The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-11-23

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in everlasting universal peace, find
this one fact: that militarism, where
ever it has existed, was thoroughly
organized, while the advocates of
peace were lose jointed and had no
opportunity to give concrete express
sion not only to their views but to
their hopes and to preserve their
lives.
Of Significance to Labor
"There is very deep significance
to the men of labor of all that is
involved in this world struggle. From
by-gone ages, the men of wealth and
title were free, wherever they lived.
1t is always the poor, the workers,
who suffered tyranny and injustice
wherever tyranny and injustice ex-
listed.
"The United States of America is
not perfect organization. 1t has
not eliminated every vestige of in
Justice and wrong, but it is by far
odds the greatest, most liberty-lov-
ing and justice-dealing nation on the
face of the globe.
"The organizations of labor, their
membership and l as one of their
spokesmen, have already been paci-
fists-pacifists per seas there are
, few real pacifists today. So far as
l am concerned, in speaking, for my
self as well as in part at least for
the American labor movement, until
the breaking out of this European
war / was willing to go the limit
and | know the labor movement of
America was willing to go the. limit,
as far as we could, to prevent any
break of international peace. We
were willing to stake our very lives,
as well as our liberties, upon the
| insistence to maintain international
peace. Yes, and there is scarcely a
Peace Society in the whole world, ma
tional, international, state or mu-
nicipal, of which was not a men,
Der, and in many instances di-
rector or trustee.
"In 1909, when the American Fed
Grafton of Labor selected me to go
to Paris and attend an international
conference of the representatives OF
labor of the various countries, one of
the most interesting incidents con-
nected with that gathering was a
tremendously largely attended meet
ing at which the representatives of
these various countries pledged them
selves, to themselves, and to each
other, that under no circumstances
would they, speaking for those whom
they represented, permit the interna-
, tional peace to be broken.
81 came back from that conference
firmly convinced that the day of
war between nations had come to an
end. When, 10 and behold! in the
summer of 1914 the buccaneer of
modern times decreed that the con-
| flagration of war should come to
the world; that the hour had come
when the dream of his life was to
be put into operation-Germany over
all; the world of peace and of prog
ress and of democracy must bend the
knee to this new vampire of the
world.
"And | found, as you found, that
the people of that country respond
ed to the colors. You found, as |
found, that by means of diplomacy
better termed trickery-the peo-
pies of all other nations were led
into the belief that this war lord
simply intended to use that great
power of his imperial militarist ma
chine to maintain the peace of the
world, and hence, according to that
philosophy there was no need for the
people of the other nations of the
world to prepare themselves.
Lulled Into Fancied Security
1--WE were lulled, all of us, into a
fancied security, only to be ruth
lessly awakened upon that summer
morning of 1914. And then it was
impossible for any liberty-loving,
red blooded man or woman in any
country on the face of the globe but
to feel that they had been lulled into
that fancied security and had been
fooled all these years.
"To remain pacifist after the in
vasion of Belgium, to remain paci-
fist after Serbia was outraged and
invaded to remain a pacifist after
France had been in part invaded and
subjugated, was to write one down
as a poltroon. When the whole plan
of the militarist campaign of the
German Emperor for the German
army was checked in its onward
march upon Paris and Calais, that