The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-06-12

| washington, june ia solemn
warning that "the war can be lost in
America as we'll as on the fields of
France" was voiced today by Presi-
! dent Wilson in telegram to the
American alliance for labor and dem
ocracy now in session at ST. Paul,
again urging that no labor difficulties
be permitted to interrupt the war
work
No controversy between capital
and labor should be suffered to in
terrupt war work until every instru-
mentality set up by the government
Tor amicable settlement has been en-
| ployed and its interinediation needed
to the utmost, and the government
has set up instrumentalities wholly,
fair and adequate" President Wilson
said
A high tribute to the manner in
which American working men are
backing up our soldiers on the battle
| line was expressed by the president in
the telegram to President Gompers,
of the American Federation of Labor,
i'll session here today.
ST. PAUL, MINI, Iune 11-"Au-
tocracy, militarism andgits most dan
gerous supporting weapon irrespon-
sible diplomacy, must perish" are the
burning patriotic words which scar
every page of the report of the Am
erica1 Federation of Labor executive
council submitted to the officers and
degelates at the thirty-eighth annual
convention of the American Fedora
ton of Labor, in session here
There can be no question as to the
final outcome of this world struggle"
the report continues. Democracy,
justice, freedom and absolute conf
dence between governments and peo-
pies must be established and triumph.
There is no doubt but out of the pres
ent war the morals and conduct of the
governments of the world must be
upon higher moral plane, and that
this fact will make toward the estab-
lishment and maintenance of inter-
national relations which shall safe
guard the peoples of the world in the
enjoyment of much-desired perma-
nent peace"
The report devotes considerable
space to the discussion of peace terms
Fsaying, in part:
Since the beginning of the present
European war the American Fedora
ton of Labor at each convention has
adopted declarations dealing with the
peace which shall terminate the pres
ent war. 1t is fitting at the present
time to gather the various principles
that have been declared by our con-
ventions into one comprehensive
statement representing the peace de-
mands of American labor.
AT the Philadelphia O9141 conven-
ton resolution was adopted which
proposed World Labor Congress to
be held at the same time and place
as the Peace Congress that would
formulate the peace treaty Closing
the war.
We reported to the San Francisco
(l9l5) convention a comprehensive
plan for the convocation of such a
World Labor Congress, which was
approved. This plan. was transmitted
to the labor movements of all coun-
tries. Replies were received from
many concurring in the suggestion.
However, Carl Legion, president of
the Federation of Trade Union of
Germany, wrote that in his Judgment
such a movement would be of doubt
ful practicability, and the British la
Dor movement withheld endorsement.
For these reasons the Baltimore
(l9l6) convention adopted as a sup
plement to the first proposition that
the labor movements of the various
countries should prevail upon their
.eNNASoA " rep
resentatives of labor in the national
delegation which would participate
in the World Peace Congress.
These demands are in accord with
the fundamental principles of denoc-
racy which are the basic issue involv-
ed in the war. The labor movement
holds that the government should be
the agency by which the will Of the
people is expressed, rather than of the
agency for controlling them.
The war is requiring tremendous
sacrifices of all of the people. Be-
cause of their response in defense of
principles of freedom, the people have
earned the right to wipe out all yes
tiges of the old idea that the govern
ment belong to or constitutes "gov-
erning class" In determining issues
that will vitality affect the lives and
welfare of millions of wage-earners,
justice requires that they should have
direct representation in the agency