A LABOUR VIEW OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3028, 15 March 1917, Page 6

A LABOUR VIEW OF THE WAR

FUTUBE RELATIONS WITH GEEMAN SOCIALISTS. Mr. AV. A. Appleton, secretary of tli® General Federation of Trade Unions, lias been explaining the British workman's view of the war to Mr. Joseph W. Grigg, special staff correspondent of tho "New York World." "The British workman—and workmen; constitute So per cent.. of the British Kghtinj; forces—entered the war to defend Belgium. The complete restoration of Belgium is, above all else, thof principal thing for which he is otilE fighting," said Mr. Appleton. "No exaggeration is possible when speaking 0? tho brutality with which Germany lias treated Belgium. Homes have " beeu broken up, and to tho mental agony which every Belgian suffers when compelled to work tor tho profit and advancement of his enemy is now added this further breaking up of home ties and the uncertainty of tho women as to the destination of ilioir men, and on tho part of the men as to the sufferings and fate of their women."

Mr. Appleton then emphasised most emphatically the conditions on which German workers could expect, after the war,- to have British workers associate with them in the international labour movement. He added:—"l have studied the innate sense of justice and right which characterises even the roughest of tho workers of Great Britain, and I am satisfied that neither now nor in tha future will they tolerate association with the German working class movement unless the German working class movement' immediately and forcibly repudiates the 1 , dastardly acts of the German Government. 'A people cannot wholly rid. itself of responsibility for tho crimes of its Government. Even in a country liko Germany, where, liberal institutions arr> in their infancy, public opinion could powerfully interpose if it chose to do so. And unless the Social Democratic Party take a definite and effective stand I cannot understand the possibility of workers in civilised communities associating again with German workmen that is. in. niy lifetime." He subsequently explained" that British Labour leaders would nob adopt this attitude towards Germany's allies, who, they thought, could not help, themselves. •„ At the conclusion of the interview Mr. •Vppleton explained the action of organised labour in rejecting the American Federation of Labour's proposal for a. labour peace conference concurrently with the peace negotiations. The British workpeople were now settinir asido even-thing to win the war Ho concluded —"Tho war now resembles a fight. I saw 011 the East side a few days ago. The crowd was Telling for a little man to let his big opponent get up from the »ronnd whore the small man had him "inned-. The small fellow shouted bacV. 'No it tnok too long to set him there.I hope the American people will see this war in the same light. The British ivorkneople are committed to a task which tliev expect to earn through.