New-York tribune., 1918-01-31
French Workers and the War
Ar ruiew Albert
London Daily Chronicle"
The Mem York Tribune Foreign Mems Service

there vas perfect accord between the Allied
Socialists in defence of our common endss
Turning TO tho question Of tho interna.
tionalism OF the Bolsheyias, II. Thomay d.
clared that their !ntcrnationalsm tended
toward peace more than toward any otb.r
aim. THE dominating idea is The idea a.
a1 immediate peace. Our idea g the dea =.
just peace. cannot sacrifice a ius. re,c.
for an immediate peace, and 7 have ncr.-
conceived any international policy that d5
not imply q union OF Socialists ngh.inc g.
, the same ideals Of right
AS to reconstruction in France after .,,
war, n. Thomas remarked that there vsr.
many projects Of the character. He h;ms.rs
IS chairman Of a committee at The Ministrz
Of Labor, which is occupied with these ouec-
tons. But he stated that these rarjors mn
grammcs arc not yet sufficiently Jevclonod
and he is watching With interest English ~
permcnts in this sense.
Hope in the Future
"I asked II. Thomas, SAYS "Tsc r1a3l,,
Chronicle" correspondent, "1hat Impressions
he CLEANED from his contact With the French
woringnan. Did he show confidence II h;z
own future: Did he t!:ins that the war wou,d
rroduce for him better economic condition
"M. Thomas said he had rot encountered
aDy great enthusiasm, which vas 10. sur
prising when one considered the c-jsis
through which Ee were passing But he had
the feeling that The peTsevcrin. effort wh;~,
the workers had put forth even il TIE war
TO i;nproTc t.cr 10. ani ti.e cordi.ions tina,
; they had already obtained from TIC point Of
view OF wages or labor conditions gaze than
/, sort o. confidence and certainty for ,h.
future. There Vas strong fceln. in ,Ae
industrial world that French Industry would
renew itself and would acquire d grca. force
on the morrow of var. Tbs sentiment had
manifested itsels at every epoch in the ar
"'Ihen take It, n. le Niaissrc. that there
has been real progress il the 'abo. world -
an. Thomas replied that since The month
OF January, 1917, when he was still M,n;s-
tes o9 Armaments, and when he Vas face to
Face witt, certain difficulties he had es.ab-
!isAed concilation boards 1or the iirs. tine
II France that had attempted to tix saiarc.
which would be fai- from the point OF Iiew
CT way prices, a.ld when these committees did
!. Ct reach al understanding chen Il ,.c
minister himself who decided the ratc Of pay
IN. Thomas explained tina. hy' tais arrange
!nenc wages il the mechanical trade Lad
cost of living, thanks TO the instruments tba.
he created.
"I may take it, then. that wages haze
rover been SO high IN France
"'Tilat is .roe enough. Thcrc have never
bean such wages paid IN France I. Is i
country Of low ra tes Of ray compared with
England cr America, or even Germany, in
t.esc last Few years. Bgs .Ia bound to uav
that II wages have improved they have not
gone beyond the limit required b. tho rise
in the cost OF livinS-cven contrary
Does your remark appl, also TO women .
"N Thomas obscrscd shat women received
higher wages in industrial work ln France
than in an other calling. AZ result women
Who lad formerly been dreesmahcrs, mill.
Iers ard engaged in the manufacture of v.ha.
wc call articles dc Paris took work in tac
factories because they were 30 we'll paid
and naturally this has lad a crec. uron
the scale OF pay in other indus ries"