The Washington times., 1922-07-09
LABOR UPH0LDS
INDIA : DESIRE
TOW|NL|bERTY
Resolutions Indorsing Peace
full Revolt Adopted Over
British Opposition.
BY TARAKNATH .DAS.
international secretary, FrIends Of Free
dom for India

lnternutlOnal secretary, tFiehus VI EEco-
dom for India
The American Federation Of La
Dor in It's recent convention, held
in Cincinnati, indorsed the cause u
freedom Vi the people Of India by
unanimously adopLInS resolutions
after Two speCIaI hearings on India
before the executive committee OF
the federal ton, presided over by Sam
uel Gompers. The British and Ca
madam fraternal delgaLes partici.
paledSin the discussion and express.
ed their attitude toward the cause
OF Indian freedom, while the writer,
as international secretary OF Friends
OF Freedom for India, presented the
cause of India against British tyr
amy and brutality.
The British labor leaders and the
representatives Of the British Trade
Union Congress acknowledged that,
today in India. more than 10000 po.
litical prisoners are in Jails and
treated most brutally. They also
acknowledged that British military
expenditure in India Is mounting
every year. and the people are be-
ing reduced to abject poverty. They
expressed their regret that in spite
Of protests Of the British labor. there
are laws in India according to which
the people Of India are denied right
of trial by jury, denied the freedom
of press and peaceful assembly and.
at times. the British government has
used machine guns and bombs upon
the unarmed people merely for pro-
testing against such laws.
They agreed that the British opium
policy in India Is not only a menae.
TO the health and well-being of the
people of India, but a menace to the
people OF the world. They did not
question that the policy of the British
government has been to keep the
people in ignorance. They freely
denounced the British government
because OF its attitude in favor of
India princes. Indian landlords. and
British planters and capitalists
against the India peasants and Ia
BORIS. But the British labor lead
ers refused to indorse any resolu
ton which would directly mean sep.
aration of India from the BritiS,
empire. They frankly admitted the
British labor does not want to do
anything that would hurt the Brit.
ish empire.
British Labor Against Gandhi.
British labor leaders opposed the
idea OF expressing any Endorsement
OF Gandhi or the noncooperation
movement because 1t meant indorse.
ment OF the boycott Of British gov
ernment and British goods. which
meant increase Of unemployment in
Britain. They also opposed the idea
of Gandhi starting arbitration courts
in India, bOyCotting British courts.
and denounced the idea OF maSS-ClVil
disobediences or nonpayment OF
taxes. They declared that anv per.
son indorsing Indias aspiration to
gain freedom by Gandhis method
would be repudiated by the British
people and particularly by British
labor.
President Gompers. of the fedora
ton, and the executive council did
not want to do anything which
would hurt the stand OF the organ.
lied labor OF Britain. but refused TO
change their attitude toward the
cause of the freedom OF the peopls
OF India. James Duncan. the first
vice president Of the federation. en-
phatically upheld the right Of every
people to decide their destiny and.
at the suggestion of President Com.
pers. the resolutions were adopted.
This means a good deal to the peo-
pie OF India. 1t means that three
millions of organized workers oil
America for the first time in it's his.
tory unanimously supported the
cause OF freedom of the people Of
India. one-fifth Of the population Of
the world.
! Today, all India is indebted to the
American Federation Of Labor, for
upholding American traditions of
human liberty in the face OF active
British propaganda.