The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1917-02-17


The convention of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, held in November
1916, in the city of Baltimore, United
States of North America, passed resou-
tions and gave authority to its Executive
Council whereby this, the Pan-American
Federation of Labor Conference Com
mittee, is called into being.
In accordance with this action there
has ben established in the building of
the American Federation of Labor in
Washington, ID. G., an office in charge
of the PanAmerican Federation of La
Dor Conference Committee whose mis-
sion is to give form to the prof ected
tatives from all Pan-American coun-
tries.
The Conference Committee is compos-
ed of Samuel Gompers, chairman, repre-
senting the American Federation of La
Dor; John Murray, secretary, and the
following committeeman Santiago Ig-
lesias, representing the organized work
ers of Porto Rico, and Carlos Loveira,
representing the organized workers of
Iucatan, Mexico. The committee well
comes representatives from the organ
lied labor movements of Latin-Ameri
can countries to join with us. All are
urged to select their representatives as
soon as possible. If an official selection
can not be made early the name and ad
dress of some one should be given the
committee, who will correspond with the
committee and with whom it and others
can correspond.
BY means of correspondence with all
the labor centers of the American CONT
nent, and through the daily, weekly and
monthly press friendly to Labor, the
Conference Committee proposes to carry
on an active propaganda for the attain
ment of practical, immediate benefits as
well as the ideals of organized labor.
AS is well known, the capitalists of
North America and. some European
countries are scattering millions and
millions of dollars through Latin-Amer-
ica acquiring concessions and business
properties which are disposed of to them
by Latin-American politicians and spec
ulators without taking into considera-
ton the rights of the masses of the peo-
pie, the masses of the people who by
these transactions have their future en-
dangered for decades and perhaps CEN
turtles.
If the employers, the capitalists, of
Pan-America thus unite for the protec-
ton of their common advantage, it be-
comes all the more evident that the wage
earners of these countries must also
unite for their common protection and
bcttermcnt.
1t will be the duty of the Pam Ameri-
can Federation of Labor to show to the
world that its purpose is to permeate the
Western Hemisphere with humane in
tluence. This influence will more truly
represent the sentiments of the Ameri
can people than the influence of all the
corporations of the United States, and
is in strong contrast with those capital
lists who are eternally crying Business
business" and Dollars, dollars"
Above all things, the Pan American
Federation of Labor should stand as 4
guard on watch to protect the Western
Hemisphere from being overrun by mill
tary domination from any quarter.
The Conference Committee desires to
impress upon its brother workers
throughout Pan-Amerca that in its
opinions each national organization
should be autonomous within the juris-
diction of its own country, The Con
ference Committee stands for the right
of the workers of every American coun-
try TO work out their own problems in
accord with their ideals and highest
conceptions.
Authorized by the American Fedora
ton of Labor, the Executive Council
held most important conference i'll
Washington, during the month of July
1916, with representatives of the organ
lied labor movement of Mexico. 1t is
generally conceded that this conference
was one of the main factors in avertng
war between the two countries which at
that very moment was made imminent
by the Carrizal affair
Two of the Mexican delegates partic-
ipating in this conference, Baltasar Pages
and Carlos Lovera, left Washington on
tour of propaganda and study through
South American countries. They carried
with them credentials from organized la
Dor of the State of Yucatan, Mexico, and
from Preside Gompers of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor This propa-
ganda tour lasted for over five months,
the delegates going as far south as Chile
and Argentina, besides visiting other
Latin-American countries. Everywhere
Loveira and Pages, speaking for the
ideal of a Pan-American Federation of
Labor, were received with warm wei
come, and full report was made by