the armies of labor-第13部分

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ormal　statement　the　Alliance　declared：　〃It　is　our　purpose　to　try；　by　educational　methods；　to　bring　about　a　more　American　spirit　in　the　labor　movement；　so　that　what　is　now　the　clear　expression　of　the　vast　majority　may　become　the　conviction　of　all。　Where　we　find　ignorance；　we　shall　educate。　Where　we　find　something　worse；　we　shall　have　to　deal　as　the　situation　demands。　But　we　are　going　to　leave　no　stone　unturned　to　put　a　stop　to　anti…American　activities　among　workers。〃　And　in　this　patriotic　effort　the　Alliance　was　successful。

This　was　the　first　great　step　taken　by　Gompers　and　the　Federation。　The　second　was　equally　important。　With　characteristic　energy　the　organization　put　forward　a　programme　for　the　readjustment　of　labor　to　war　conditions。　〃This　is　labor's　war〃　declared　the　manifesto　issued　by　the　Federation。　〃It　must　be　won　by　labor；　and　every　stage　in　the　fighting　and　the　final　victory　must　be　made　to　count　for　humanity。〃　These　aims　were　embodied　in　constructive　suggestions　adopted　by　the　Council　of　National　Defense　appointed　by　President　Wilson。　This　programme　was　in　a　large　measure　the　work　of　Gompers；　who　was　a　member　of　the　Council。　The　following　outline　shows　the　comprehensive　nature　of　the　view　which　the　laborer　took　of　the　relation　between　task　and　the　War。　The　plan　embraced

1。　Means　for　furnishing　an　adequate　supply　of　labor　to　war　industries。

This　included：　（a）　A　system　of　labor　exchanges。　（b）　The　training　of　workers。　（c）　Agencies　for　determining　priorities　in　labor　demands。　（d）　Agencies　for　the　dilution　of　skilled　labor。

2。　Machinery　for　adjusting　disputes　between　capital　and　labor；　without　stoppage　of　work。

3。　Machinery　for　safeguarding　conditions　of　labor；　including　industrial　hygiene；　safety　appliances；　etc。

4。　Machinery　for　safeguarding　conditions　of　living；　including　housing；　etc。

5。　Machinery　for　gathering　data　necessary　for　effective　executive　action。

6。　Machinery　for　developing　sound　public　sentiment　and　an　exchange　of　information　between　the　various　departments　of　labor　administration；　the　numerous　industrial　plants；　and　the　public；　so　as　to　facilitate　the　carrying　out　of　a　national　labor　programme。

Having　thus　first　laid　the　foundations　of　a　national　labor　policy　and　having；　in　the　second　place；　developed　an　effective　means　of　Americanizing；　as　far　as　possible；　the　various　labor　groups；　the　Federation　took　another　step。　As　a　third　essential　element　in　uniting　labor　to　help　to　win　the　war；　it　turned　its　attention　to　the　inter…allied　solidarity　of　workingmen。　In　the　late　summer　and　autumn　of　1917；　Gompers　headed　an　American　labor　mission　to　Europe　and　visited　England；　Belgium；　France；　and　Italy。　His　frequent　public　utterances　in　numerous　cities　received　particular　attention　in　the　leading　European　newspapers　and　were　eagerly　read　in　the　allied　countries。　The　pacifist　group　of　the　British　Labour　Party　did　not　relish　his　outspokenness　on　the　necessity　of　completely　defeating　the　Teutons　before　peace　overtures　could　be　made。　On　the　other　hand；　some　of　the　ultraconservative　papers　misconstrued　his　sentiments　on　the　terms　which　should　be　exacted　from　the　enemy　when　victory　was　assured。　This　misunderstanding　led　to　an　acrid　international　newspaper　controversy；　to　which　Gompers　finally　replied：　〃I　uttered　no　sentence　or　word　which　by　the　wildest　imagination　could　be　interpreted　as　advocating　the　formula　'no　annexations；　and　no　indemnities。'　On　the　contrary；　I　have　declared；　both　in　the　United　States　and　in　conferences　and　public　meetings　while　abroad；　that　the　German　forces　must　be　driven　back　from　the　invaded　territory　before　even　peace　terms　could　be　discussed；　that　Alsace…Lorraine　should　be　returned　to　France；　that　the　'Irredente'　should　be　returned　to　Italy；　and　that　the　imperialistic　militarist　machine　which　has　so　outraged　the　conscience　of　the　world　must　be　made　to　feel　the　indignation　and　righteous　wrath　of　all　liberty　and　peace　loving　peoples。〃　This　mission　had　a　deep　effect　in　uniting　the　labor　populations　of　the　allied　countries　and　especially　in　cheering　the　over…wrought　workers　of　Britain　and　France；　and　it　succeeded　in　laying　the　foundation　for　a　more　lasting　international　labor　solidarity。

This　considerable　achievement　was　recognized　when　the　Peace　Conference　at　Paris　formed　a　Commission　on　International　Labor　Legislation。　Gompers　was　selected　as　one　of　the　American　representatives　and　was　chosen　chairman。　While　the　Commission　was　busy　with　its　tasks；　an　international　labor　conference　was　held　at　Berne。　Gompers　and　his　colleagues；　however；　refused　to　attend　this　conference。　They　gave　as　their　reasons　for　this　aloofness　the　facts　that　delegates　from　the　Central　powers；　with　whom　the　United　States　was　still　at　war；　were　in　attendance；　that　the　meeting　was　held　〃for　the　purpose　of　arranging　socialist　procedure　of　an　international　character〃；　and　that　the　convention　was　irregularly　called；　for　it　had　been　announced　as　an　interallied　conference　but　had　been　surreptitiously　converted　into　an　international　pacifist　gathering；　conniving　with　German　and　Austrian　socialists。

Probably　the　most　far…reaching　achievement　of　Gompers　is　the　by　no　means　inconsiderable　contribution　he　has　made　to　that　portion　of　the　treaty　of　peace　with　Germany　relating　to　the　international　organization　of　labor。　This　is　an　entirely　new　departure　in　the　history　of　labor；　for　it　attempts　to　provide　international　machinery　for　stabilizing　conditions　of　labor　in　the　various　signatory　countries。　On　the　ground　that　〃the　well…being；　physical　and　moral；　of　the　industrial　wage…earners　is　of　supreme　international　importance；〃　the　treaty　lays　down　guiding　principles　to　be　followed　by　the　various　countries；　subject　to　such　changes　as　variations　in　climate；　customs；　and　economic　conditions　dictate。　These　principles　are　as　follows：　labor　shall　not　be　regarded　merely　as　a　commodity　or　an　article　of　commerce；　employers　and　employees　shall　have　the　right　of　forming　associations；　a　wage　adequate　to　maintain　a　reasonable　standard　of　living　shall　be　paid；　an　eight…hour　day　shall　be　adopted；　a　weekly　day　of　rest　shall　be　allowed；　child　labor　shall　be　abolished　and　provision　shall　be　made　for　the　education　of　youth；　men　and　women　shall　receive　equal　pay　for　equal　work；　equitable　treatment　shall　be　accorded　to　all　workers；　including　aliens　resident　in　foreign　lands；　and　an　adequate　system　of　inspection　shall　be　provided　in　which　women　should　take　part。

While　these　international　adjustments　were　taking　place；　the　American　Federation　began　to　anticipate　the　problems　of　the　inevitable　national　labor　readjustment　after　the　war。　Through　a　committee　appointed　for　that　purpose；　it　prepared　an　ample　programme　of　reconstruction　in　which　the　basic　features　are　the　greater　participation　of　labor　in　shaping　its　environment；　both　in　the　factory　and　in　the　community；　the　development　of　cooperative　enterprise；　public　ownership　or　regulation　of　public　utilities；　strict　supervision　of　corporations；　restriction　of　immigration；　and　the　development　of　public　education。　The　programme　ends　by　declaring　that　〃the　trade　union　movement　is　unalterably　and　emphatically　opposed。。。to　a　large　standing　army。〃

During　the　entire　period　of　the　war；　both　at　home　and　abroad；　Gompers　fought　the　pacifist　and　the　socialist　elements　in　the　labor　movement。　At　the　same　time　he　was　ever　vigilant　in　pushing　forward　the　claims　of　trade　unionism　and　was　always　beforehand　in　constructive　suggestions。　His　life　has　spanned　the　period　of　great　industrial　expansion　in　America。　He　has　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　his　Federation　grow　under　his　leadership　at　first　into　a　national　and　then　into　an　international　force。　Gompers　is　an　orthodox　trade　unionist　of　the　British　School。　Bolshevism　is　to　him　a　synonym　for　social　ruin。　He　believes　that　capital　and　labor　should　cooperate　but　that　capital　should　cease　to　be　the　predominant　factor　in　the　equation。　In　order　to　secure　this　balance　he　believes　labor　must　unite　and　fight；　and　to　this　end　he　has　devoted　himself　to　the　federation　of　American　trade　unions　and　to　their　battle。　He　has　steadfastly　refused　political　preferment　and　has　declined　many　alluring　offers　to　enter　private　business。　In　action　he　is　an　opportunista　shrewd；　calculating　captain；　whose　knowledge　of　human　frailties　stands　him　in　good　stead；　and　whose　personal　acquaintance　with　hundreds　of　leaders　of　labor；　of　finance；　and　of　politics；　all　over　the　country；　has　given　him　an　unusual　opportunity　to　use　his　influence　for　the　advancement　of　the　cause　of　labor　in　the　turbulent　field　of　economic　warfare。

The　American　Federation　of　Labor　has　been　forced　by　the　increasing　complexity　of　modern　industrial　life　to　recede　somewhat　from　its　early　trade　union　isolation。　This　broadening　point　of　view　is　shown　first　in　the　recognition　of　the　man　of　no　trade；　the　unskilled　worker。　For　years　the　skilled　trades　monopolized　the　Federation　and　would　not　condescend　to　interest　themselves　in　their　humble　brethren。　The　whole　mechanism　of　the　Federation　in　the　earlier　period　revolved　around　the　organization　of　the　skilled　laborers。　In　England　the　great　dockers'　strike　of　1889　and　in　America　the　lurid　flare　of　the　I。W。W。　activities　forced　the　labor　aristocrat　to　abandon　his　pharisaic　attitude　and　to　take　an　interest　in　the　welfare　of　the　unskilled。　The　future　will　test　the　stability　of　the　Federation；　for　it　is　among　the　unskilled　that　radical　and　revolutionary　movements　find　their　first　recruits。

A　further　change　in　the　internal　policy　of　the　Federation　is　indicated　by　the　present　tendency　towards　amalgamating　the　various　allied　trades　into　one　union。　For　instance；　the　United　Brotherhood　of　Carpenters　and　the　Amalgamated　Wood　Workers'　Association；　composed　largely　of　furniture　makers　and　machine　wood　workers；　combined　a　few　years　ago　and　then　proceeded　to　absorb　the　Wooden　Box　Makers；　and　the　Wood　Workers　in　the　shipbuilding　industry。　The　general　secretary　of　the　new　amalgamation　said　that　the　organization　looked　〃forward　with　pleasurable　anticipations　to　the　day　when　it　can　truly　be　said　that　all　men　of　the　wood…working　craft　on　this　continent　hold　allegiance　to　the　United　Brotherhood　of　Carpenters　and　Joiners　of　America。〃　A　similar　unification　has　taken　place　in　the　lumbering　industry。　When　th