Salt Lake Telegram | 1916-06-11 | Page 25 | Preparedness from Standpoint of Organized Labor; Duty to Democracy to Keep up Free Institutions

Pr Preparedness From Standpoint of Organized Labor I Duty to Democracy to to Keep Up Free Institutions Institution By GILSON G GARDNER WASHINGTON D. D C. C June 10 The The reason why Samuel s Gompers voicing tiro stand of organized labor favors a modification of the Swiss tem tern in any plan for military preparedness has been set forth in an official document printed by order of the senate committee on military affairs for the use of congress and distribution under government frank E This document conta contains ns' ns a a letter and a speech delivered by Gompers These represent the views of organized labor on what congress should do in the way of army increase I The president of the American Federation of Labor states frankly the necessity for getting ready for tor war but is strong for the democratic army He fears militarism if the old I fashioned regular army systems are followed Our own freedom says Gompers and a republican forth form of g government have haye been achieved by resistance to tot tyranny and insistence upon rights Rights carry with t them obligation obligation duty It is the duty of those who live Jive under free institutions institutiOn at least to maintain them I Samuel Gompers paired Dangers of militarism are due to the lack of d democracy in preparedness prepared ness says Gompers A great danger comes from Isolating the military and from making military ideals separate from and often in conflict with those of the mass of the people The military should not exist as something apart but should exist for forthe forthe forthe the service of the whole nation The basis and prerequisite for or all military preparedness and national defense is citizenship physically and well a strong developed and fit TH S THIS ESSENTIAL CAN BEST BE SECURED BY MAKING 1 PHYSICAL TRAINING A PART OF THE WORK TO BE BEDONE DONE IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS Whenever the SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY IS ABSENT ABSEN there the tile ac- ac companying evil of in militarism military caste fastens deadly clutch clutches s upon upon freedom and civic opportunity And where the spirit of demo dem u 1 racy obtains it tends to the tile abolition of military caste and the inhere vicious dangers of militarism J J The position of organized labor is well set out In a statement ma mad many years ago which still stands the test of or experience This is as follows A man who is a wage earner and honorably working at 1 hi h trade or calling to support himself and those dependent upon him hint has n no only the right to become a citizen soldier but that right must be J i While organized labor stands against the tho of or Internal disputes by force of arms yet we must realize we have not y ye reached the millennium that the age in which we live Jive we have not the choie between armed force and absolute disarmament but bot the alternative of I large s standing anding army and a small mall one supplemented by a volunteer citizen s so The 1915 San Francisco convention of the American Feder Federation tion of at Labs Lab all reaffirmed this position by refusing to adopt resolutions which called workers to desist from affiliating with any branch of the military force forces up additionally The principal as follows things for which organized labor stands may be 1 Jj Establishment and extension of the citizen soldiery democratically o or officered administered and controlled Prohibition of the use of ot the militia for strike I duty dUtil J manual Education of wage earners upon an eq equality with all other citizens ns i training physical and mental development in organizing officering administering defense of our and country leading in the operations of a military character for forthe tt fl education and vocational training as part of system of the the the educations education states with financial aid of or the federal Education of the young physical and government SH mental including the and art an the duty of defense the ability to bear inculcation of the tIle democracy civic rights and duties and obligations I J Inculcate In all our people a social conscience for Justice n a better concept of