Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-01
u. S. FUTURE
is PUZZLE OF
PEACE FIGHT

Confined from Page one.}
structiou would come later on. Us
ually an inquirer found himself
asked a question. What do you
think will be the labor situation
six months hence? Tell US that and
we will make predictions"
Situations Differ.
Out on the Pacific coast the la
Dor situation exists somewhat diff
ferent than in the east The l. w.
VS. are not the only extremists.
Foreigners with an idea that the
plight Of Russia today is to be pre-
terred 10 industrial oppression
such as they imagine they are
powerless TO remedy except by
forceful means, have made greater
Roadway than most business men
like to admit Union labor isn't
always blamed on the Pacific coast.
One finds big business men anxious
and willing to cooperate with such
an organizatio ton for instance as the
American Federation of Labor in
an effort to destroy the influence
and power of the extreme radicals
who prey upon the laboring masses
with literature and newspapers
all their own.
Need of AmericanizatiOR.
IF there ever was confirmation
Of Secretary Lanes statements
concerning the need Of American
izatiou especially among the rank
and file Of labor. the situation on
the % -r4ef al ~ taz if
conclusively. Agitators reach
thousands upon thousands Of Ia
borers with peruicious doctrines
about the power Of physical force
and direct action largely because
the same masses have been ignor-
Cd by the people who could edu
cate them 10 the contrary. Much
of the industrial disorder spread
ing in the west is due to sheer i=
noTance or the clever manipula-
tons and mancuvers OF radical
leaders who do not fail TO use ev-
cry utterance and every action
taken by employers elsewhere in
imical 10 organized labor as proof
OF their contention that it is USE
less TO try to sit down and reason
with the employing class. On the
other hand. We encountered bust
ness men fairly burning with in
diguatioa a the way. they said,
employers had been treated in the
matter of contracts with their en-
ployes. Again and again labor or
CARNATIONS had refused TO carry
out their contracts for services
without an increase in pay. And
il A whole union was unable to
break its contract. the men would
resign as individuals in such great
numbers as to make the value of
the contract a negligible quantity.
Cooperation Now Real Need.
So there were two Weaknesses
evidcnt-on the one hand an in
ability on the part OF the employ
ing class 10 prevent many of its
number from doing the extreme
things against labor which gave
the radical leaders the main food
on which TO feed and their main
propaganda aud on tho other hand
an inability on the part OF con-
servativc~labor leaders at the head
Of the national organizations to
hold in leash tiTe local leaders or
organizations. Cooperation by the
lea ders Of capital and industry
has become not merely an aItrus-
tic or ethical affair but question
of absolute necessity. Suspicion
is being fostered locally by many
radical leaders against the indus
trial conference soon to be held in
Washington. The men who think
Samuel Gompers is a tool of the
capitafistiC interests have begun
building a fire beneath Samuel
Gompers' subordinates in the hope
of destroying his influence with his
following or with the idea of
claiming credit for having prod
ded him into such advantages for
labor as he might eventually get
out of the labor conference at
Washington. Radical leaders are
like politicians-the are always
ready to take credit upon them
selves with their local following
for things that benefit labor and
always ready TO blame the national
labor leaders for things that go
wrong
Radicals Hard To Please.
Just now even though President
Wilson has appointed Charles Ed
ward Russell and John Spargo.
prominent Socialists. as two out of
% Representatives of the public at
the labor conference. the radical
laboring men with whom some of
Us talked while on the Wilson trip
denounced both men as unrepre-