Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-11-12
War Conditions Abndge
Right to Freedom 81
Speech, Which Is Abused
By Enemies 81 Our Coun-
Try, Says I the American a
Federation Of Labor Re
port on Labor and the
War; III

WAL EIODlGlI1S AIIeCC the
Workers, Says Federation
Statement to the Annual
1 Conference.
Buffalo. N. T., Nov. 12.-Demand
for "dequate and direct re@presenta-
ton OF wage earners at the world.
peace conference is made inYsthe m
nual report Of the executive council
Of the American Federation OF La
I Dor, submitted today to the federa-
#tion here. The report declares that
the world wal must wipe out all.
svestiges Of the old conceit that the
s& Questions raised by the war occupy
virtually the entire report. No room
1s left for doubt that the United
States government has the unani-
nous support Of organized American
labor in the q and it is asserted
with equal emphasis that the vital in
terestssof the average citizen demand
ments to come with the dawn Of
peace.
Optimism over labor achievements
an the last year liz tempered with, a
warning that benefits obtained from
emergency opportunities must be
based OF principles Of human welfare
and not the result Of taking advan-
tage Of the nations necessity. Free
dom Of expression Is upheld, but the
report say those who abuse the free
dom OF, the press to undermine the
nations free institutions should be
punished as traitors.
BY far the most important address
Sof the convention Is that Of President
Wilson. delivered this morning.
congress 10 included in the report,
with the declaration adopted by a
meeting Of union officials last March
when It vi seen to be inevitable that
the European conflagration would
spread to America. Under the head
Ing, Labor and the War; the re-
port says:
Government Must Protect
Under all circumstances It 10 the
duty Of any government to protect its
people against wilfull and wholesale
murder : So f:s5A people sunwill-
ing to- make the ssupremeSs sacrifice In
suppcFttsof the government -whichsune
dertakes to make that principle good
are ~undeserving tO live and, enjoy the
privilege of5trse, .~sdernocratic govern
ment." e. "a
The duty Of wase-earners in the
war IL emphasized particularly in the
section Of the report devoted to
Peace Terms" which advocates an
international. agreement to secure
peace and the settlement Of the
present war without ''vindictive'' in
IDENTITIES or territorial changes. The
1T is. q imperative duty from
which there Is mo- escape that wage
earners5as well as all other citizens
of. this republic support govern
ment IN. itsfrighteous effort to defend
principles Of humanity and to estab-
lions. Because we desire permanent
peace It Is our duty to fight and sac
riace until these purposes can be
Working Men in Diplomatic Life.
when nations can send represen-
.tatives to negotiate peace terms in
accord with this concept, we main
tain that the basic provisions OF the
peace treaty should be formulated
with regard to the rights and welfare
,&of the men, women and children con-
Sstituting the nations rather than the
governments OF the nations. The
mentality Of the people instead of
dominating and actuating their lives.
This terrific war must wipe out all
$vestiges of the old concept that the
nation belongs to the ruler or govern
&ment.
should apply to relations between ma
lions and the secret diplomacy should
be replaced by diplomatic represen-
tatives responsible to the people Of
their own people and received III
either the parliament of. the country