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Show liOMPERS FOR PREPAREDNESS Advocates Adequate Defense But Advises Safeguards Against Evils of Militarism. WOULD RESIST TYRANNY All the People Should Be Represented Rep-resented in Forming Military Mili-tary Policies of United States. Washington, Jan. IS. Samuel Gom-pers, Gom-pers, presidont of American Federation Federa-tion of Labor, today told the National Civic Federation in a speech often Interrupted by applause that organized organiz-ed labor throughout tho United States favored adequate national preparedness prepared-ness under certain conditions which he summarized as including' "Recognition of and co-operation with the organized labor movement In all fields of activity, industrial, commercial, com-mercial, political, social, moral. rjaiuuiibiimuiiL iiliu UAlUIlblun Ol IUC citizen soldiery, democratically organized, organ-ized, officered, administered and controlled. con-trolled. Prohibition of the use of the militia for strike duty. The session adopted a resolution, introduced by Dr. Talcott Williams of New York, providing for the appointment appoint-ment of a committee by President Low of the federation to report on the best plan for preparedness. Washington, Jan. 18. Adequate preparedness for national defense was advocated here today by Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, In a speech before be-fore a session of the annual convention conven-tion of the National Civic Federation,! devoted to that subject. While he insisted that military organizations must be democratic and the nation must be safeguarded against the evils of militarism, Mr. Gompers declared de-clared that America's own freedom had been achieved by resistance to tyranny and that pacifists failed to understand that quality of the human race which made men willing to risk their all for an ideal. "Men worthy of the name," he said, "will fight even for a 'scrap of paper,' when that paper represents ideals of human justice and freedom. There Is little progress made in tho affairs of the world In which resistance of others is not Involved. The progress of all the ages has come as the result of protests against wrongs nnd existing conditions and through assertions of right and effective demands de-mands for justice. Freedom Achieved by Resistance. "Our own freedom and ropublicau form of government have been achieved by resistance to tyranny and insistence upon rights. Freedom and democracy dare not bo synonimous with weakness. National preparedness pre-paredness involves power to co-ordinate and power to utilize natural powers pow-ers and resources. War, as It is waged today, is not determined merely mere-ly by the men on the battlefield, but also by the mobilization of the national na-tional resources, national industries and commerce. Tho real problem is the organization of the material forces for-ces and resources of the country and tho co-ordination of these in the fur therance of a definite defensive military mili-tary policy." Labor Should Be Represented. "Whatever plan may be adopted," said Mr. Gompers, explaining the attitude at-titude of labor, "the organized labor movement of America demands that cortain fundamental principles must be regarded. All policies and plans for national defense must be determined deter-mined by representatives of all the people. The organized labor movement move-ment asserts Its right to representation representa-tion in all committees, commission or representative bodies that decide upon military defense. "The labor movement demands democracy de-mocracy in all things, including military mili-tary organizations and institutions of the country. Not only must entrance to all institutions be freely and equally equal-ly accorded to all, but the military must be democratically organized, democratically officered and under the control of heads who are responsible respon-sible to the citizens of the land. Would Enforce Justice. "Tho labor movement has never advocated ad-vocated the abolition of agencies for the enforcement of right and Justice, or for the abolition of the military arm of the government, but it does demand that these shall be so organized organ-ized as to prevent their misuse and abuse aB a means of tyranny against the workers and to prevent the development de-velopment of pernicious results that have grown out of militarism, the building of a separate military caste I and the subversion of civic lifo to military government and military standards." |