Enforced peace; . r sees the results ofyears of struggle for wider justice swept away. In onemad moment the clock of industrial progress may beturned back for a generation. War diverts the mindof peoples from the constructive work of humanizingand democratizing the relations of men. Recognizingthis, workingmen the world over have avowed their,allegiance to the cause of peace and have sworn un-dying^opposition to the forces that make for war. Before the present war, the working people of theseveral countries now in conflict sincerely gave inter-national pledges that they would not fight each ot
Enforced peace; . r sees the results ofyears of struggle for wider justice swept away. In onemad moment the clock of industrial progress may beturned back for a generation. War diverts the mindof peoples from the constructive work of humanizingand democratizing the relations of men. Recognizingthis, workingmen the world over have avowed their,allegiance to the cause of peace and have sworn un-dying^opposition to the forces that make for war. Before the present war, the working people of theseveral countries now in conflict sincerely gave inter-national pledges that they would not fight each confess that I banked strongly upon these pledges,but in an hour of crisis, brought about by forces overwhich workingmen had Uttle control, their pledgeswere shattered by the hurried ultimatum of Kaiserand King, of President and Czar. Secret diplomacyand arbitrary autocracy hfted the battle standards,raised the cry that the integrity of the fatherland wasat stake, and placed the workingmen of all the nations. Copyright, 1902, /. £. Purdy, Boston No. SAMUEL GOMPERSPresident, American Federation of Labor ENFORCED PEACE 105 in a position where adherence to their pledges and tothe larger interests of humanity would have brandedthem as traitors. Under the urgency of the situation,with autocracy and miUtarism resorting to their accus-tomed stage tricks for arousing patriotic emotions,instinct prevailed over reason and the laboring menof the nations rushed into the paths that had beenmarked out by the diplomatic and ruhng classes. But when the smoke of this conflict is cleared, withrenewed energy, the laboring men of the world wiUbegin to lay anew the foundations for an internationalpeace that will safeguard and minister to the interestsof justice, democracy, and larger opportunity for all. But for even a more immediate reason, Americasworkers are vitaUy interested in the kind of settle-ment that shall come at the. end of this war and inits effect upon industrial conditions in
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectpeace, bookyear1916
