The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-06-08
BRITISH LABOR
COMMISSION
TO AMERICA

| IulS country q war cOunCH OF men
most capable of giving advice to US
in our hour Of emergency and our
common need, the President of the
American Federation Of Labor cab
led to Premier Lloyd George asking
him to send in the Commission rep
resentatives of the workers of Great
Britain. Lloyd George replied prompt
ly, cordially agreeing to send rep
resentatives. The following were APP
pointed to constitute the Commits
sion;
Right Hon, c. w. Bowerman, Privy
Councillor and Member of British
House Of Commons, Secretary of
British Trades Union Congress,
Member Parliamentary Committee.
Hon. James II. Thomas, Member of
Parliament, General Secretary Ma.
tional Union of Railwaymen, Great
Britain and Ireland
Joseph Davies, Member of the Sec
retariat of the Prime Minister.
II. w. Garrod, Representing Labor
Department of Ministry of Munitions.
A cable was also sent to the Prime
Minister of Canada, Sir George Fos-
ter, asking that the Canadian gov
eminent send representatives The
following were appointed:
Gideon d. Robertson, vice-presi-
dent National Association of Railway
photographers.
j. C. Waters, president Trades and
Labor Congress of Canada.
A meeting of the British and Ca
madam Labor Commission with the
American Committee on Conserva-
ton, including Welfare Workers and
the Labor Advisory Commission Of
the Council of National Defense.
The British Commission through
an address Of James Thomas is in
teresting as explaining the position
of British Organized Labor in this
world conflict.
Address of Thomas
Mr.. James Thomas: Mr.. President
and friends. Were it not for the
fact that it usually falls to my lot
to introduce other speakers, | should
be somewhat embarrassed by the
compliment that you have alseady
paid me. But it is indeed a pleas
ure, as well as a privilege, that my
colleagues and myself are here first
at the invitation of Mr.. Gompers and
secondly by request Of our own gov
eminent. The primary object of
our visit is not to instruct you how
to do your work, not to tell you that
we could do it much better, but rath-
er, having gone through the expert
ence of two and one-half years of
war with all its misery and suffer-
ing, we may be able to say to you
something Of our mistakes whereby
you may profit by those mistakes
and the cause of the allies will there
fore be strengthened.
British Labor Movement Anti-War
l. IlC ldDOI movement VI VI cat Din
ain is definitely anti-war I do not
believe there is in the whole world
labor movement so opposed to
war in all its forms as the British
labor movement. | do not disguise
the fact that previous to the war I
was a peace man. | looked upon war
as hell let loose; | looked upon war
as appealing to the basest and worst
in mankind and hoped for the time,
worked and prayed for the time,
when the workers of the world would
have made war impossible. But hold
ing those beliefs and recognizing, as
| have said before, the evils of war
we were faced as a nation and we
were faced as a movement with
something that was even worse than
war, and it was national dishonor.
In the trade union movement we be-
lieve in collective bargaining. We
believe that the interest of the whole
citizenship should demand mutual
respect and confidence between all
sections of the people, and as a
trade union leader whenever ] make
an agreement on behalf of the men
| always look upon it as a duty to
myself and my organization that |
shall insist upon every employer OBJ
serving any agreement that we make.
But, in insisting upon that, | also
recognize that there can not be one
standard of honor demanded by us
from the other side without we are
prepared to practice the same stand
ard of honor ourselves.
In other words, just as / believe
it is a paramount duty on my part
to insist upon an employer observ-
ing an agreement, so / insist that it
is the duty of the men | represent