Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-05
LABOR CONFERENCE
!. MAY NOT REMAIN
|NSESS|0N MONTH
Belgian Delegation to Leave
November 15-Japanese
Are SkepticaI.

egates Of various nations are indlg-
nant over the Characterization ap.
piled to them by Senator sherman OF
Illinois in a recent speech to the SEN
ate and do not desire to remain longer
in the capital.
Politely intimating that the confer
ence is not getting anywhere. ana ~
not likely to get anywhere De!onu
completing a permanent orsanlzatio II
at this general session. the Belslans
told newspaper men last evening they
would not remain after the middle OF
the month.
"There is so much work to be done
at home, vital to the life OF our coun-
try. that we cannot stay away any
longer than is absolutely necessary,
said Lieut.. A. J. Wauters. secretary
of the delegation. so we shall return
10 Belgium to enter the very great
task of rebuilding all that was ue-
stroyed and making our natloh great
er than ever before s ;,s
.If the conference has flnished It's
,,,ork nv November Is. we'll and GOOD:
hut No matter if it has not. we snail
feel obliged to leave the United states
Of that time We do hope. however
that before we depart the conference
will have accepted the principle OF the
eight-hour day.
japanese Are skeptical.
Hearing of the decision of the Bel
CLANS. members of the large Japanese
SeIepation. many of them unable clear
ly to understand English or frencn'
the official languages of the conference
last night expressed doubt about the
|accomplishmentS of the asSemoiy'
"Much talk; not much work, SAID one
man. Il fear the lack of good under,
st.ndine of either of the official
languages by a large proportion OF the
delegates is a very great barrier 10
progress. 1t is unfortunate
There was buzz of indignation
among the delegates last night IN the
Hobbies of the Willard and Washing
- hotels over the critical statements
made nv Senator Sherman regarding
the conference.
His declarations that 1.-The conference
contains a number of socialists ana aiso
a number of those who go beyono So
cialism-radicals. alien hreprands-
but few degrees removed IRON, 't tps.
who believe in soviet principles tnat
Germany has delegates in the CONFER i,
ence ito promote industrial mlschle!
that "Japan's delegates are planning m
roads on American industry; and una
the conference would declare agaihst
the American open shop ana suoJecs
this country to economic boycott IL
the conference decree were not ooserV-
ed. were emphatically described as De-
ing without foundation.
It was pointed out that only ABOUT
one-fourth of the representatives are
labor delegates, the others peing gov.
eminent and employer delegates; that
Germany has no delegates whatever In
the conference; that the Japanese have
given no evidence of scheming to make
inroads on American industry; and that
the American 'open shop" principle
has been barely mentioned, II at ALL
and certainly not attacked.
Charged With Giving Insult.
Several members of the conference
not labor MISUNDERSTANDING that I'M
less official assurance was. forthcoming
| that the Sherman address was not a
| representative attitude Of the Senate
steps might be taken to adjourn the
conference or move it to another city
! Senator Sherman was charged witn
giving a gratuitous insult to guests
Of the United States government Con-
! ference officials today were making ef-
| forts to explain the lack of influence
congressional speeches usually have with
| the American public. to smooth out the
difficulty, and to avoid break In the
assembly.
The conference took up today where
it left Off Yesterday discussion of the
eight-hour day versus the forty EIGHT
hour week, when it went into session
at 2: 80 pm. Government and employer
delegates are stanchly supporting the
Observation-Disclosures work standard.
while the labor. men are solidly support
ing the straight eight-hour day stand
ard Just now the question appears
beyond compromise, and it is likely the
subject will hold the floor for several
days.
When it was taken up yesterday aft
ernoon. discussion about 1t became
quite hot in a very short time. In
the midst of tense situation a mo-
ton to adjourn was carried over the
protest of Gino Baldesi. Italian social
list labor delegate, who declared that
every time a difference of opinion
adjourned to avoid thrashing out the
difference. 1t was suggested that
the question of the time work stand
ard be turned over to special COM
mission Of the conference for further
study and for detailed recommends
lions.
Adopt s-Hour Principle.
George n Barnes, member of the
British war cabinet and government
delegate to the conference, declared
Great Britain is going to pay its debt
to loyal labor by general adoption of
the eight hour-day principle.
exaggerated" he said. "Britain's
experience with factory acts extend
ing over a century and more shows
that the need for overtime is dimin-
ishing rather than increasing. 1t is
labor's duty to work whole-hearted-
amount of goods to replace the waste
of five years of destruction.
But 1 submit that the way to get
that is not by long hours, and still
less by denunciatory speeches on the
part of some men. The only way to
get it is by better organization Of in
dustry, by humanizing the conditions
Of labor. 1t is not a mere basic
eight-hour day law, or an eight hour
rule with additional pay for addi-
tional hours of work that we are
after That would not give US what
we want. What we want is leisure.
Commissions will be appointed to
study and report on all questions now
before the conference except the
eight-hour day. commission to
study that question Is still merely
suggestion.
nations decided to recommend that all
countries requesting admission be ac-
cepted as members of the international
| labor organization: Canada voted
against the proposal:
In accordance with this decision the
F; committee recommended the admission
| Of Finland. AS Luxembourg, Santo Do
mineo and Mexico have not officially
requested admission to the conference
! the committee recommended that nc
action be taken on the matter Of admit
ting them.
Would Admit Finland.
German workers delegates to the
international labor conference in
session here, will sail for the United
States when transportation difficulties
can be overcome. said message re-
ceived by the conference late yester-
day from Germany.
..,rha German workers through their