The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-28
BABEL OF MANY
LANDS WRACKS
UNION CONGRESS
United States Most Notable
Absentee From Strange
Session in Paris.
BERLIN HAS DELEGATION
American Federation Scored
for Failure to Pay Dues
and Send Delegates.
Special Gable to TIE New YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1920, by TIE NEW YORK HERALD.


Copyright, 1920, by TIE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Paris. Nov. ~.
Ideas as varied as the tongues that
advanced them marked the Interna-
tional Trade Union Federation Con-
gress which met here with seventeen
countries represented. Eighty-flv dele
gates representing. they said, 24,5o0,O00
members, faced two serious difficulties,
first because they could not under
stand each other and by the time the
fierce speeches were translated they
usually became obscure, and secondly
the attempt to explain why the United
States was not represented.
Americans We're the most notable
absentces, and it was freely admitted
that the relations between the Inter
national FedcratltS *, labor on the
one side and the American Federation
of Labor on the other, since the Am
sterdam conference, have been 1.-The
worst possible" This point was never
quite cleared up, although the de-
lberations went on after M. Fimmen,
secretary. said: 1--WE have sent the
Americans fifty documents and have
ONLY had four letters in reply and,
moreover. the American Federation OF
Labor has not paid it's contribution"
No Lasting Results Expected.
This congress was a youthful body
ana quickly displayed its youth by IL
lustrating the wide breach between the
political and Industrial outlooks of the
labor movement in the different coun-
tries represented. There was a good
deal of straight, sometimes angry, talk
and perhaps Canada was sufficiently
alibied for America when II. j. Halford
remarked
"The congress Is singularly unlike
anything with which America is IA
miliar."
He seemed frankly afraid of the con-
gress and said it would not continue
working as such a revolutionary body.
He remarked that a Canadian labor
congress is purely a legislative body,
while the Federation congress was
purely a revolutionary body
TO this j. H. Thomas of England an
swered:
I'VE are the mildest hammered people
who ever scuttled a ship"
But the general hodgepodge idea is
that the tongues did not dictate any
thing at the congress that is likely TO
scuttle any ship of state.
This difference OF speech never failed
to bewilder the delegates at all of the
sessions. IT would so happen that ar
Englishman would get up and speak
couple of hours I'm true British fashion.
and then when it was considered time
for the necessary translation demon
stratve Fastener would wave his
arms. toss his hair and become semi
npoplectic for a couple of hours more.
Finally the necessity arose TO limit the
delegates exploitation to five minutes.
hut even this presented difficulties and
il is hard to tell what the congress
achieved and where IL ultimately ar
rived.
The congress did support n resolution
backing a worldwide withdrawal of Ia
Dor and an international boycott against
capitalism and imperialism. IT also pro-
tested against the commercial and mil
itary war still being carried on against
Russia. The eight hour day and forty
eight J. III week also were strongly sup
ported.
hEOuNt
Perhaps the most interesting phase
for England was the presence Of a
dozen German delegates. who sat beside
The French and British. Although the
war ended more than two years ago,
body of Germans still is an uncommon
sight here. and they arouse a certain
amount Of curiosity. But they estab-
Tshed the tone OF the conferences
against revolutionary methods Herr
prassman wanted "the people to reign
supreme" but he denounced the Mos
cow Internationale and said the Ger
mans decided not to remain on the
offensive, but to fight Boshevism. He
expressed himself as being strongly
against the reestablishment i'm Germany
OF n monarchy, and said that German
iabor was ready to stand soldly against
any steps that would mean a war
AGAINST any country. He urged his COM
lades abroad to study the German sys-
tenn for their own benefit.
Next TO Americas absence the dele
gates were most concerned about Rus
sias representatives.. II was announced
that the congress repeatedly had offered 1
friendship to the coworkers in Russia.
but had received no reply other than
personal attacks IL was up TO Russia
now TO come to the federation, for the
federation would not continually run
after them, II was said. But nothing
was said about Russia not paying her
dues.
M Fmmen, who is from Holland. said
the outlook for the federation was good
in western European countries, where
labor saw the great reaction, but not
much Improvement was noticeable in
England. where the Government could
pass law giving it the power OF arrest
or strike leaders In a case thought nee
essary. thereby making strikes imposs-
Bile He also said that the news from
America was discouragng. for there
Strikes are suppressed by the police
and other means, and 10 has happened
that representatives of organized labor
who have been elected TO Congress were
prevented from taking their seats"
This congress is called a step further
from the Amsterdam congress. whore
samuel Gompers. president of the Amer
lean Federation OF Labor. and other
Americans found the ice very Thin.