New-York tribune., 1918-05-06
Fears Wilson Will
Adopt Universal
Military Training
Peoples Council Speaker
Says Presidents View
May Change
Fears for Our Liberty
Conditions in u. S. Will Soon
Eclipse Prussia, Belief Of
Radical Orator

Predictions that President Wilson
will soon set aside his opposition to
universal military training and in
'ict it on this country" stirred the
National Conference on Reconstruct
ton after the war, at its final session
at Central Opera House. Sixty-sevcnth
Street and Third Avenue, yesterday, to
adopt resolutions calling upon the
workers of the world to bring the war
Isaac Mcbride, lobbyist in Wash
ington for the Peoples Council, which
has started campaign against the
adoption of military training, told the
delegates that "practically every
semblance of liberty has been taken
away from US" ana that conditions
arc such as will soon put Prussia in
the shade"
"Why." declared Mr.. Mcbride.
government has probably ten or fifteen
detectives watching for some chance
to put somebody in jail for twenty
years. Instead of improving the con
diton of the workers the government
is spending thousands to keep rs
patriotic.
Attacks "Big Business"
"This country has developed more
Hypocrisy in the last year than it
did in the previous hundred years.
at is obvious that the intention Of
big business to inAict universal mill
tary training upon us is to launch
this country into imperialism. Big
business will do it without much op-
position from the workers, who have
grown apathetic. In Washington,
7 oil I hey
learned that Congress does as the
President says. The President is the
Senate and the House OF Representa-
tives. So far he has opposed universal
military training, but he may change
his mind within week, and then, as
for having representatives in Con-
gress, we might as we'll have 15-year-
old boys"
After the Rev. Norman Thomas and
denounced military training. the dele
gates, who, it was said, came from
twenty-five states aud represented
fifty eight different labor bodies, crys
tallized their sentiment in the adop-
ton of q resolution.
Text of the Resolution
ave declare that wars between ma
tions and between classes are the di
rect result of the private ownership
OF natural resources Of the earth.
This ownership carries with it the
power to deny to the workers the
right and does deny them the right
of having voice in determining in
ternational relations. Therefore the
workers of the various countries now
arranged against each other had moth
ing whatever to do with the bringing
about of the present conflict, but that
it is their duty to bring it to close
as quickly as possible, along lines that
will prevent future wars. We hold
that the only way to bring about
condition Of this kind is for the work
ers of the world to strive for the
abolition of the private ownership Of
the necessities of life"
John Reed, war correspondent, who
recently returned from Russia, speak
at the Peoples House, East Fifteenth
Street. told the delegates that the
Russian workers had taken over many
of the industries.
"In one instance" said Mr.. Reed,
"the employers wanted to shut down
because they feared the rise of de-
mocracy. The workers then took
possession. They supplanted the II Il
hour day with an S-hour day. They
decreased the cost of production so
per cent, increased wages so per cent
and doubled the output. all just be-
cause graft had been eliminated"
At the evening meeting in Central
Opera House committee was ap-
pointed to make arrangements for
radical conference con-
cerning the war. Among the members
are James II. Maurcr, who was denied
for similar European con-
ference; Ella Reeve Bloor. Isaac Balm
bridge and the Rev. Irwin St. John
Tucker. Rose Pastor Stokes intro
duccd resolution condemning any ac-
ton on the part of the Allies against
and Mrs Sheehy Skef1ngton
spoke. She was the only speaker to
whom Federal stenographers gave any
q attantion