davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03

But Americans have little appre-
citation of the strain Of more than
three years Of war; they do not real
izo the pressure under which the
laboring classes have carried on for
forty-odd months; they do not know
what gigantic class war is being
wagcd in Europe. Labor is taking
advantage Of Armageddon to win a
"place in the sum-"
At a recent Trade Union Congress
J. H. Thomas, M. p, secretary of
the Railwaymen's Union, who is one
Of the ablest and most moderate of
Labor leaders, said:
1--WE are not hosting the white
flag. We are not neglecting our
duty and our responsibility to those
whom we represent, but we are
mindful that this country and all
the countries are being bled white.
We are not out to crush German
militarism and substitute English
militarism in it's place. We are out
to crush militarism in all its forms
III all countries, because when we
have crushed militarism we have
destroyed the germ that has caused
all wars"
Those are pregnant words; they
are significant Of the attitude of
British labor at the beginning Of
1918; they sign the doom of any
movement toward industrial con-
scription.
Since February of last year, when
John Hodge, the Minister of Labor,
said at Nottingham, "It is far better
to volunteer than to be forced; be-
cause-make no bones about tiff
this voluntary system is not a sue
"ess you are going to be taken willy
nilly," great changes have come over
England and the whole movement
now is toward closer cooperation.
The government has no desire to use
force; it is appealing to labor and
trying to win it's favor.
Disturbing Clause
Goes by the Boards
The following clause of the NUM-
fions act. which was responsible for
p tremendous amount of industrial
unrest, has gone by the boards:
"A person shall not give employ
ment to a workman who has within
the last six weeks or any such period
es may be provided by order Of the
Ministry Of Munitions as respects
any class Of establishment been EN-
o!oyed ON or in connection with mu-
milton work in any establishment of
class to which the provisions of
This section are applied by order OF
the Minister of Munitions unless he
holds certificate from his en-
pioyer by whom he was last SO en-
ployed or from munitions tribunal
that he is free to accept other en-
ployment."
In the great British military ma
chine is the nearest approach to in.
dustrial conscription, but it would be
wrong to brand these soldiers, who
do practically every job handled in
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
Military Organization Infringe Upon Their Union Rghts-Comant
Capitalists Over High Wages and Special Favors Are Sid by
From Labor Leaders. for Conscripion Of Wealth

civilian life and few others. as in
dustrial conscripts. Behind the
lines there are more men who never
hre rifle, never range gun, never
see a German until ne is safely con-
fined,in cage than there are soldiers
in the immediate fighting zone.
Without these workers the men in
the front line would be as helpless
as the captain on the bridge Of a
steamer which had been torpedoed
in the stern.
The Army
Service Corps
The Army Service Corps CA. s.
C.) IS an integral part of the Brit
lsh army and a highly important
one. 1t recruited men in the days of
voluntary enlistment, just as did the
infantry, artillery, cavalry, flying
corps and later the machine gun
corps. When compulsory enlist
ment was introduced the A. S. C..
received many men who were TOO
ola or TOO weak for the hardships of
tour to seven days in the trenches.
AS a rule, most of the men to-dav
are above the age limit or in a lower
category through physical disability
than IS set for soldiers called upon
to lock arms with the enemy. How
ever, certain Of the jobs handled bv
the A. S. c. require the highest type
OF physical fitness, and consequently
some OF these soldiers are capable of
taking their place in the firing line
at moments notice.
Anything from running motor
lorry, loaded with shells, to shoe;no
a horse comes within the scope of
the A. S. c. In fact, there is hardly
a bale of hay moved or a hut erected
or a line of pipe laid or mu,e
hauled aboard transport without
the assistance and direction of the
a. S. G. All along the French ana
Flanders roads, from the coast right
up into the country where the shells
are falling, the men of the A. s. C..
are always carrying on. Old fe1-
lows, who fought in Egypt ana
South Africa, and now have sons
taking their places in the thick Of
the lighting, are little fat, a little
slow of action, but they are doing
their bit, though it may be nothing
more than filling lanterns, greasing
axles and marching along in front
OF steam roller with a rcd flag.
The Labor Battalion (the nav
vles) builds and repairs the roads
in the fighting theatre, unloads the
transports at the French ports and
does the hard manual work. such as
is handled by the stevedores along
West street in New York Ci1v
Often these men have to work under
heavy she'll fire.
Navvies Suffer
Under Enemy Fire
In the great push east of Ynres
this fall the difficulty of moving IN
supplies was increased by the fact
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03

~ American sat opposite 70
me in the reading room of
the Oriental Palace Hotel in Yoko-
hama. Both were cngrossed in the
latest newspapers, about two months
old. The Englishman said to the
American: "Well, see your coun-
try has lent Italy 100000, 1000" The
American looked up with shrewd
smile, very knowingly, as though he
had access to inside information, and
waving his right hand outward and
upward, in the attitude of tossing
away a million before breakfast, he
replied: "Thirty millions! Is that all?
Why that's only drop in the bucket
for us. We have plenty of it," Both
smiled and returned to their avid
perusal of the old news. But I
stopped reading and began to won-
der why my brother American chose
to talk this way to a member of a
cousinly critical race.
The tone of exaggerated conf
dence and elbow" was unmistakable,
and was not new. I had heard it
on every ship and in every hotel
throughout the East Indies and
Orient, and had also noted the air of
superior, unlimited wealth and su-
preme confidence that pervaded the
popular American publications that
had reached me. This seemed to me
in strange contrast to the pro-
nounced pessimism that was made so
fashionable in the fall of 1914,
when the financial situation was
truly bad enough, but was made
worse by the dire predictions of a
few men in high places, who were
quite willing to see the forced
liquidation in all lines go as far as
it would.
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03

from "The Scottish Farm Servant"
ef June, 1916:
"a farmer visited the local mill
tary officer and asked him to take a
number of his men who had refused
to work overtime without pay. The
farmer remarked during the course
of conversation that the military SER
vice act was the finest piece Of law
ever passed by the government. This
farmer had five single men who had
asked for a raise Of wages of e20
year, but after his visit to the
military officer he found no difficulty
in retaining their services at the for
mer wages, thus saving S100 a year.
It is significant that .
this farmer had appealed for them
the month before and secured exemp.
ton for ALL"
According to "The Labor Leader -
of April z, 1916, during a strike of
local tramway system the "motor-
men were told that unless they re-
turned to work, the claim put in by
the company for their exemption
from military service would be with
drawn"
Employees Took
Advantage of Act
All over the country similar cases
were reported. In a majority of the
cases the trouble was due to the mig.
gardliness of employers who took ad
vantage of the military service act
to keep down wages and to hold their
employees in submission. Eventually
the time came when labor was a.
such a high premium that the gov
ernment realized that shipbuilding.
the mining of coal, the working of
the land, the manufacture of num-
tions, the running of the railways
were as essential to the successful
prosecution of the war as the mobi-
lizing Of big military forces. Then
the government began to take under
its control more and more establish
ments, in which way it was able to
deal directly with labor. It has
proved much the most satisfactory
arrangement.
The spirit Of compromise has
marked Mr.. Lloyd Georges dealings
with labor. He has made many con-
cessions, and generally labor as
ccme out of every conference with
him the winner Of at least half the
points. Since Mr.. Churchill's entry
into the Ministry of Munitions labor
has obtained many valuable conces-
sions and he has granted an increase
In wages which threw employers into
a panic and brought forth MANY dire
predictions of the ruination of cap1-
tai. Unless it is admitted that labor
is 'on edge" it is difficult to under
stand the policy Of increasing the
barrelage of beer when the nation
and Europe are short of grain; it is
hard to explain the mild action Of
the government toward the recent
strike in great Midland aeroplane
factory; it seems unpatriotic of labor
to demand so many holidays.
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03

pledged themselves against indus
trial conscription in the most sre-
cific and emphatic terms. These
pledges are now set aside and in
dustrial conscription of the most
wholesale kind is proposed. No
greater blow could be aimed at our
trade unions than this; and we
should not forget that many of the
powerful influences which have
worked to this end were among the
most powerful and persistent ene-
mics Of our trade union movement
before the war, and since it's out.
break have made it perfectly clear
that their advocacy of conscription
was largely due to their desire to
smash trade unionism.
"Militarism is as damaging to
liberty in Britain as in other coun-
tries. If we allow industrial con-
scription to be placed beside military
conscription on the statute book,
militarism will have triumphed and
democracy will have become it's
slave"
That was the attitude Of the radi-
cal labor body last year at the time
cf the appointment of Neville Cham
berlain as head of the national SER
vice organization, when it was the
governments plan to mobilize the
whole nation on a war basis. The
scheme ended in a bad failure and
eventually Mr.. Chamberlain re-
signed. Whether rightly or wrong
ly, labor feared the movement from
the start, though the government
made it plain that the scheme was
founded on a voluntary basis. After
much delay the plan was scrapned
and Sir Auckland Geddes became
the head Of a new organization to
consider the whole question of man.
power. Sir Auckland was instructed
to devise scheme which would re-
suit in the highest possible state of
efficiency not only in the army, but
in the shipyards, mines, munition
works, farms and other essential in
eustries of the country. No greater
task could be given any man; none
could be found in which there was
greater need of tact; none calls for
higher degree of displomacy.
Cabinet Negotiating
With Labor Leaders
AS this is written Sir Auckland
has not yet announced his pro-
gramme. Mr.. Lloyd George, Mr..
Churchill, the Minister of NUM-
tions and several other Cabinet min
isters are negotiating with the
labor leaders in an effort to clear up
as many points as possible before the
plan is presented to Parliament.
1t is frankly admitted that many
Of labor grievances are justified.
In the first two years of the war the
threat of military compulsion was
frequently used as club when work.
ers protested to their employers
against what they considered an in
fringement of their rights. l quote
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
An Illiterate
Economic Giant

AS long ago as 1S43 Charles
Dickens was alarmed by the lack of
independence of individual thought
and action that seemed to be dis
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03


employed in laundries, kitchens.
clothes repairing, carpenterine.
painting and masonry work, be-
sides the usual jobs done in hos
pitals by women. They are all vol
unteers, organized and trained as
soldiers and living under the strict
est military regulations. Though
they have released a considerable
number Of soldiers for duties else
where, the scheme is still too young
to be classed as an unqualified sue
cess.
The policy of calling a man into
the army and then putting him back
in civil work as soldier was proved
to be q mistake. These men, though
treated as civilians, were subject at
any time to be recalled to the colors.
In May of last year it was stated
in the House of Commons that 0,O0O
men had been released by the War
Office for work on the land. From
time to time men were released for
work in the coal mines. They were
at liberty to move from colliery to
colliery provided they got permission
from the military. A similar situ-
alton existed in~respect to the ship
yards. On April 20 of last year it
was estimated that between $4,000
and $4,000 soldiers were engaged in
the manufacture Of munitions.
Recommendations Of
Samuel Gompers
The following recommendations OF
Samuel Gompers, addressed to the
National Council of Defence, attract
eo much attention in England and
had the complete Endorsement of
British labor:
''That the Council of National De-
fence should issue a statement to
employers and employees in oar in
dustrial plants and transportation
systems that neither employers nor
employees should endeavor to take
advantage Of the country's necessi-
ties to change the existing standards.
When economic or other emergencies
arise requiring the changing Of
standards the same should be made
Only after such proposed changes
have been investigated and approved
By the Council of National Defence"
Europe is in the grip of political
revolution which is second only in
Importance to the great war itself.
If there is to be a sane and satis-
factory adjustment both sides must
make concessions, and that is the
policy now being tried in England.
A dictator might enforce industrial
conscription in this country, but
whether the evils bound to result
therefrom would compensate for the
gain in military efficiency is a ques-
tlcn no one can answer. Certainly
the British Prime Minister, who has
been a Radical all his life, shows
no inclination to enslave labor.
When capitalists complain about the
leniency Of the government toward
labor a speech from one of the min
listers on the question Of conscrip-
tlon of wealth produces such fut-
ter that nothing further is heard
about labor's high wages and special
favors. Ii con5cription of wealth
becomes a reality during the war
many trade unionists would agree
to industrial conscription in its
strictest sense, but one is as unlikely
as the other. Teamwork IS the order
of the day; coordination is the
slogan right down the line; capital
and labor complain lot, but that
is their prerogative; they have a
Lo,x &c ,.oc,,ont ono fo,. tho sothct
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
A Question
OF Spending, Too

This unusual economist forgets to
go on to say that if one has saved
the exact price of an automobile in
these times of high prices and dimin-
lshlng profits and if one decides to
buy an automobile he cannot also
buy Liberty bond or two. But I
suppose the popular argument would
be that zone Liberty bond does not
amount to much," and that if everv
one would buy an automobile the
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03

is necessary to have a skilled man at
the machine and to keep both work.
ing at the highest point of efficiency.
Straight Industrial
Consumption Abandoned
British leaders--not all, but few,
among whom were Mr.. Lloyd George,
Lord Miner, Lord Northcliffe, Sir
William Robertson-appreciated in
the summer of 1916 something of the
work which had to be done to put
Britain on war basis. The scheme
of straight industrial conscription
was considered and abandoned. Time
alone will tell whether that was
vital error. Certain it is to-day that
there is no more possibility Of intro
uucing industrial conscription than
there is of love feast with Nation
alists, Ulstermen and Sim Feiners
i'll attendance. Though compulsion
was abandoned many labor regula-
tions were introduced, and gradually
the defence of the realm act
was enlarged to cover the &C
tivities of the working man
whether he was skilled or unskilled,
unionist or non-unionist. Always
the labor unions fought against any
encroachment on their hard-earned
rights, but frequently they yielded
on the governments plea that the
country's needs demanded the sacri-
flee and that everything would be
restored to them after the war. The
British laboring man is high type
of patriot, and though he grumbles
he does not shirk.
Early last year the trade union
section of the National Council for
Civil Liberties, of which w. c.. An
derson, M. p, is president, issued
"Manifesto on Industrial Conscrip-
ton" in which it was stated that:
"The defence Of the realm act,
with its legislation by proclamation
without discussion in Parliament or
by the people, the munitions act, the
military service acts and the sub
stitution scheme, have already de-
stroyed our most highly treasured
liberties of speech, action and opin-
ion; and, as if to make disaster more
disastrous, the newly formed gov
ernment (the Lloyd George govern
nent) proposes to extend the prin-
ciple OF conscription so that the
whole population of the country be-
tween the ages of seventeen and
sixty years shall be made servile and
obedient parts of a military machine.
Labor has suffered much already.
Military conscription has been used
for it's inception as means of rivet-
ing service conditions upon workmen
to the acknowledgement of the nation,
hut of private employers. Evil as
that measure has already been, it's
effects will be as naught compared
with the evil which will arise from
the proposed adoption of industrial
conscription.
A Blow Aimed
At Trade Unions
"When the military service bill
was before Parliament in Janu-
ary, 1915, his majesty's ministers
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03

trine that the more a manor a na-
tion-spends and the more he bor-
rows the richer he is. This theory
IS too much like the "Dress we'll on
dollar a week." slogan of the i'm
portunlng instalment clothing
house. The persons who are now
making pernicious appeals to the
public to spend more and more
money for luxuries and thus "heln
to win the war" are only voicing a
shortslghted desire to try to keep
their profits up to or above pre-
war records. Here is a sample of
such "disinterested" advice as plavs
on patriotism to make sales for self
True patriotism means keeping
money in circulation. Get an auto
mobile.
Do not let any one get away with
the argument that war will mean
hard times. Uncle Sam is borrowing
millions from his people. We know
the money is being spent here in the
United States, and we know that
times are bound to be prosperous.
YOU Will make money in your line of
business, but don't hoard that money.
Keep it in circulation. It would he
downright unpatriotic to do other
wise than spend the money we make
IN usual channels. Unless we do
TINS we will cut off the supply on
winch our government leaders have
figured to finance the war.
After finishing the business of win
ming the war new adjustments will
have to be made in every field Of
endeavor. Thousands of people are
coming into condition of prosper
lty that will enable them to buy an
automobile
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
Learning the
Rudinents Of Economics

Fortunately, to-day, our country
Is really in a much stronger financial
position than it was year ago when
1t appeared to be full of dangerous
imitation. The process of defation
has been going on pretty steadily
ever since, particularly in security
values. Every one is beginning to
learn more about the rudiments of
sound economics and to realize that
there is fair number of rainy davs
in any good and healthful land. The
sooner we learn that one cannot
swallow huge wedges of cake and be
sure of getting more where that
came from" the better it will be for
the nation.
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03

maker, and to the many caterers To
his ultra-luxurious necessities, which
ne has SO lately acquired. Some Of
this vehemently circulated money
might, indeed, get back in time to
the first small saver. Trade, in a
measure, goes around in an ever
widening circle-but the prudent
and the frugal stay solvent, while
others do not.
In times of national stress it is
desirable that trade should not be
expanded unduly, but rather that it
should be reduced all around. if it
has shown tendency to become in
t1ated. 1t is best to be sure that the
economic structure is tight and
sound against all attacks. Some per-
sons see prosperity only in constant
ly Increasing sales and bank loans.
instead of in restricted safe trade.
I wonder if they ever stop to think
what surely must happen even in the
most prosperous times if the volume
't business and the accompanying
'oans OF money to finance it should
continue to increase day after day
Tor long period. The lesson was
taught in Wall Street on May 9.
l9Ol, and in general business for
;hree years thereafter. It was also
'aught in 1907, and in the following
7ears.
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
A Blow Aimed
At Trade Unions

"When the military service bill
was before Parliament in Janu-
ary, 1915, his majesty's ministers
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
BY Herbert Fitch
Honolulu. Hawaii.

HOnOIuIu, HAWAII.
A N ENGLISHMAN and an
~ American sat opposite to
q n me in the reading room Of
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03

Navvies Suffer
Under Enemy Fire
IN the great push east of Ypres
this fall the difficulty of moving IN
supplies was increased by the fact
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
British Labor Wins Its Fight Against Industrial Conscrp

tho fact that gigantic amount Of
preliminary work had to be done be-
hind the lines before q successful at
tack could be made on the enemy's
trenches. In a war of machinery it
is necessary to have skilled man at
the machine and to keep both work
ing at the highest point of efficiency.
New-York tribune., 1918-02-03


udiced statesman would argue to-
day that the best results were OBJ
tanned by this method. Not until the
spring Of 1916, and then only after
overcoming severe opposition, was
enlistment made compulsory. Pre-
viously every Briton could do just
as his conscience dictated. 1t is true
strenuous methods were often used
to- force men into the army, but COM
pulsion, as such, did not exist. Ger
tain agreements, chiefly that of Feb
ruary 8, 1916, which established the
principle Of democratic control, were
made between the government and
the larger labor unions, but the
whole country was fighting the war
on a voluntary basis. This situation
existed for some twenty-one months.
Between 100000 and 100000 resi-
dents of the British Isles joined the
army in bat period.
Came conscription. A few months
later the Battle of the Somme
opened, and Britain was launched on
the greatest military campaign in
the history Of the world. Prior to
July, 1916, Britain had learned much
about the waste Of modern war: the
U-boat had already made heavy in.
roads into her tonnage; the supply
Of food for the 4O,O00,0O0 residents
cf these islands had become a prob
lem demanding careful study. But
the frightful losses in the early days
Of the Somme campaign drove home
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-07-25
$4,000 TO BE TURNED
BACK TO BANKRUPT
Unparalleled Case of Willis II. Taft of
West Townshend Who Filed
Voluntary Petition in 1914.

Brattleboro, July 23.--Distribution
was begun today in an estate in bank
ruptcy which. the officials say is with
out. parallel In the bankruptcy
courts OF Vermont. 1t is the estate Of
Willis II. Taft of West Townshend.
a lumberman and sawmill owner. who
filed q voluntary petition July 80,
1914.
Mr.. Taft's schedule showed liabili.
ties, OF s4S,500 and assets of $4,000.
Charles G. Staples, Clarence l.. Stick
ney and Arthur l.. Clapp. all of this
town, were appointed trustees, and
every body concerned said that the
assets never would yield as much as
the schedule showed
Referee John b, Gale OF Guilford
has just. ordered payment OF leo per
cent. and interest on all claims. and
property to the amount of more than
$4,000 remains to be returned to
Mr.. Taft,
The Taft mill has been operated un
der court order and much lumber has
been cut and sawed and much of the
original stock disposed Of MIR. Taft
filed his schedule because of large In
terest accumulations and the poor
condition OF the lumber market.