New-York tribune., 1918-02-11
Secretary Wilson De
nounces Propaganda to
Stop War Work
No Time for Strikes
Now, Says Speaker
United Effort Needed to
Beat Germany, Workers
Are Told


propaganda in a meeting which crowd
cd the Century Theatre, Central Park
West and Sixty-first Street. 1t was the
first of series of gatherings to mark
loyalty week for American workers.
From the time that Rabbi Stephen
5. Wise, first OF the speakers, declared,
at the end Of an eloquent denunciation
of German frightfulness, that eve
haven't begun to fight yet" until the
last of the orators had concluded, this
representative body of American work
crs, more than three thousand strong,
unmistakably served notice upon
propagandists who cloak their treason
with so-callcd concern for their fellow
men that any effort to still the wheels
OF industry in this country will be met
by dismal failure.
Secretary Wilson Speaks
Secretary of Labor William 3. Will
son was the spokesman for the Admin
istration. He expressed confidence that
labor would not be weighed in the bal
in detail the Administrations version
of the agitation for peace and its views
toward pacitlsts. After welcoming the
labor m mssion from Great Britain, re.
Gently arrived in this country, Secre-
;ary Wilson said:
eve have the most perfect democ-
racy that has ever existed, and the
wage workers of this country cannot
afford to see it destroyed. Ii ] we're
,,,&.> v,xr1~
idea of the greatest need of our coun-
try at this time. I would say it IS the
spirit of self-sacrtice for the COM
mon good.
Sacrifice of our prejudices. sacrifice
of our material comfort, sacrifice of
our lives, if need be. in order that the
democratic institutions handed down to
as by our forefathcrs shall be trans
mitted to our sons. so that they can
work out their own destiny in their
own way, as we have attempted to
work out our own destiny in our own
way, unimpeded by the mailed fist of
any autocrat on earth"
Progress Founded on Sacrifice
Here Secretary Wilson called atten-
ton to the historical fact that all prog
ress is founded on sacrifice and
pointed to the benefits accrued TO or
ganized labor through. strikes-strikes es
that made men suffer but improved the
conditions for their children.
eve have on our hands a strike by
the United States OF America against
the autocracy of Germany" he con-
tinued. "in order that we may attain
the standards we have already estab-
lshed in this country.
II have travelled from the Atlantic
10 the Pacific, from the Gulf to the
Lakes. I have come into contact with
all the elements of labor, organized
and unorganzed, throughout the
length and breadth of our country, and
believe ! can speak for that labor
when | say that it will not at this time
or during the period of this strike
against autocracy 'scab' upon the
United States of America.
I'VE are peace loving people. If
VIC were not we would not have en-
dured the suffering and indignities that
we're hcaped upon US as long as we
did. We had dreamed of contnua-
ton of peace. But our dream was shat
tered overnight and our labor move
ments in the various countries found
the action so rapid, the effect so quick,
that there was no possibility of stem
ming the tide of war"
Here the Secretary rccountcd the ef-
forts of President Wilson to keep the
United States out of war, and cheers
greeted his declaration that there was
no other course than TO break with
Germany when that country "persis-
tcntly violated international law" He
said a cartoon typical of the Presidents
view was one showing Kaiser Wilhelm
telling Uncle Sam he could send one
ship one day each week to England
and Uncle Sam replying: "You can go
to he'll seven DAYS each week. The
crowd checrcd this sally several min
utcS.
Not Capitalists War
In dcriding the paciGsts' cry that
this is a capitalists war, Secretary
Wilson called attention to the fact that
wages had not been lowered and
that if the dollar was the goal of
Americans the obvious course to have
taken would have been to remain neu-
trail and seek market among the war
ring nations.
I'VE arc engaged" he continued, "in
war which means everything to the
people of this country the wage earn.
ers included. and we will not give ur
that contest until democracy has been
assured, not only here but in othe,
countries, which. through lack of
democracy, have been menace to our
own"
Following Secretary Wilson'S ad-
ufess, interpreted by all those present
20 be a warning to the pacitists Of the
country, who are planning to hold a
convention in this city the latter part
of this month, the audience heard a
message from the working men and
women of England, delivered by the
fiery -tongucd Charles Duncan mcmbe
OF the British Parliament and secretary
of the General Workers Union OF
Great Britain. Mr.. Duncan was the
spokesman for the British mission
which Is composed Of four members.
The other members of the mission
are W. A. Appleton. of the General Fed
Grated Trades Union Joshua Butter
WORTH of the Associated Shpwricht Is
Society. and ID. l.. Moses, of the Pat
tern Makers Union. All were intro.
duced, and then Mr.. Duncan spoke
No Time for Peace
After dealing at length with the diff
ference between the menaccd city OF
London and the secure metropolis of
this country. and paying Az eloquent
tribute to the men who lost their lives
IN the torpedoing of the Tuscania. he
gave an answer to the pacfiSts who are
seeking to cause dissension in the
United States. 1t was this:
"lf an intruder comes into your house
and murders and dishonors your fam
lily 1t is no use to talk to you of peace
and paciiism. The only thing you can