The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-07-07
MEXICAN F. OF l.
GREETS A. F. OF L

Bringing greetings from Mexican
workers, Canuto A. Vargas, frater.
nal delegate from the Mexican Fed.
ertion of Labor, addressed the A. +
of L. convention here, explaining
conditions in Mexico and pleading fol
closer unity between the two labor
movements.
st will ever be to the credit OF
| the organized workers of Mexico, re-
CARELESS of the opinions of our enem-
les" said Mr.. Vargas, that soon
after the heat and passion of the
revolutionary period were over and
labor laws were incorporated in the
constitution they sat down to the
orderly business of building up their
organization to see to it that those
laws were inforced. Today those
laws are far from being enforced
and the reason is that the constitu-
ton itself provides that the congress
shall enact appropriate legislation in
tended to procure the enforcement
of these labor laws.
Congress up to this time has done
no such thing, and it is for that rea-
son that the organized workers are
going to take part in the political
elections this year. They are not
going to take part as party or as
group. they are following exactly
the same non-partisan lines the or
ganized workers of the United States
will follow next November. We
have in the Republic of Mexico sew
eral parties, among them the Lib
eral party, whish should change its
name, because it is not liberal par
ty. On the other hand we have four
or five different parties that have
sprung up in the last five years. Po-
litical lines are not very well de-
fined as yet in Mexico, and these
four or five political organizations
that have been organized during the
last five years are going to JOIN IN
the fight against the Liberal party
and send men to congress who will
protect the people. They are going
to send to congress men who will see
to it that legislation enacted to pro-
tect the people will be observed.
They are going to throw their full
force for men they are reasonably
sure will do that.
"This country will be bound to-
hear the usual stories told about
Mexico when things happen there
that do not suit the financial and
industrial interests; but / say to you
about the political action the workers
are going to take, sothat you may
be on your guard in this country and
not be surprised when they tell you
the organized workers of Mexico
have organized a party, that it is
not true. They are not organized
by themselves. but they are organic
ing their forces in order to elect
men regardless of the party they be-
long to, who will at least make it
sure that the constitution is not
evaded by the industrial lords and
the financial interests.
"In Mexico the organized labor
movement is a baby compared with
the American Federation of Labor.
The Mexican movement is only a lit
tie over four years old. We may
differ somewhat in method. You
can see very well why such diff
ference exists, but as time goes on
we may be able to benefit by your
experience and benefit by our own
mistakes also. 1t can hardly be ex-
pected that an organization scarcely
five years old will not make mis-
takes. We have tried to learn from
your experiences and also from your
mistakes. This is the reason why
the Mexican Federation of Labor is
anxious to establish the closest rela
lions with the American Federation
of Labor.
"The Mexican Federation had not
been organized year when the eX-
ecutive council of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor extended to them an
invitation to send representatives tol
an international conference for the
purposes of establishing closer re-
lations between the two movements.
You are all acquainted with the fact
that in November 1918 there met in
Laredo, Texas. the representatives of
the American Federation of Labor
and the representatives of the Mex
lean Federation of Labor. The pur-
pose of that Federation was to es-
tablish a means of communication
between the two movements, and
thus it came about that the Pan
American Federation of Labor came
into existence.
"The Pan-American Federation of
Labor was intended by its founders
to include all the labor movements
of the American continent. In the
past four years we can truthfully say
that, taking into account all the OBJ
stacles we have had to meet, among
which not the least is the difference
of language, the Pan-American Fed
Grafton of Labor has progressed as
much as it could be expected to
progress.
eve should not, | think, let such
a thing as a difference in our Ian
guage, a difference in our customs,
a difference in our race origin I'M
pede the work of amalgamating as
closely as possible the labor move
ments of all the twenty-one Ameri-
can republics. l have been very
happy to note that in this respect
We have met with the heartiest CO.
operation from the members of your
executive council as We have met
with the same cooperation from the
officers and executive councils OF
some of the other labor movements.
"The Mexican workers in their
fight for industrial freedom went IN
to a national organization nearly fife
years ago and they are going to stay |
in this struggle that means we are
aiming to make this world what God
intended it to be and not what the
financial interests and industrial
lords want it to be-
John Henry was about as careful
of a quarter as man could be. He
married a widow worth $4,000.
Shortly after the ceremony an old