The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-06-14

only after seeing war at close range
that the dominant impression of the
tremendous proportion of the war
and the interdependence of each of
the four fighting lines upon the
others assumes reality.
The four fighting lines are the
ont, the line trenches, the lines
CT communication and the product
i've force of machinery at home as
well as the morale of the people.
In an abstract manner this may
seem quite clear to man in Arksn-
sas, but in France it is visualized
as it never can be outside of land
in which the battle for democracy
is being waged in blood
The American Trade Union Mis-
sion has seen fighting battlefields
of France and Flanders, has wand
cred amid the ruins of Rheims-ruins
that cry aloud to civilized humanity
as a symbol of Prussian devastation
has looked over bleak battlefields
at Verdun, where in a small space
of Is kilometers 100000 men lost
their lives; has seen the British front,
which the Germans are now ham
mering incessantly, and has seen
much of the operations of our own
American Army.
And what is more, the Mission
has been afforded an understand
ing of the opposing forces such as
cen be gained by very few on either
side of the Atlantic. There is craven
on their minds a graphic picture of,
the need of Americas full st myth
for the salvation of her own priced
democratic institutions as well as
the common institutions tlat make
for world freedom.
What deeply impro ssed and aston
ished the mission was the immense
volume of machinery back of the
actual fighting lines, considering
that all of this machinery must be
made by those civilian soldiers who
run lathes and planes and dig metal
and coal and stoke furnaces in work
shops throughout the nation
Perhaps what every member of
the mission priced most is the know
ledge that Americas conclusions
were formed far from the scene of
action, uncolored by the flare of
battle-yet every member of the mis-
sion equally prizes the opportunity
to have found his confictions true
to test even where guns roar and
to have found his convictions true
magnitude of the test ahead of |
America. The size of the physical
and material part of this war is
altogether too great to be COM
pretended without the aid of the !
eye.
To see motor lorries by the thous-
ands, carts and wagons and wheeled /
vehicles of amazing variety in droves
and shoals, guns. ambulances and
other equipment unimaginable in
SidiCoo huHIDcIo--tHlS is " uUueT-
stand the need for delivering the
goods" in way that can be under
stood so emphatcally in no other.
Back of this unprecedented in
dustrial and mechanical need the |
British workers stand solid beyond |
question, John P. Frey, secretary
of the Mission, expresses it emphat-
ically. "The British workers are
solid to the CORE" he said
Not quite the same adamant GER
tainity can be said about the French |
Labor situation. "The French Work !
ers," said Mr.. Frey, "would be most |
loyal to their country if it were
not for certain political leaders. 1t
is these self-appointed leaders who
are responsible for any disloyalty." |
Unfortunately for the labor move |
ment of the countries we have been |
privileged to visit, they have en-
tangling political alliances tackled on |
to their movement and consequently |
do not function in the same fearless, |
straightforward and emphatic man.
ner as the trade unions of America"
said James Wilson, "as too many |
men with political ambition are hang |
ing on to the labor movement, and |
for their own political advancement |
they would cruelty labor for the
gain of political office regardless
of the effect it would have upon
their country for the liberation of
the world"
The American Labor Movement |
with its clear understandable policy
devoid of any possibility of two in
terpietations has proven an inspir-
alton to the rank and file of the
trade union movements of Britain
q