The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-02-12
GOMPERS NEARLY READY
TO REPORT ON LABOR
There Has Been Great Difficulty in Re-
conciling the Diverse Views of Brit
ish and Americans on
This Phase

This Phase.
Paris, Feb. IL tby the Associated
Press While President Wilson and the
allied premiers and generals are en-
crossed in perfecting the plan for the
creation of a society of nations and ar
ranging the new terms to be imposed
upon Germany for a renewal of the ar
mistice, expiring next Monday, other
subjects Of the greatest Importance are
being prepared for the consideration of
the peace conference. 1t is expected that
the conference will spend little time dis
lussing them, however and will pass most
of them on to the society OF nations,
when the latter has been created and
ready to function.
Foremost on this secondary program
are the recommendations of the com
mission on international labor Iegisla.
ton. Samuel Gompers, the chairman,
has been pushing work so that it is eX-
pected he win have a report ready for
the conference as soon as it is ready to
receive it.
There have been difficulties in recon
cling the diverse views Of British and
American labor interests, as each Is
radical in some respects and yet conser-
vative in others, in the opinion Of some
labor leaders. 1t is said tht there is no
coincidence between their plans. The
British are radicals where Americans are
cautious, while the Americans throw con-
seryatism to the winds when considering
matters on which the British are care
full
Meetings are going on to-day, as they
have almost continuously during the last
few days, between men who have come
to Paris at the call of President Wilson
and the premiers to deal with great
financial problems arising out Of the war.
Every delegation admits the gravity Of
Inc problems presented and the absolute
necessity for their settlement, if the
world is to be saved from universal
bankruptcy. In no place is it regarded
a. so evident that there must be the
fullest and most cordial cooperation be-
tween the nations now represented at
the conference as in the effort to restore
the stability Of currency, reduce prices
to a reasonable level get rid Of super
huous issues Of war paper, prevent fur
Their excessive fluctuations on exchange
and regulate the rates of interest on, and
the amount Of, bonds to be issued.
Already initial steps have been tax.
en- to commit the peace conference to the
adoption OF a great international pool
ing system Of debts, which shall include
ali neutral nations, whether they wish
to or not. This will meet with the most
determined resistance from the Amer
can delegates, who feel that America
did her full share in aiding the allies by
furnishing troops and almost unlimited
supplies Of money and material They
are understood to be quite willing to rid
France Of the nightmare Of German pow
or in extending further credits to per
init France to rehabilitate her indus
tries and enable her, and Belgium as
well, to hold her own in the worlds
markets, but they thoroughly appreciate
the fact that it is beyond their power to
commit their country to participation IN
any monetary credit system with Flu
ropean powers. They also feel that
some of these countries have been dere-
lict in not imposing, as the United
States and Great Britain did, additional
taxes upon their own people during the
war to meet, at least in part, their obll-
cations, instead of calculating upon re-
Endorsements from indemnities to be
collected from the enemy.
The revival Of the spirit of the old
Paris economic conference which planned
bovcotts apd after-the-war discrimina-
tions, is sometimes in evidence during
discussions. 1t made its appearance in
the desire of one country to impose dis
criminatory duties on enemy commerce,
during the consideration of the plan to
make all international waterways open
for all nations on even terms. This was
regarded al a violation Of one Of the