The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-11-26
STOCKHOLM DANCER
Conference Would Play Into the Enemy's Hands,
Warns British Labor Leader
Written by W. A. APPLETON
of OF

The first proposals for conferences
between trade union representatives
OF belligerent nations came from the
american Federation of Labor in the
early part of 1916.
The Management Committee Of the
General Federation considered these,
and was unanimously of opinion that
such conferences while hostilities were
( In progress would tend rather to drive
democracies further apart than to
bring them closer together. 1t would
he Impossible at such conferences to
avoid terminating discussions, and
whatever decisions were reached
would have little more than Academic
force
We met the American proposal by
suggesting that the Arade Union Fed
erations of the Allied nations should
themselves meet as soon as possible
and decide upon labor program
which might be presented to the AL
He'd governments, and incorporated in
any terms of peace these governments
might ultimately arrange.
The French accepteu the suggestion
made. They and the Italians and the
Be1gians met our own people in Leeds
in July, 1916, and prepared such a
program. This has been circulated
throughout the whole world, and
translated into many languages, and
( win undoubtedly affect the point of
I View of those who are behind the
X diplomats when peace is to be made.
Following upon the Leeds Confer
ence OF Allied nations came the eff
forts of the Scandinavians. A num-
I Der of invitations have been sent, but
all OF these have been declined. At
ca - -. - ~ =
Scan dfnavian nations met on the Sth
Of June of this year. 1t was obvious
even to those delegates from the Cen
trial Powers that such a conference
(; was unable to speak with any sort OF
authority for the trade unionists of
the countries that were affiliated to
the International Trade Union move
,ment, and invitations came for further
conferences in Stockholm.
These were declined, as was also
the Invitation of the Swiss Federation
;of Trade Unions to hold a general
conference at Berne.
4, Throughout all the action taken, the
II Management Committee and myself
have been governed by what we deem
lea to be practicable. Some of us have
had experience of Continental politics,
land have endeavored to study Con-
11nenfal mental1t1eS,s and Il, We were
,certafn that none of the efforts ema-
mating rom the Scandinavian coun-
tries would have been made had ali
been going well with Germany.
We know how strong, even prior
ito the war, was Germany's hold over
1.-The democratic movements in some OF
tfheee countries. Germany worked and
paid for the predomfnating influence
She exercised, and we were quite sat
1sfied In our own minds that Germany
herself was behind most of the efforts
that were being made to promote gen.
iera1 conferences to discuss terms OF
peace.
We have always held that in this
country, where democracy has free
right OF expression and considerable
powers OF action, we should be handi-
capped in discussing peace terms with
the representatives of a democracy
which has limited powers of express
sion and no definite powers Of action
To go to a conference and discuss
terms of peace with Germany would
mean giving away our position en-
ffre1y without securing anything de-
finite In return; and. while we would