New Britain herald., 1918-06-10
STRIKES OPPOSED
 IN Az. OF l. REPORT
No Action Should Be Taken nOt
 in Harmony With War

St. Paul, J ln9 It, -AuLONldCY, lllll- itarism, and it's most dangerous sup porting weapon, Irresponsible d. plOmacY, must perish: democracy, jus tice, freedom and absolute confidence between governments and people must he established and triumph, is the verdict of American labor upon it's couMtry'a participation in the war. expressed today by the report Of President Samuel Gompers and the executive council of the Amertcan Federation of Labor to the annual convention in session here.
 'fW orkers in war production are practically a part of the lighting force," the report declares. No ac- ton should be taken in the shops or on the field not in harmony with the purposes of the war, No strike should be inaugurated which cannot be iusti- fled to the man ris<ing his life on the firing line in France.
 "A crisis in world affairs has been reached The battle lines of our allies in France are menaced by the forces that represent autocratic governm ent. Each day and hour of the coming months will hold in fateful balance the destiny of the governm ents and the peoples representing the ideals which bring into being and maintain governments directed by the people themselves.
 "AmerD2a was drawn into this world war by the challenge of those autOcratic forces which enthrone might as their chief aim. With the growth of achievements of our re- public, this nation has stood as q beacon light to all the oppressed peo- plyes of the earth. Our institutions have radiated to the remotest parts of the globe, concepts of a, government guided and maintained by the will of it's people. As a people imbued with the highest ideals of justice the fart that the allied armies have their backs to the wall fighting the minions of autocracy makes the present moment assume a ragged and a dan gerous front and moves us to the solemn duty of self examination, to determine whether we are doing our full part"
 With equal emphasis, insisting that just labor policies govern war pro- duction. the report declared:
 Those contributing to production should have a. part in it's control.
 Every worker has a right to be freed from all avoidable uncertaini- ties of employment, both from those arising through poor labor admin istration and from mismanagemen in production and the efforts of specua- ton in raw materials or finished pro- ducts.
 Tn looking toward the future we feel keenly that the nature of social development will depend largely upon the principles which workers shall demand as the basis for relationships.
 We are each day building labor's house of tomorrow. If that structure is to endure the test it must be founded upon the bed rock principles of equality and democracy in relations between men.
 The present war is an eXtraOrdin- ary opportunity to determine those This life and death strug- gle between the nations of the world is a laboratory which is disclosing the strength or weakness of every social elationship and institution. War is forcing us back to the essentials of life. War is a Fundamentally co-op- erative action of organic society. The present war Is on such gigantic scale that every part of national life is in volved. The whole nation Is in the war. The spirit of war activity and organization essentially socal The national organism is at stake As a war necessity we are seeking the prin- c1ples which will assure the most ef- fc1ent cooperation. This co-opera- tion must come from the two primary forces of society-the possessors of creative labor power and controllers of capital"
 Tn behalf of labor, offering this CO., operation, the report nenewed it's de- claration that labor cannot be classed as a comm odity, and demanded "equal right to representation and equal voice on all agencies determining matters affecting their interests and welfare, whether in provate or government ent.
 Progress made towards this end through the shipping board and ord nance departments of the army" the report says, indicates what must be- come an accepted custom In all pro- duCtion," In some goVernm ental as poets of war production, the report asserted the representation has not been accorded. Ii suggests that all producing enterprises be equipped with a Labor Manager as we'll as a chief engineer and other executives. and said that there ought to be in charge of all labor problems of pro- duction a high powered trained labor man."
 In addition to It's presentation of abstract principles, much of the vol ume of the annual report was taken Up today with recent history of the federation's activities as they had to do with the immense conversion of national industrial esta blishments to