Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY. APRIL 6, 1918.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14572, 6 April 1918, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE , SATURDAY. APRIL 6, 1918.

A WORKING MAN'S WAR. It is satisfactory to learn to-day that a compromise has been reached in re r , gard to the coal miners' .dispute on the West Coast, and that tliere is prospect of work being resumed! liext week at the mines which have been idle. It it not creditable to New Zealand that there should! be cessation of work in any industry at the present moment when the nation is at death grips with the enemy, audi every ounce of energy is required 1 from the civil population as well as from om* military forces to secure victory. Ono of the finest things connected with America's entry into the Avar is Labor's endorsement of war aims as stated by President Wilson, and 1 its recognition that the war against

Prussian ism is a working, man's war. Free labor tlu'oughqut the world oan find no truer or more- eloquent spokesman than Samuel Gompers. Nor can there be found; a saner, wiser, or more inspiring statement of Labor's peace terms than those defined by Mr. (jumpers. When we read, as we did yesterday, that Labor members in the Australian Parliament opposed a resolution approving of the prosecution of hostilities, and actually declared that an unjust peace would be preferable to a. most righteous Avar, it seems necessary that such wretched! disloyalty should be countered by plain statements from Labor leaders in 'other countries who have a keener insight into the realities of the situation and a greater patriotism. Speaking at a loyalty mass meeting on .Washington's birthday, the President of the American (Federation of Labor, after describing the moral and physical degra- . dation to which Russia lias been brought by the Bolsheviki, said: "I say to the j Kaiser, I say to the Germans in the ' name of the American Labor movement, 'You' can't talk peace -with American workers ; you can't talk peace with US' ; you can't talk to us at all now. We arc lighting *qow. Either you smash your Kaiser's autocracy, or we will smash it for you.' Yes, we say to the Germans, 'Get you out of France, out of Serbia, out of Belgium audi bj^ck into Germany, and then perhaps we'll talk peace terms with you. But we won't talk before you do that.' " There, in a few words, is American Labor's attitude, and it is a good, sound! attitude. Has anybody, asks the New York World, put the issue of "No annexations and no indemnities" better than Mr. Gompers put it in the name of American Labor? Has anybody given a better definition of tlie essentials to peace negotiations than his challenge to the Germans? He knows what the deluded Russians are just finding out — that there can be no peace between Liberty and autocracy -until one.of them goes under. He knows this is labor's war, not capital's Avar, a 3. the Lenins and Trotskys have represented it. As president of one of the greatest labor organisations o^ the, world he is qualified! to speak for labor in the interests* of democracy and human freedom. The convention of Avhich he is the head has backed him up ; with a series Of very strong resolutions.' These say that peaoe parleys between Russia and Germany have shown the futility of diplomatic negotiations until the German militarists are convinced! they cannot superimpose their will on the rest of the world, and that ' spontaneous uprisings! in Germany haA*e demonstrated that the militarist Government is still stronger than the movement there for emamcipation. A gigantic struggle lies ahead, and noAV is the time when all Avorkers must soberly face the grave importance of their daily work. "Wo are face to face with a world' crisis," says the declaration. "Either the principles of free democracy or of Prussian militaristic! aaitocracy Avill prevail. Tliere can be no compromise. So there can be no neutrality amongst nations or individuals — we must stand 1 up and be counted Avith one cause or the other. For Labor there is but one choice. The workers of America will not permit themselves to be deceived into thinking the fate of the war will not vitally change pur own lives. Prussian rule means supervision, checks, unfreedom in every relation of life. Fore© is the basis of their whole organisation. ... We are at. war for ideals. Our first big casualty list has brought to every home the harassi and the sacrifices of war. This is only the beginning. A gigantic struggle lies just ahead! that ,will be fought out to the uttermost, testing the endurance and the ability and the spirit of our people. That struggle 'will -'..be fought out in the mines, farms, shops, mills, shipyards, as well as on thebattlefield. Soldiers and sailors are helpless if the producers do not do their . part. Every link in the chain of, , mobilisation of the -fighting force and necessary . supplies is indispensable to winning the Avar against militarism and** principles of unfreedom. The worker that fastens the rivets in building tlie ship is performing just as necessary war service to our Republic as the sailor who takes the ship across or the gunner in. the trenches. There is a time when all workers must soberly fage the grave importance of their worJ£ and deoide inA duStrial matters Avith a. conscience mindful of the world relations of each* act. The problem of production indispensable to preventing unnecessary slaughter of fellow men is squarely up to all Avorkers^ — aye, to employes, and employers. Production is necessary to Avin the Avar. This is .labor's war. It must be Avon by labor and! -every stage in the fighting and the .final victory must be to \count for hnmanity. Tliat result only can justify the awful sacrifice.". It is inspiring to < read various accounts of the manner in which our American cousins/ are entering into the Avar. Here, '• for instance, is an appeal made by a shipbuilder and! received with enthusiasm by his men: "The time* is short. We must think, (straight . and clearly: do once and! completely. Let us play the game together and play it ■hard ; be goodi sports ; eat Avell, sleep well, and .keep Avell all the time, working Avith all that God has giA'en us to put into anything. It is no part of my duty to emphasise the country's need for these vessels, but I feel that a word on this subject is in keeping. We have not been called to the trenches, not to the hospitals, to physical suffering or bondage, or something worse. We have been aalled) to keep the faith with those Avho are going over there to bear these things for us. . Our country to-day needs ships, and Avill before long, need them even more than now. It has asked us to stay at home, keep our health, keep our minds clear, and get behipd! this project, as we have never gotten behind anything ■ before. * You are enlisted in the service, of, your country. .It is your duty and , mine to see that these ships are put into. . service quicker thap, ships were ever ] put before. That achievement will be to every -tone of us,, not only as long as we live; but as long as our; children may 'i live, something that' we and: they, may be proud of." And! another appeal Avas' thus ; "Every rivet driven now," sajd Mayor , Bloomfield, head of the Industrial ' Ser- , vice . Department of the United.- States '• Shipping Board, "is a blow- against the , rule 'of force arid! 'cruelty. The -inore ' ships, the more freedom in the woild: i At this, moment the shipyards are de- • ciding the fate of every, man, woman, and! child in the whole world." One ; likes, also, the tone of a proclamation. > of Secretary Redfield, of the Department, of Commerce : "Don't think .that because 3 you work at a desk or in a laboratory i you are not serving your country. You j are if you do well the work which iis ] given you. The Commander-in-Chief : of the Army and Navy wears no uni-. i form. He is our greatest public servant. c It is inspiring to wear the country's uniform. It is also inspiring to do one's daily Avork in the spirit of service to the 3 country. Whatever you are, Avhatever \ you do, you help to Ayin the Avar by '}. doing your work well." Words such as " these are helpful to everybody and are J worthy of a .wider audience even than ). they received in; the United States. If \ every" citizen made the winning of the * war a personal .matter and became 'im- I buedi Tv*ith\the spirit of service such, as iis *" outlined! aboA r e, Ave need have no anxiety- v concerning food^ financial or munition "j* problems^ nor ,as to the ultimate and i speedy attainment of victory, .-.