The Connecticut labor press., 1920-01-17

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Local 215, Journeynen BARRIERS !:
Nathan Neiner, Fred Petrelle, Floren
Alfano Gerhard B. Baehr, Charles
Cioffi.
Local 90, Iron Mou1ders: John A.
Dunn, Thomas Hawley, John Corners,
Jacob Keck and John Peterson.
Local 400, Painters and Decorators !:
FWalter c. Farren, Marry w. Day, John
Sweeney and August Miller.
fortitude, a heroic willingness to give all
of their energy to the nations welfare.
They conducted themselves in a manner
which won unquestioned confidence, and
we are justified in asking that you still
retain that confidence, for it will not be
misplaced.
1T is well while we are here, that
you should hear from our lips the atti-
tude which We have assumed toward the
German worker.
The war is over The enemities
which it aroused must not be fostered.
The spirit of hatred between the work
ers and between the nations cannot help
but poison the minds of those who en-
deavor to work out the Understandings
which must be reached between peoples.
While the war was on it was necessary
to devote ali of our strength to winning
the victory, now that the war is over we
must help bind up the wounds. Two
wrongs cannot make right. The at
titude which German workers assumed.
while their country was at war must
not be permitted to influence our labor
policy now that the war is over and all
countries are suffering from its effects.
"The international trades-union move
ment decided that the workers of Aus
tria and of Germany should be included
in its membership when the Armistice
was signed and the Germanic military
machine DESTROYED. 1t was the repre-
sentatiyes of the French trades-union
movement who were The first to demand
the presence of German delegates at the
Amsterdam Congress at which the In
tcrnational Federation of Labor was re-
organized 1t was the French labor rep
resentatives who insisted that represen-
tatives of German labor should be pres
ent at the first International Labor Con-
ference to be held under the Treaty of
Peace. 1t was the French labor repre-
sentatives in Washington who demand
ed that place be left in the Supreme
Council for the representatives OF the,
German trades-union movement, in view
of the fact that circumstances had pre-
vented their being present during the
lllCEIIdlIClldI.
had just been held in your nations capi-
tai Let us add that it was also our rep
resentatives who demanded that places
in the council be left open for Amer
lean representatives, in view of the fact
that you could not be officially recog-i
nized owing to your Senate's failure to
ratify the Treaty.
THE. French trades-union movement
believes that the suferings it had en-
dured the dangers through which its
country had passed, justified it in taking
the position which it did, as an evidence
that the bitterness and the hatreds of
war should not be permitted to influence
the workmen's councils when peace had
arrived.
'We are convinced, now that the war
is over, that the spirit of hostility must
not be permitted to continue. There
must be reconciliation between the ma
tons, and of equal if not greater i'm
portance, is the re-establishnent of the
spirit of true brotherhood between the
workers.
I'VE return to France with JOY in our
hearts because we have had the privil-
ege of meeting you and of becoming
acquainted with you, although unfor-
tunately this acquaintance has been de-
layed altogether too long. We feel the
necessity for such exchange of visits,
not only officially, but socially, so that
we may come to understand each other
and establish that mutual confidence
which can only come through personal
acquaintanceshp.
There should be no frontier between
the workers, because so many of their
interests are identical. t-.
1--WE have learned much from being
in your country and coming into con-
tact with the leaders of your movement.
Much that we have learned will be of
great benefit to us. You have passed
through experiences which have tried
the hearts of the strongest men; you
have evolved most remarkable organ
ization which has shown itself capable
of dealing with the most serious prob
lens which have faced American work
ers; we feel that it is privilege to come
into contact with men who have had
part in doing this great work. But per-
haps there are some things which you
might learn from us, and we hope that
there will be that exchange of represen-
tatives between American and French
trades-union;sts which will enable us all
to profit from the experiences and ac-
comp1ishments of the other.
What we particularlye desire to i'm
press upon you as we leave for our ma
tive land is that, above everything else,
it is necessary that the workers of every
land should foster and apply the spirit
of reconciliation and cooperation
Without this the future holds but little
hone