Show LABOR HAS JUST JUSTI HAD GREAT I YEAR SAYS MANLY Toilers Are About to Become Become Become Ber BeI Be- Be I r come Striking Force in Eig g Affairs By BASIL M. M MANLY Noted News-Economist News on Staff of tho Salt Lake Daily Dally Telegram By Tb The Telegrams Telegram Special News Mors Sen BALTIMORE Md Dec 2 The The Baltimore convention of the American Federation of ot Labor is the culmination of the most imp important and successful year in the history of American labor Here are some of the big events of k the year in which the decision has been in labors labor's favor War with with Mexico Mexico averted averted President i Wilson has acknowledged the potency of organized labor in preventing in intervention intervention intervention in- in and acting as the terme- terme diary through which the governments of Mexico and the United States were brought to attempt a 0 peaceful solution solutionS S of the border difficulties after war seemed inevitable The creation of the present Mexican commission was largely large large- ly the result of operation co-operation of the theJa I Ja labor or groups of Mexico an and the United States Labors Labor's choice for president elected There is room for debate as to the part which organized labor actually played in the election of Wilson but there is no question of the unanimity of ot labor sentiment in favor of Wilson He is labors president at least Inthe in inthe inthe the sense that he Is the first presidential president t rial candidate on whom organized labor united i Labors Labor's power demonstrated to con con- gress Hitherto Hitherto labors labor's voice had bad bene bens scarcely heard in Washington but the situation out of which came the Adamson Adamson Adamson Adam- Adam son law made congress realize the po potential potential potential po- po power of American labor to toan toan toan an extent that will not soon be forgot forgot- ten I These three situations marked crises in the history of the American people I The decision in was in favor of l labor bor whether or not It was accomplished pUshed by labors labor's power i We come now to the convention of the American Federation of Labor which has taken steps and initiated a policies of the most far reaching ef et- et Ce ts First In Importance stands the forI formation formation for for- I mation matlon of a working agreement between the federation and the railroad brotherhoods brotherhoods brotherhoods broth broth- and the promise of Supplementing this this' movement movement movement move move- ment tow toward rd solidarity is the affiliation affiliation tion of t the e bricklayers' bricklayers union the last of the great internationals that had previously to come into the fold Second may be ranked ranted the adoption by the federation of- of of-a of a defiant and aggressive aggressive ag ag- ag- ag attitude nit only toward the courts In relation to the issuance of injunctions in injunctions In- In junctions but toward all attempts on the tho part of the government to the right to by bythe the passage of ot compulsory compulsory com com- arbitration or investigation acts The great movement toward internationalism internationalism inter- inter nationalism manifested in the st steps ps taken toward the formation of a Pan- Pan Am American rican Federation of Labor and in inthe inthe inthe the adoption of a new attitude toward the Japanese is yet new to be definitely definitely definitely appraised but there re can be no question of Its enormous potentialities for the progress ess of humanity For the first time also so the federation federation federa federa- tion adopted a cle clear r cut statement of Its toward militarism and provided for the formulation during the tha year of a definite policy on the questions questions questions ques ques- of national defense Equally significant was the entrance of the federation into the field of commercial commercial commercial com com- mercial national nation t policy polley through the endorsement of ot an emb embargo on foodstuffs foodstuffs foodstuffs food food- stuffs and the demand for a a. thorough investigation of the entire question of high prices In the p Past st the American Federation of Labor has been concerned almost entirely with strictly trade union questions questions ques ques- but this t this is year yea by venturing into the field Held of national and international policies it has taken a position where Its influence will inevitably have a di direct direct direct di- di effect on American life and I history ry I |