Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-02-23
BIG DIFFERENCE
 IN AMERICAN AND
 EUROPEAN LABOR
American Leader Says Flu ropeans Are Seeking Po-
 litical Freedom.

Omaha, Nebr, FeFb. 19.-John P Frey, editor of the. International
 'Moulders Journal, addressed the
 Trans Mississippi Readjustment con.
 gress this evening on the subject, La
 bor During and After the War" He
 said in part:
 | Labor problems in Europe and
 America are vastly different. In Eu-
 ropethe labor parties are building a | political machine to secure certain political freedom which American la- ! borers already enjoy. American la bor is opposed to the organization of a political party.
 Tt is not surprising that European l labor has developed revolutionary ten
 dencies because of the limitation of the franchise the influence of land owning nobility, the absence of dem- ocratic institutions, the denial of an adequate voice in determining laws, the autocratic form of government, the operation of secret diplomacy, the existence of secret treaties and the domination of the lives of the people by special interests.
 Injustice Here.
 American industry has not been free from injustice. the scales of jus tice have not always balanced evenly, but our workers have not suffered from tho political injustice which ex-
 isted in continental Europe
 "In the allied countries labor has
 shown itself more or less in opposi- tion to the government American la
 bor held a deep conviction, that, while
 militarism should be energetically op-
 posed, self-prdservation demanded
 that our country should never weaken
 it's power of defense as to be an easy prey to hostile nations. American la
 Eor threw all it's resources to the
 government and adopted strong res
 olutions of support several weeks be-
 fore war was declared.
 There is no doubt that the posi-
 tion taken by the American Fedora
 tion of Labor at it's extraordinary con- ference on March 12, 1917, assisted in
 strengthening the presidents hands and gave him greater confidence to
 take the step which meant our off, cial entry into the world war Hindcred Government. 'The labor organizations in Eu- rope were drag on their govern
 ments. They favored peace-by-nego- tiation, and proposed a labor peace conference, which would have been futile of good results so far as the allied countries were concerned. , ''The American trade-union' move
 ment was unalterably opposed to the principle of a negotiated peace. They were also opposed to labor peace conference while the war lasted. They sent delegates to Great Britain,
 France and Italy to explain the posi- tion of American labor
 "At an inter-allied labor conference ill London in September, 1918, the American delegation secured the l adoptino of four resolutions. Ciao pledged the support of labor to their respective government, one endorsed President Wilson's fourteen points, the other two dealt with the peace treaty. "These resolutions were delivered l in Berlin and Vienna and effectively killed whatever hopes the 'Qdissral l Powers had of using labor to stir up trouble.
 Spirit of Democracy. "1'here has developed among our 1 workers a strong conviction that the principles of democracy would apply
 to all the relationships within the na- tion. American workers believe that
 they should have voice in determin- ing the rules and regulations within 1 commerce and labor which affect ! them. 1 "The terms of employment and con- 1 ditions of labor should be made as the result of a collective voice rather 1 than by establishing arbitrary rules l formulated at times by those who, are
 prompted only by motives of self-ln- l tcrest.
 What American labor wants is method by which the Tloblems arising in industry. which affect the workers
 can be solved as they arise, In the lmost peaceful manner. and with Jus l tice to all concerned, the worker, the employer and the community.
 ''The workers see no better or saIel method of approach to these problems
 than through the application of the proven principles of democracy to tnt
 great cooperative field of lndustr! and commerce.