The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-03-23

have in mind. Germany's armies are
surrounded, her navies bottled up.
She could not ship a regiment to
| America if we invited her to. No,
CONSUMPTION is a great commercial
| policy; a carefully devised weapon
that the eXploiters are forging for
their own protection at home, and in
the interest of American financial i'm
perialism abroad. Behind their state
ments about the physical advantages
of military training, (Which the best
authorities deny); behind all this SEN
timental talk about the democracy"
of having the workman and the mil
lionaire sleep in the same dog tent
(Which doesn't, as a matter of fact,
happen, and wouldn't, to my mind,
amount to anything if it did,; be-
hind this glorifcation of the Swiss
Army, (Which, in reality, is a pref
ty feudal and undemocratic army.
used consistently to crush organized
labor); behind the claim, that COM
pulsory service, is the only demo-
cratic service, because it calls every
body to the colors at the same time
in case of war, Gan arrangement that
is economically and humanity unjust,
because those on whom others de-
pend should, as matter of right,
not go to war until there is real
necessity, while the independent, foot
loose should go to war, and do, as a
matter of fact, volunteer whenever
there is CALI; and back of the cry
that America must have compulsory
service or perish, is clearly thought |
out and heavily backed project to
mould the United States into an eff |
ficient, orderly nation, economically
and politically controlled by those
who know what is good for the peo-
pie.
In this country so ordered and gov
erned, there will be no strikes, no
surly revolt against authority, and
no popular discomfort In it the
lamb will lie down in peace with the
lion, and he will lie down right where
the lion tells him to. In it, we will
peat our swords into plowshares, or
our plowshares into swords, in ac-
,ordance with the will of the wsest
md richest citizens of the republic.
IN it, there will be government for
he people, plenty of it, extending in
o every detail of life; but there will
re mighty little government of or by
he people. In it, the common man
will gradually cease to be an Ameri-
an citizen and become an American
ubject. This, if we cut through the
atriotic preteXt and fag-waving I
is the real vision of the e
onscriptionists-no of the many
onscientious, mistaken followers of
he movement, but of the few who
levised it and are supplying the main
inews of war.
But it is not the vision of the
American people-far from it-nor
# the labor movement. Europe has
lbolished, or is abolishing, the di-
'ine right of kings, and our people
NOW better than to set up in its
'lace a new tyranny, the divine right
IT a state absolute controlled by
privileged class.
To the great purpose of courage
'usly preserving what is most preci-
'us IN the country we love, organized
abor has again and again shown its
devotion. AS an outsider who has
stood by and watched the fight, help
ing in small way and humbly from
time to time when the privilege of
doing so was accorded, have faith
that, at this parting of the ways. la
Dor will again rise to a national crisis Il
and keep the country true to de-
mocracy.
Faithfully yours,
(SignedD AMOS PINCHOT.