The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-11-04

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Washington, Oct. 29.-At the con-
clusion of tWo-day session in this
city the national disarmament ad-
visory committee invited to convene
by President Gompers formed a per
manent organization to be known as
the general committee for limitation
of armament.
The organization will be directed
by a board of governors Of q
members and an executive commit
tee of five. There will be a chair
man, honorary chairman, secretary,
treasurer and an executive secretary.
Offices will be opened in Washing
ton at once.
Membership on the board of gov
ernors will be so arranged as to
make that body representative Of
all organized groups which favor
limitation of armament.
The two-day conference, presided
over by President Gompers, was re-
markable for it's unity of viewpoint
and for its expression of determina-
ton to give force to Mr.. GomperS
declaration for "the furthest limit
| Of disarmament.
In its declaration of principles and
purpose the conference said, in part:
ut is not our purpose to attempt
to suggest definite proposals to end
war. This heavy responsibility rests
on the appointed representatives of
our own and other governments.
But we believe that a few gen.
eral principles are accepted as self
evident by a great majority Of our
fellow countrymen, and that it may
be helpful to restate them at this
time
"The United States alone and sin
gle handed cannot best serve the
great cause of peace by disarming.
Even if such solitary disarmament
were possible to a limited extent, it
would not make for world peace.
1t would only lessen our power to
stand for freedom and to protect
democracy throughout the world.
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only by international agreement.
There is no other way.
Great armies and navies are not
the chief cause of war. Frightful
as is the burden they put upon the
peoples of the earth a great world
war is infinitely worse Great
armaments are not the only means
of destruction. Terrible as will be
the devastation Of the world by its
armies and navies, the poison gases
and deadly chemical compounds now
being discovered in the secret labora-
tories of many nations, even those
which may have a peace-time use,
may annihilate civilization in the
next war. Against such destruction
no disarmament agreements can pro-
tect US.
THE limitation Of armaments is
a good thing in itself. 1t will save
the great nations of the world
from threatened financial collapse.
1t is a long step forward but it is
not peace.
THE causes Of war lie far deeper.
The awful madness for war is root
ed in economic necessities and greed.
in paralyzing fear Of unprovoked
attack, in ancient wrongs not yet
righted.
"The agenda of the coming inter-
national conference give US reason to
believe that together with the limita-
tion of armaments some of the
causes of war will be considered.
1T is in this hope and in support
Of our American representatives that
we submit on behalf of ourselves and
of the millions of men and women in
the United States the following con-
fession of faith:
I'VE pronounce to the world our
deep and abiding faith in democracy
and therefore in peace.
Eve proclaim to the world a faith
that has not been dampened or
smothered by past official lassitude
or diplomatic delay and evasion.
"We demand international peace.
"We demand an official policy
which shall lead the nations of the
world into the thinking of peace, the
building for peace, the will to have
peace.
eve have Just gone through a
great war-a war without prece-
dent. This we did for a great cause.
We fought for the life of democ-
racy, that its institutions and its
spirit might be preserved.
'We have assured to democracy
the right to live and to function
eve have done more. We have OBJ
liberated the last Of the great un-
limited autocracies.
rs a world organized democrati-
cally to confess its inability to use
the machinery of democracy? We de-
clare to the world our faith that the
machinery of democracy is sufficient
that it must be sufficient and that
our statement must not be permitted
to invest democracy with the ancient
traditions, fears, superstitions, me-
chanics and economic Embellishments
of autocracy
with those ancient trappings the
world has done.
1--WE are upon the threshold of a
new day.
"We are gazing upon a world
} whose spirit calls for peace.
{ 'Peace with the world of today
, is more than an economic necessity
it is spiritual necessity, a moral
necessity, a necessity that conforms
to a world that has reached that
stage where democratic government
! is possible and where fearless recog-
, milton of truth is possible"