Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-13
LABOR OFFERS SERVICES
TO nation IN TIME OF WAR
Delegates Vote Unanimously to Sup.
port Country in Every Field
OF Activity.
PROTEST AGAINST MILIrARrs,,
Would Have Representation on All
Agencies Determining and Admin
tstering Policies of National De.
Tense and Controlling Publicity.
| nv Associnted Press !


WASHINGTON, March l2.-orcanized
'apor IN America. through its represen-
tatires in conference here tonight.
offered it's services 10 the country IN
every field Of activity II, despite all
endeafors and hopes. the United States
should be drawn into war.
The action was taken by unanimous
vote of more than $50 delegates from
national and international trade-unions
animated with the American Federation
OF Labor and five brotherhoods. In all
about 100000 American workers uerc
represented i'm the conference c,lloa
TO determine and announce the part
to be claimed by labor in national
preparedness plans.
y statement formally adopted and
issued after the meeting set forth,
In addition to the offer of services in
case or war. various demands which
were held to be Fundamental In e,r,
guarding the rights OF workers in war
time as we'll as in pcucc. Militurism
was protested against: il was held that
industrial service should be deemed
equally mcritorious as military scrr
icc' that service should conform To
trade union standards. and that organ
i"cu labor should have representation
on all agencies determining and ad-
ministcring policies Of national defense
and controlling publicity.
PLEDGES LABOR's
SUPPORT TO NATION
The concluding paragraphs Of tho
statement pledginS labor'S support to
the nation. follow:
We. the officers OF the national and
international tradcs-unions OF Amer
lea. in national conference assembled
I'm tho capital Of our nation. hereby
pledge ourselves, in peace or i'm war.
in stress or in storm, to stand unrc
serVedIy by the standards of liberty
and the safety and preservation of the
institutions and ideals OF our republic.
In this solemn hour OF our nations
life. II is our earnest hone that our
republic may he safcSuardcd in its un-
swerving desire for peace: that our
people may be spared the horrors and
burdens OF war: that they may have
the opportunity to cultivate aud de-
Fciop the arts OF peace. human brother
hood and higher civilizations
Eut. despite all our endeavors and
hopes. should our country be draw wn
INTO the maclstrom of the European
conflict. we, with these ideals Of liberty
and Justice herein declared as the in
dispcusablc basis for national policies
oner our services to our country In
every field of activity to defend. safe
guard and preserve tho republic of tho
United states OF America against IT'S
enemies. whomsocvcr they may be, and
We call upon our fellow workers and
fellow citizens. in the holy name Of
labor. Justice. freedom and humanity.
TO dcvotcdly and patriuticaliy give like
service"
coNFENENCE FINISHES
WORK IN FEW HOURS
tn" statement was drafted by the
executive council Of the American Fed
Grafton or Labor which submitted II 10
the delegates gathered here to-day in
response to Il call from Samuel Com
pcrs, president, who presided ut the
conference. |, had been thought that
perhaps two or three days might he
required for a discussion. but the con-
ference flushed its work In IA few
hours
Although meetings were executive.
" was said later that only slight OBJ
lection was voiced 10 certain passages
In the original draft Of the statement.
ana that these were explained away,
the vote on adoption being without a
dissenting voice.
The statement opens with this dec
laration:
we speak for millions Of Americans
We are not "a sect. We are not a party
We represent the organization held to-
gethcr by the pressure Of our common
needs. We represent the part OF the
nation closest to the fundamentals OF
Continued on ScconC I'age,)