New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
u. S. Mission Reports
British "Confer-
ence" Demand Is
Attitude of Leaders
Rather Than Men
By II. X. Moderwell

AN the common touch" The
compliment devolves upon the mem
hers of the mission which the Amer
;can Federation of Labor sent to
England and France to bear the
federation's message, "War to the
end against Kaiserism,' and to rea-
son with their European brethren
who long for cosey talk in a room
with their comrades" the German
working1nen.
The mission has within the fort
night returned to our shores. 1t has
talked officially to the federation in
convention assembled at st. Paul
and unofficially and freely to such
nriyate individuals as sought its
conversation.
These men and women have
talked with King George, Queen
Mary and the Princess Mary; to
President Poincare, Premier Glenn
enceau and General Joffre; to ad-
mirals and Cabinet members, to SOL
diers and munition workers, to prel-
ates and party leaders and to Gen.
eral Pershing and his veterans"
within sound of the German guns.
They have talked with all these dig
nitarjes and have not lost the COM
mon touch. They speak with ap-
preciation of the charm Of King
Georges presence, and then return
directly to the technicaities of trade
union organization.
Certainly, talking with a king is
nothing to turn a labor leaders head
these days. He knows we'll that his
iob is more important that the civil
tiles of kingly intercourse. The
members Of this American mission
were received and feted by royalties
and dignitaries not in spite of their
being workingmen, but because of it.
If it had been possible to honor them
ten times more that would no more
than have corresponded to their inn
portance to the governments now
making war on Germany.
Reason for Sending
a Labor Mission
This mission was fulfilling spe-
cial function of supreme impor-
tance, and this fact the members
never lose sight of when they re-
count their varied and surprising
observations. To appreciate the
reason for it's existence it is neces-
sary to refresh ones mind bit on
history.
Shortly after the outbreak of the
Russian revolution the Soviets issued
a call for a conference Of the labor
parties of the world, including the
German, to end the war. The world
laughed, but the Soviets persisted.
Arthur Henderson, then labor mem
ber of the British War Cabinet
the inner circle of five which ran
everything-went to Petrograd, pre-
sumably to bring the Russians back
to sanity He went, safe and sane
leader of what was supposed to be
the most conservative labor move
ment in the world. He came back
in ma tiers of international policy, a
Bolshevik.
He urged the international con-
ference idea on the powerful Brit
ish Labor party. He convinced it
Lloyd George protested. Henderson
resigned his seat in the Cabinet. AT
the famous convention of last July
the Labor party voted by large
majority to send representatives te
Stockholm to meet the Germans
The French Labor Federation anc
Socialist party did the same. Italy
the reports indicate, had the same
experience.
The Stockholm plan fell through
But Henderson persisted. He callet
the labor parties Of the Allies t.
conference in London, and together
by an almost unanimous vote. the!
adopted set of "labor war aims,
calling for mo annexations and in
IDENTITIES" and demanding NOR,
firmly than ever their conferenc,
with the Germans.
The Allies Thought
The Plan Dangerous
Now, rightly or wrongly, the Al
lied governments felt that the plal
was dangerous in the extreme. And
as 1t happened, the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, representing tw
and half million skilled workmer
with the farsighted Samuel Com
pers at their head. thought so, tot
The picture of this Bolshevik ide
lining up the powerful labor partie
aggressively in its behalf made mos
conservative and responsible me
tremble.
Oniv opo fhiru wao paadod v