The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-03
Industrial and Social Stan
dards Must Not Be
Lowered BY War
SEDITIOUS DO
NOT KNOW AMERICA
Equal Justice Must Sup
plant the Policy of
Blood and Iron
fRv Asaoclated Presg.l J

(By Associated Press.)
Washington, Sept 3.-Hearty ap-
proval OF the conference of the
American Alliance for Labor and
Democracy to be held at Minneapo-
lis, next Tuesday and the task 1t will
undertake of suppressing disloyalty
has been given by President Wilson
in a letter to Samuel Gompers, presi-
dent Of the American Federation Of
Labor and chairman of the Alliance.
The letter, made public here yes
terday, denounces those who seek to
ignore Americas grievance against
Germany and insist that a nation
whose citizens have been foully
murdered under their own flag,
whose neighbors have been invited
to join in making conquest of it's
territory and whose patience in
pressing the claims of injustice and
humanity has been met with the
most shameful, policy Of turbulence
and treachery. does not know its
own mind and has no comprehen-
sible reason for defending itself"
Danger AZ Home.
while our soldiers and sailors are
doing their manful work to hold back
reaction in its most brutal and ag-
gressives form" the President wrote,
I'VE must oppose at home the organ
ized -and individual efforts Of those
dangerous elements who hide dis
Loyalty behind a screen, Of specious
and evasive phrases"
The letter follows;
my dear Mr.. Gompers:
II am sure that you understand
that my Inability to accept the invita-
tion 20 address the Minneapolis con-
ference OF the american Alliance for
Labor and Democracy is due only TO
offietal necessity and not In any de-
gree to lack Of appreciation of the
Importance of the occasion. The
cause you and your fellow patriots
uphold Is one with the cause we are
defending with arms. While our SOL
diers and sailors are doing their
manfuI work to hold back reaction
in its most brutal and aggressive
form, we must oppose at home the
organized and individual efforts Of
those dangerous elements who hide
disloyally behind a screen Of speciUus
and evasive phrases.
II have read with real pride the |
names of the men and women who |
are to take part in the Minneapolis |
conference. Not one but has a record |
OF devoted service to fundamental |
democracy; not one but has fought |
the long, hard fight for equal justice, |
Drawing every bitterness that the |
humblest life might know larger
measure Of happiness.
Tendency Toward Reaction.
with all my heart want them to |
feel that their devotion to the coun-
try is in no wise q betrayal OF prin- |
ciple and that In serving America to-
day they are serving their cause no /
less faithfully than In the past.
myself have had sympathy with the /
fears Of the workers of the United /
States: for the tendency of war Is
toward reaction and too often mili-
tary necessities have been made an
excuse for the destruction Of labor
iously erected industrial and social
standards. These fears, happily have
proved to be baseless. With quicken
ed sympathies and appreciation,
with a new sense of the invasive and
insidious dangers of oppression our
people have not only held every inch
of ground that has been won by /
years Of struggle. but have added to
the gains Of the twentieth century
along every line of human better
ment In questions of wages and
hours of labor and industrial read
justment have found a solution
which gives to the toiler new dig
nifty and new sense OF social and
economic security. I beg you TO feel
that my support has not been lack
ing and that the government has not
failed at any point in granting every
just request advanced. by you and
your assistants in the name of the
American worker.
Battle Line of Democracy.
''No one who is not blind can fail
to see that the battle line of democ-
racy for America stretches today
from the fields Of Flanders to every
house and workshop where toiIing,
upward striving men and women are
the treasures of right and
justice and liberty which are being
threatened by our present enemies.
"It has not been a matter OF sur
prise to me that the leaders In cer-
tain groups have sought TO ignore
our grievances against the men who
have equally misled the German
people. Their insistence that na-
tion whose rights have been grossly
violated. whose citizens have been
fouIIy murdered under their own
nag, whose neighbors have been in
vited to join in making conquest Of
its territory, whose patience in press
ing the claims OF justice and human
ity has been met with the most
shameful policy of turbulence and
treachery. their insistence that a ma
tion SO outraged does not know its
own mind, that 1t has no compre-
hensible reason for defending ITSELF
or for joining with all its might in
d free future for itself
and its ideals, Is Of q piece with their
deafness to the oft repeated state-
ment Of our national purposes.
is 1t. perhaps. that these forces
pf antagonism have not yet learned
to know the voice of that America
we love and server II may well be
that those among us who stand
ready 10 forward the plans Of ag-
aression bred in secret do not under-
stand the language of democracy
when Il pr0claims the purposes OF
.4g~s. a tnNren of 4 wnama Ear fha /