The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-08-19
(By Charles M. kelley

| ing on IN Mexico tney would be
astounded. The government there is
attempting what | honestly believe
to be the most progressive, the
most enlightened and withal the
sanest policy that has ever been
attempted by any people, / am
convinced that it is going to sue
ceed."
That in the opinion Of c. E. Da-
vison, secretary of the In
ternational Association of Machin-
lists, after a stay of several weeks
| in the southern republic. While
there he interviewed the highest
! officials of the government, studied
the work of reconstruction, inspect
ed the manufacturing plants and
talked with workers, business men
and politicians.
81 didn't realize fully what the
government was attempting to do
until / had several conferences with
Gen. Plutarcho Gales, secretary Of
the interior" continued Mr.. Davi-
son. "Then everything was made
plain to me. This official, the
most important member of Presi-
| dent Obregon's cabinet, assured me
that the governments primary in
terest was in the workers. 1t is
seeking to redeem them from CEN
turies of merciless exploitation.
Much along this line has been
done, but much more remains to
be accomplished
Would Help American Workers
Gen. Gales, it should be stated,
is not provincial on insuar in his
views He knows that the MeXi-
can people can not be lifted by
their own bOotstraps. They go up
or remain down as the workers of
other nations go up or 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
its supplies from the United
States. i expects to spend
hundreds of millions of dollars
here in the next few years. IT
intends to spend this money in
such manner that it shall help
/ and not iniure American work
ers. Therefore. it has adopted
as a settled government policy
| that it will have 10 dealings
with any American firm that
does not maintain decent work
ing conditions. 1t wants for
our producers the same cOndi-
tions that 4 is conceding to
its own producers.
I Contracts for Fair" Firms
Orders for agricultural nipple.
| I,,;
apparatus and various other man.
ufactured products have already
been placed with American con-
Germs recommended by officials of
the Machinists' Union, Mr. David
son said. Negotiations are pend
ing for additional large contracts
all of which are to be placed with
firms in the United States or Can
ada that are fair to organized la
Dor.
NATURALLY, this policy has arous-
ed the open shop crowd in this
country and they are making a
mighty howl about discrimination
/ A few months ago they sent theiI
petted hireling, Ole Hanson, into
Mexico, to see what could be done
about it, He made a number of
attempts to presuade the govern
! ment out of its program, but he
didn't get far with his work.
''Then they sent Mrs. H. L.
Gould, chairman of the womans
section of the United States Cham
Der of Commerce. She, too, failed
in her mission of converting influ-
ential MeXicans 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 materials and supplies, and
they assume the right to con-
duct their internal affairs in
their own way. They claim
the right to buy from whom
/ they please. on such terms as
are mutually satisfactory to
buyer and seller. If American
open shoppers and labor bait
ers don't like their methods,
they are, of course, free to sell
their goods elsewhere. They
won't distribute them in MeXi-
CO. that is certain.
Mr.. Dawson explained to Mexi-
can officials what the "open shop"
really means. He made short work
of the so-called american plan,
pointing out that it wasn't Ameri-
can at all, "but the reverse of it.
1t had for its object the Subiuga-
ton of workers, the denial of rights
that are granted as a matter of
course by practically all other ma
tions, and the setting up of an
industrial autocracy with all the
elements of feudalism."
Il think it is pretty generally
understood in Mexico that those
who represent the open shop in
America are the real enemies OF
Mexico" said Mr.. Dawson. They
are believed to be the same inter
ests that have financed revolutions
to the great injury of the people
the same crowd that is today clam.
oring for Intervention, not in the
interest of the Mexican people, but
in the interests of those who have
been exploiting them"
: Mr. Dawson points to action tax
en- by the American Plan or Oper
Shop Conference of Connecticut al
an indication of how the situation
, is to be met by American manufac
turers of the "open shop" variety
Intervention is all these peopl,
think about" he said. "They woul,
use the bayonets of American sol
diers to prevent Mexico from Civ
, mo effart ia po6cias that oil fai