New-York tribune., 1919-08-24

a MSIEHDAM, July Ella thltt heaFi'y
~ built Frenchman, with the voice of an
opera singer, rises before the first
postwar congress Of the international Fed
GRAFTON Of Trades Unions to express his
Views on the moral responsibilities OF the
German trade union leaders in The wnr. He
starts slowly, his voice low and gentle,
almost soothing. Suddenly his voice rises,
his arm swings in wide gesture, his head Is
thrown back and perfect torrent Of words
flows from his lips, TO the CONSERVATION Of
the interpreters, who must make shorthand
notes and translate them into another
tongue az soon as he Ia finished, l.. jouhaux,
Of the Confederation Generate du xravajl,
is the orator Of the 1nternatoneI all others
are suffering schoolboys.
Samuel Gompers who In his forty-odd
years az labor leader has become almost as
hairless as baby, follows. Fiery whore
Jouhaux Ia gentle; threatening whore Jou-
haux Ia coaxing, dHmning, where Jouhaux
Is insinuating, his style Is In strong con-
trast to that Of the Fronohman. Gompera
fights with broadswordj Jouhaux uses
rapier. Who docs tho greater execution it
Is not for mo to say. Jouhnux seoms always
at his ease, nonchalhnt, Indifferent but
never carless, In dress, action or words
0ompors seems always watching, looking,
expecting trouble. And he generally finds
It.
But listen to Jouhaux:
ave Trenchmen do not talk Of the re-
sponsibilties Of the people In the var.
Why? Because the governments and tha
people are on q different footing. What
Is the great lesson Of the war? 1t Is that
labor shall organize 40 strongly on inter-
nationa! lines that war will be impossible
hereafter. We Frcnchmen. after all We
have suffered are still Internatlonalisfs.
against militarism. The international
must become Il real society Of nations.
Let mo remind you that the peace treaty
was made by governments and not By tho
peoples. The international must work ia
the interests Of humanity not in the in
terests Of any one country We must be
clean. honest, fearless. Our airas are the
same; we are working to uplift the work
ing classes"
The first session Of the international
opened at 8 a.. m, continued until noon, ad-
journed until O'clock reassembled and re-
mained In session until 1915 p. m, eleven
hours and fifteen minutes Of work. One
Bauermeister, secretary to c. Legien, presi-
dent of the International Federation y
Trades Unions as we'll as of the German Fed
Grafton, will not forget tho opening session
Two interpreters had been provided, but
they failed dsmsly. 1t fell TO Bauermelstcr
10 act as interpreter. He made steno-
graphic report Of every long speech and
Aen translated it into two other lam
guages, sometimes three For instance, he
would make notes of speech delivered in
French, translate it into German, then into
English-and this Immediately the speaker
had finished. Short speeches he seemed 80
absorb as sponge does water, repeating
them in another tongue without refcrenccl
to single note. He had the unpleasant job
CT transating into English the Belgian at
tack on the Germans and into French Com
perss attack on the Germans. And al the
end Gompers felt compelled to compliment
him on his wonderful linguistic feat and his
marvellous memory. Gompcrs said he had
detected only one small error, and Gcmpers
knows German we'll.
European parliamentary procedure almost
L.. =, /. c -.