Evening star., 1918-04-28
u. S. AND BRITISH
LABOR men AT ODDS
Disagree on Question OF Con.
ferrfng With Workers In
Enemy Countries.
OPPOSED BY AMERICANS
BY EDWARD PRICE BELL.
CableEram to The Sunday Star ana
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1S1s.

SuUac8Eo" 10 IA0 SWR01y 0At
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1913.
LONDON. April 27--On the eve Of
their departure for Franco next week
the official representatives OF the Amer
ican Federation of Labor will have It
out" with the leaders Of British labor
on the one great war question on
which their respective views dtverge
This Is the hotly debated issue as to
comforting with delegates from enemy
labor and the incidental question OF
peace by negotiations Tho discussion
is timed for next Monday evening. and
will take place in one OF the committee
rooms of the house OF commons
Ono Of the chief spokesmen on ne-
half OF the American labor will 20
George L. Berry Of Tennessee, presi.
dent Of the Pressmen and Assistants
Union. Mr.. Berry has been putting In
most Of his time during the past fort
night in speaking in the industrial CEN
ters Of the country, familiarizing him
self with the viewpoint of the great
printing trades in particular and Eng
lsh labor n general.
Finds "Yawning Difference"
During our moro or less constant con-
tact with the official representatives OF
British labor" said Mr.. Berry to me. I'VE
have not failed to discover that there IL
yawning difference between our attitude
and theirs on tho question Of q conferencs
with the enemy. Our delegation has taken
on the war aims laid down by President
Wilson and backed unanimously by Amer
ican labor. namely, that there Gao be no
parley with ,t the e. enemy under any car1um. Gu m.
surrendered the territory they have spoil
ated in the east and west and everywhere.
In other words, we are opposed to any
discussion with German and Austrian IA
Dor delegates except on the basis Of q de-
feated Germany and Austria.
I'VE shall state our position Monday
evening with as much firmness as the
courtesy of the situation permits. Mr.:
that British labor favors peace by ne
gotiation. must say that my expert
ence in such throbbing labor centers as
Sheffield, Birmingham. Manchester
and Leeds do not bear out that asser-
tion. The men I have met are for
the German war machine before dis
cussing with the Germans. They rea-
lie, just as we do. that an undefeated
Germany cannot be trusted for a sol-
isfactory to real democrats. The ex-
amples Of Russia and Rumania are
before them and show what peace by
negotiation means in the Germanic
sense. They want none Of that kind
Of peace for the British working men.
Bases Talk on Presidents Views.
II try to elucidate. and think ]
have done SO. what sort Of discussion
President Wilson would be willing to
hold with our beaten enemies. British
labor. II the enthusiastic reception gtv-
en- to my remarks here and there is
any criterion, supports the Presidents q
hof mi
have defeated Germany and Austria
in the field the people Of those coun-
tries may rely on negotiations which
will safeguard every aspiration Of a
truly democratized nation. But We will
not and cannot sit around q table with
stin held in servile bondage by an
autocratic, military caste. We can
only deal with delegates capable of
furnishing proof that their country's
and a word which can be trusted"
When J asked Mr.. Berry what struck
him as the outstanding feature of the
British labor situation he replied.
The SPLENDID, spiendid, speeding & up Of the the
war-waging purposes and the admira-
Bile and marvellous achievement. The
spirit OF the working classes as a whole
is fine. But one detects a tendency on
the part Of individual workers, as well
as individual unions. to capitalize the
exigencies Of the situation for personal
aggrandizement and personal comfort.
Some of the British working men seem
to be incapable of standing prosperity.
wages has gone to their heads. They
feel at liberty to loaf when it suits them
or to down their tools as the saying is
here.
Refrains From Comment.