Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-01

nEFORE the outbreak of the Great
n War, organized British labor
was wholly pacifist. We were
opposed to militarsm in every shape
and form. We fought the increase of
armaments. We did our best to allay
anything which might be likely to
promote the growth of the fighting
spirit among our people. We looked
to see the spirit of international
friendship spread till all nations
were united in world peace.
We believed that the burden of war
rails most heavily on the worker.
The Trades Union Congress, the Par
Lament of British Labor, represent
ing close on three millions of or
ganized toilers. had not so much as a
trace of a militarist party in it. This
was as true of the last annual gath.
ering of the congress before the out
break of the war, as it was of any
congress for years before. 1t was
true OF the Parliamentary committee
of the congress. its executive and ad-
ministrative body. l can speak on
that point with some authority. for
was chairman of the Parliamentary
committee. The congress was anti
war My colleagues on the committee
were antiwar. 1 was antiwar.
To-day British labor whole-heart-
edly supports the war against Ger
many. My same colleagues who be-
fore August, 1914. were teaching
peace are now working to the utmost
or their power to help in the great
fight. In order to help on the war and
to bring victory, our trades unions
have sacrificed. for the time, many
Jealously- guarded rights. which we
and our fathers had won only after
long struggles.
Men who led the campaign for
short hours of work are now them
selves working long hours on war
tasks. The trades unions have per-
mitted the dilution of labor the in
PRODUCTION of women and semiskilled
men in what were solely skilled mems
tasks. Many trades union regula-
tions have been wiped out for the
time by the trades unions themselves.
The unions have passed self-denying
ordinances against strikes. Disputes
that once would have made fifty thou
sand men lay down tools in an hour
are now endured until opportunity
comes to put them right.
Labor has done more than approve
of the war and work to help on the
war. Long before CONSUMPTION be-
came law hundreds of thousands of
men gave up their regular work to
enlist voluntarily in the army. II you
want to know the truth about the
British workingman as a fighter
study the records of the British army
| The Scottish regiments. that enrolled
tens of thousands from the Clyde; the
! Lancashire regiments. largely re-
cruited from factory hands and min
ers; the Durham regiments with their
! golfers; the regiments recruited in
practically every industrial center
| ofn A.
men and the sons OF the men who
thought militarism before 1914. Now
they are fighting. and often enough
dying, in the army, and are glad and
proud to do so.
Why?
What has brought about this great
change?
We have learned that Prussian MILL
tarism must be destroyed, root and
branch. and the only way to destroy
1t is to fight 1t. We have realized
that this war is a death grapple be-
tween systems which cannot coexis,
IL freedom is to be something more
than a name. We know what the
horrors of war are. We know who
is responsible for those horrors.
In my own case. my official posi-
tion made 1t necessary for me, wher
war broke out to consider all the
ldSls VI the slludlloH, not merely IRON
my own personal point of view, bu
as a representative of labor. Accord
ingly, I studied the state papers is
sued by the different governments
by Germany and Austria as well al
by England. France and Russia. Tt
me the evidence in these documentl
was unmistakable. Germany had frs
brought about the situation leadinl
up to the war, and then had forceC
the war on Europe.
Using Austria as her tool, and tn
assassination of the Austrian Crow
Prince as a pretext, she had kindle,
the blaze of war at the moment sh
thought most favorable to herself
She made Austria insist on impossibl
terms from Serbia. and refuse an.
modification. knowing that this woul
lead to war. She got Russia to mo
bilize by trick. She refused media
tion.
She was ready. England. Franc
and Russia were not. She did no
believe that England would or coul
come to the aid of France and Rus
sia. She thought she saw world su