers of common concern.
So far as touches their immediate al
fairs of life and work, the ge-earners
have. through their labor organizations,
established a channel for the expressions
of their purposes and their needs. These
labor organizations are thoroughly dem
ocratic and are truly representative OF
the needs and the aspirations of the
workers. What the wage-earners have
been able to secure through their trade
organizations locally and in their occu-
patton, they can secure upon a large
and broader scale through these same
agencies. Labor organizations are vol
untary flexible agencies that are con-
cerned with all of the interests OF the
wage-carners. They are directly repre-
sentative of the interests and declared
needs and ideals of the organized work
ers and the inarticulate hope of the un
organized.
There is another problem that has
very prominent place in general thought
at the present time-this is the prob
lem of national defense and prepared
ness. The European war has demol-
ished many of our ideas on the subject
of peace and our conceptions of human
psychology. AS result many have had
to abandon former conceptions of poll
cies of national defense and prepared
ness. We have learned that some con-
structive measures can be adopted and
definite well co-ordinated plan evolved
if our nation is to continue to hold its
present position in the council of ma
tons and if our citizens are to continue
to progress and to secure increasingly
better opportunities in our Republic.
Formulation of plans and policies must
necessarily be left largely to preliminary
committees and commissions. The wage
earners of America are vitally inter-
ested in these plans and policies They
bear the brunt of fighting in times OF
war and suffer most from mistakes of
militarsm and lack of national pre-
paredness. Therefore, it is essential that
representatives of wage-earners should
be appointed to all commissions and
committees that deal with these matters.
Plans and policies for defense and
preparedness for our Republic must be
safeguarded to prevent miltarism from
becoming the dominating characteristic.
This evil can be prevented only through
establishing and maintaining democracy
Of organization, administration and con-
troll. The workers-the masses of the
people-are the most insistent advocates
of democracy. Their participation in
the formulation of plans for defense
and defenses is an assurance that demo-
II.