The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-11-12
WANT LABOR'S VOICE
HEARD nv PEACE FARLEY
Executive Council of American Federation
OF Labor Makes Requests in Sub
hitting Annual Report at
Buffalo Convention.

Buffalo, n. Y, Nov l2.--Demand for
adequate and direct" representation of
wage carriers at the world peace confer
ence is made in the annual report of the
executive council of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, submitted to-day to
the federation in convention here. The
report declares that the world war must
wipe ont all vestige of the old conceit
that the nation belongs to the ruler"
Questions raised by the war occupy
virtually the entire report. No room is
left for doubt that the United States
government has the unanimous support
of organized American labor in the war,
and il is asserted with equal emphasis
that the vital interests of the average
citizen demand that he have a voice in
the establishments to come with the dawn
OF peace.
Optimism over labor achievements in
the last year is tempered with warning
that benefits obtained from emergency
opportunities must be based on princ-
plies of human welfare and not the re-
suit of taking advantage of the nations
necessity Freedom of expression is up.
held but the report says those who abuse
the freedom of the press to undermine
the nations free institutions should be
punished as traitors.
President Wilson's war address to Con-
gress is included in the report, with the
declaration adopted by a meeting of un-
ion officials last March when it was seen
to be inevitable that the European con
flagration would spread to America. I'm
der the heading Labor and the War,
the report says:
Under the circumstances il is the duty
of any government to protect its people
against wilfull and wholesale murder
A people unwilling TO make the
supreme sacrifice in support of the gov
eminent which undertakes to make that
principle good are undeserying to live and
enjoy the privilege of free, democratic
government
The duty Of wage earners in the war is !
particularly in the section
of the report devoted TO peace terms, .
which advocate All international agree
ment TO secure peace and the settlement ,
of the present war without "vindictive"
indemnities OF territorial change The |
section says:
1T is an imperative duty from which
there is no escape that wage learners as
well as all other citizens of this repub-
lie support our government in its right
aous effort to defend principles of human
ty and to establish democracy in inter
relations. Because we desire
permanent peace il is our duty to fight
md sacrifice until these purposes can be
achieved
when nations can send representa-
ives to negotiate peace terms in accord
With this concept, we maintain that the
,asic provisions of the peace treaty
hould be formulated with regard to the
lights and welfare of the men, women,
md children constituting the nations ra
her than the governments of the ma
ions. The government should he only
N instrumentality of the people instead
# dominating and actuating their lives
This terrific war must wipe out all yes
iges of the old concept that the nation
elongs to the ruler or government.
I'VE hold that the same principles
hould apply to relations between nations
nd that secret diplomacy should be re-
laced by diplomatic representatives re.
ponsible to the people of their own peo-
lie and received by either the Parlia-
nent of the country to which they are
ccredited or by representative of the
eople, responsible to them. [
Working people have never been prop :
riy represented in diplomatic affairs. !
he future must be constructed upon 9
roader lines than the past. We insist, 5
therefore,. that the government of the il
-nited States provide adequate and di- v
ect representatives of wageearners