The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-08-01

Federation of Labor and Mexican
labor unions, joined by special COM
mittees from each of our States,
proceed to the organization of trade
unions
Second-That once these unions
and the various local organizations
are formed, the creating of a fed
Grafton for each State be proceeded
with.
Third-That once the declarations
for the five Central American States
are formed and established, a Cen
trial American Confederation of La
Dor be formed, this carrying out one
of the points of the greatest inter
est taken up at the first Central
American Congress of Laborers held
at San Salvador on November 5,
1911.
Fourth-That once the said Con-
federation is formed, the same be
associated to the American Fedora
tion of Labor.
To combat the aggression of
American capital in Central Amer
lean countries it was necessary that
the A. f. of L. extend aid to the UNI
organized workers, the report point
ed out. If Latin-American workers
failed to maintain a high stand
ard of work it would react unfavor-
ably against American workers, it
said. The report, on this point,
we are continually hearing about
the Calamitous condition of Euro
pean industries, and it has even been
stated that in countries like Italy the
dem bilization has not taken place
because of lack of occupation for the
soldiers. On the other hand, bust
ness is offered so little guarantee,
due to the unsteadiness of the gov
eminent, the alternating in power
of the numerous factions, and to
economic disasters in general, that
the North American capitalists do
not look with sanguine expectation
on European investments.
But if for the preceding propo-
SitiOn a remedy has almost been
found, how are we going to avoid
the exodus of North American cap
ital which in unlimited quantity has
sWarmed the American repub-
lies? And if this ponderous force of
capital does not find the Latin
American labor organized docs not
this constitute a most serious and
novel problem confronting the labor
ing classes of the United States?
Establishment and working of
factories, exploitation of mines and
all our great national resources with
the North American capital, and the
poorly paid ard badly treated labor
erS of our CouHtries-does not this
great danger to the pro-
letariat of North America, a threat
in the matter of wage and living
standard that has been attained by
the Same?'
While the purpose of the confer
ence was to promote understanding
and harmony between groups of or
ganized labor in the Americas, a
clash occurred over the seating of
Pedro Gomez Rouhaud, represent
ing a Nicaraguan newspaper; Aug
ust R. Jacome, a New York law
yer and exporter, and Jose J. Nina,
also local exporter. President
Gompers, although not opposed to
giving these men the opportunity
to have their opinions heard in the
warned the delegations
that if at future congresses repre-
sentatives of business and CONNER
cial institutions were seated as la
Dor delegates, the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor would not be
bound by any action reached by |
such a congress.
"If," he declared, there are peo-
pie coming to these conventions
who are not working men the Amer
lean Federation of Labor may par
ticipate in these conventions, but
will reserve approval of action
reached by them. The American
labor movement is composed of
and we cannot per-
nit our movement to be dominated
by those not wage-earners."