The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1921-06-15
HARDING URGED
TO LEAD WORLD
IN DISARMAMENT
American Federation of Labor
Passes Resolution in Denver
Convention /,
AGAINST NAVAL RACE
Irish Sympathizers> In Conven.
tion Renew Effort for H..
Endorsement
AGAINST NAVAL RACE

Ing and congress are urged to lea
the way In bringing about world dis
armament In resolution presented
today to the 41st annual convention
of the American Federation of Labor
They are requested to call confer
ence Of powers of the world "witl
the hope and in the belief that through
such conference the billions now be
ing expended In naval armament ma)
be saved to the taxpayers of the sew
eral countries.
''The whole world coutemplates with
horror" said the resolution, the pos
.sibility of a race for power between
the United States, Great Britain and
Japan similar to that between Great
Britain and Germany, which preceded
the Great War" AZ. u
Irish sympathizers today replied t0
the warning sounded yesterday by J.
H. Thomas, British labor leader, that
organized labor of America could not
solve the Irish question by introduce
ing resolutions supporting the Irish
republic.
Gompt~s on War
Organized labor Of Germany could
have prevented the World War, Presi.
dent Samuel Gompcrs declared in an
address: j.. 49,.
II hold that the organized labor
movement of Germany failed at the
critical hour" said the veteran labor
leader In responding to addresses OF
the fraternal delegates from Great Bri'
tain and Canada. E.
1T is true he continued, that II
the labor movement Of that country
had taken the situation In hand 1t
might have meant the destruction Of
few thousand; it might have caused
the Incarceration of many thousand.
but II that had occurred it would have
stopped the war.
''The failure Of men to act when
the time has arrived, when action IL
essential, 10 faithlessness to the com.
mon cause. have nothing In my
heart that can be intimated or sug-
gested Of feelings of antipathy toward
the German people, toward the Ger
man labor movement, toward their at
tempt to conduct q great Republican
form of government. 1t cannot be
driven out of the minds of peoples
who have lost young men Of their
flesh and blood, fallen In defense Of
this great common. cause, to main
tain some degree Of self-determina'
tion In q Democratic form OF govern.
ment r~
"You know that the American labor
movement has made its great contri-
button to the great cause. And as
one. you know also that have tried
to do my full duty In the critical
circumstances in which we are all
placed. That at the peace table Wis
dom did not prevail. think that
most men who have given the subject
thought, quite agree. But It Is always
hindsight that is so superior to fore
sight, and in the frame Of mind in
which the people were 1t Is not diff
cult to understand that they wanted
Ia penalize Germany In some way.
I'VE know that the representatives
of democracy make mistakes and that
Is the penalty we pay for having
democracies-ibut we have the right
to make q mistake rather than to
yield to the dictation Of some en-
peror, kaiser or king. II we want
democracy we must take the penalties
for the mistakes democracies are sub
ject to-"
'Mr. Gompers said that he assumed
frll responsibility for his remarks
regarding the German labor move
ment and that mo one has been con-
suited about them either as being In
my mind or as my expression"