The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-08-13

talked with workers, business men anc
primary Interest in Labor.
II didn't realize fully what the gov
ernment was attempting to do until
had several conferences with Gen.
Plutarcho Gales. secretary of the in
terror" continued Mr.. DAWSON. Then
everything was made plain to me.
This official. the most important
member of President Obregon's cabi-
net, assured me that the governments
primary interest was in the workers.
1t is seeking to redeem them from
centuries of merciless exploita ton.
Much along this line has been done,
but much more remains to be accom-
plished.
Would Help U. S. Workers.
Gen. Gales. it should be stated. is
not provincial or insular in his views.
He knows that the Mexican people can
not be lifted by their own bootstraps.
They so up or remain down as the
workers of other nations go up ana
down. If the workers of the United
States are happy and contented, a
healthy influence will be reflected
upon the workers of our southern
neighbor.
Mexico secures the bulk of it's sup
plies from the L. S. It expects to
spend hundreds of millions of dollars
here III the next few years. 1t intends
to spend this money in such manner
that it shall help and not injure Amer
ican workers. Therefore, it has
adopted as a settled government poll
icy that it will have no dealings with
any American firm that does not
maintain decent working conditions.
1t wants for our producers the same
conditions that it is conceding. to its
own producesr.''
Contracts for "Fair' Firms
Orders for agricultural implements,
road building machinery, fire appar-
atus and various other manufa ctured
products have already been placed
with american concerns recommend
ed by officials Of the Machinists'
union, Mr. Dawson said. Negotiations
are pending for additional large con-
tracts. all of which are to be placed
with firms in the United States or
Canada that are fair to organized
labor.
Naturally this policy has aroused
the open shop crowd in this country
and they are making a mighty howl
about discrimination. A few months
ago they sent their petted hreling,
Ole Hanson, into Mexico, to see what
could be done about it. He made a
number of attempts to persuade the
government out of its program, but
he didn't get far with his worn.
Failed to Convert.
Then they sent Mrs. H. L. Gould.
chairman of the woman's section of
the United States Chamber of Com
merce. She, too. failed in her mis-
sion of converting influential Mexi-
cans to the open shop Mrs. Gould
left Mexico with a very poor opinion
OF Mexican officials. but that seemed
to worry them not at all.
They are ready to pay gold for ma
terials and supplies, and they assume
the right to conduct their internal at
fairs in their own way. They claim
the right to buy from whom they
please. of such terms as are mutually
satisfactory to buyer and seller. n
American open shoppers and labor
baiters don't like their methods, they
are, of course. free to sell their goods
elsewhere. They don't distribute
them in Mexico. that is certain.
Exposed "American Plan.'
Mr.. Dawson explained to Mexican
officials what the "open shop really
means. He made short work of the
so-called american plan," pointing
out that it wasn't American at all,
"but the reverse of it. 1t had for it's
object the subjugation of workers. tho
denial of rights that are granted as
matter of course by practically all
other nations, and the setting up of an
In ,ctr al
ments of feudalism."
II think it is pretty generally under
stood in Mexico that those who repre-
sent the open shop in America are
the real enemies of Mexico" said Mr..
Dawson. "They are believed to be the
same interests that have financed
revolutions to the great injury of the
people. the same crowd that is today
clamoring for intervention. not in the
interest of the Mexican people. but in
the interests of those who have been
exploiting then1.''
Open shoppers Squeal.
Mr.. Dawson points to action taken
b3 the American plan or open shop
conference of Connecticut as an indi-
cation of how the situation is to be
met by American manufacturers of
the "open shop variety.
Intervention is all these people
think about" he said. ''They would
use the bayonets of American soldiers
to prevent Mexico from giving effect
to policies that all fair men must rec
ognize as just and humane
The Connecticut open shop confer
ence took cognizance of letter of a
letter written by Antonio I. Villareal,
secretary of agriculture, addressed to
William H. Johnston, president of the
International Association of Machin-
lists. stating the purpose of the Mexi-
can government to purchase several
p million dollars worth of farm machin-
cry and implements and requesting
tContinued on page ~ 85.7ss 81