Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-16
PREDICTS TRIUMPH
Of WORKING CLASS
French Labor Head Draws
Distinction Between Social
ism and Bolshevism.
BY WILLIAM Il. NASH.
by Cable to The Star and Chicago
Daily News. Copyright, 1919.

| PARIS, France December 12.-Al-
bert Thomas. recently elected head OF
| the international labor bureau by the
Washington conference. sees triuIn-
| plant future in store for the working
classes. and he is going to employ all
the tremendous energy he displayed as
! the French minister of munitions IN
! organizing his new bureau in Geneva
Switzerland. Besides being interna-
| tional labor leader NJ. Thomas is
deputy in the French chamber and
chief of the moderate wing of the
socialist party.
with bolshevism 1 do not SYM
pathize," he said. but of the success
of the socialist party l am convinced.
The war gave the working people con-
they will not work blindly in the flu
| ture for the benefit of their capitalist
ma sters. Certain socialist reforms are
bound to come, and no country can
avoid them. First. we will have an
eight-hour day; second. labor insur-
eminent monopoly of certain indus.
tries
Value of Shorter Day.
Almost every one realizes the sig
nificance of the short working day,
and we already see it realized in most
civilized countries. 1t gives the COM
mon laborer chance for recreation;
it improves his efficiency one hundred
fold by taking away the strain of ex-
cessive application. Labor inS.a~snce
is coming slowly but surely. Sick in
surance, unemployment insurance and
old-age pensions are necessary, for
they afford the worlmen guarantees
of the right to live. They will do away
with the suffering and privation among
proletariat families in times of adver-
sity. If father. son or other male sup
port is incapacitated, the family should
be assured of sufficient means to con-
tinue it's existence. .
Under the third head comes gov
eminent insurance. There are certain
Industries, like railroads, electric
works. mines and water-power plants.
which belong more to the community
than to individuals, and it is a mis-
take to leave them to the exploitation
and controlled by the government in
the interest of the people"
How do you expect to gain these
reforms?" 1 asked. by revolutionary
or parliamentary methodist"
Waiting for Balance of Power.
Il have always been in favor of TAX
ing part in the government" came the
reply. But we socialists midst he in a
position to oppose certain conditions
We cannot cooperate with the bour-
seois at present because our position
in parliament is not strong enough
and all sacrifices would be on our side
If NJ. Millerans should ask me tomor-
row to join in the cabinet 7 would re-
fuse. The moment for that will come
only when we gain the balance of pow
er in the chamber. Besides that is a
matter for the socialist party to decide
1t wants no splits inter Sc Gin itself.
Union makes force The working
classes have had enough of internal
divisions. Even though the party is
now controlled by a revolutionary ma
! jority, 1 will remain in it until put oui
| by popular vote"
! DO you believe in revolution and
general strikes?"
Discusses General Strike.
Let us draw sharp distinction be
tween them" interrupted NJ. Thomas
In the first, no. The people of
| France showed in the elections that
they were tired of political strife
| They want conservative action. In the
| second, yes. The general strike is the
means of showing the power of class
! consciousness of the working men
! While | may not believe that the mo-
1 ment for such measures is at hand
do not exclude them from the future
program of the party"
The labor leader concluded his talk
| by saying that the political situat ton
! in America appeared to him to be-
rather confused. He thought we. the
Americans, did not know our own
minds. Yet he believed that in the end
! they would be affected in the same
way as the Europeans by the wave OF
socialism sweeping over the world