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Show GREAT MEETING OF LABOR MEN Bristol, England, Jan 26, 6.10 P-m. P-m. The British labor conference adopted today by a vole of 1,847,000 against 206,000 a resolution entirely approving the action of the parliamentary parliamen-tary labor party in co-operating with other political parties in the national recruiting campaign. Bristol, England, Jan. 26. 1:30 p. m. The representatives of moro than two million members of trades unions met here today to decide the attitude of organized labor toward the war and in particular in compulsory military mili-tary service. Early In the proceedings an attack on the compulsory service bill now before the house of lords was made by the president of the conference, William Anderson, member of parliament parlia-ment for the Attercliffe dhision of Shefield. Mr. Anderson, who has opposed op-posed the bill In parliament, declared that It did not redeem the pledge of Premier Asquith regarding compulsion. compul-sion. Great Danger Ahead. "No form of words can offer immunity im-munity from danger," he said. "Wo cannot have forced military service without the risk of forced industrial service. Any attempt to use this weapon to coerce trade unionists will lead to great bitterness and end in failure." Mr. Anderson said thero was danger dan-ger in Great Britain "attempting the impossible" by seeking to be simultaneously simul-taneously a great naval, a great military mili-tary and a great industrial power." He said the world would be different differ-ent after the war, adding: "II will be a hard and a bitter world for labor unless labor takes . a hand In shaping it." The first resolution was moved by I James Sexton, on behalf of the Nation Na-tion Union of Dock Workers. The resolution expresses "the horror of the conference at the atrocities committed com-mitted by Germany and her allies," and pledges the conference to assist the government as far as possible to prosecute the war successfully. War Must Be Won. Mr. Sexton said he was opposed to militarism, but that the war must be won. "If Germany wjns," he continued, "nothing else on God's earth matters." mat-ters." Ramsay MacDonald, labor member of parliament, appealed for toleration. Pie deprecated such a controversial resolution which, he said, was calculated calcu-lated to Interfere with labor's previous prev-ious comradeship and unity in fighting fight-ing a common enemy. Mr. Sexton's motion was adopted by a card vote of 1,502,000 against 602.000. The session of the labor conference will laBt three days. Tension among the delegates who represent upwards of two million workers, was evident from the moment mo-ment W. H. Ayles, a local labor leader, lead-er, in welcoming the congress, remarked re-marked that the members of the party in Bristol neither had the time nor the inclination to engage in recruiting. recruit-ing. Mingled applause and dissent greeted greet-ed the remark and the situation was further heated by John Hodge, member mem-ber of parliament for the Gorton dl-jsion dl-jsion of Lancashire, who protested against this introduction of a debatable debat-able subject in the official welcome. The presidential address of Mr. Anderson did little to allay the suspicions suspi-cions of those delegates who have been making a tight against compulsion. compul-sion. "Militarism and democracy cannot live together In Germany or anywhere," any-where," was one of the presiding officer's offi-cer's opening sentences and was much applauded. Mr. Anderson proceeded to remark: "There are signs of a great reaction reac-tion in this country. Mr. Lloyd-George, Lloyd-George, who apparently would like to see the rules of the army applied to the workshops, made a not very successful suc-cessful attempt by means of the munitions muni-tions act." oo |
