situation brought about by these so-called I. W. W.'s, but also with their attorneys and corporations, to make common war upon all organized labor,-trade unions, bona fide, constructive, conservative as they all are. I am not violating the President's confidence, nor would I violate the confidence of the Council of National Defense, but I think I am justified in telling you that as a result of those incidents, the Council of National Defense adopted and the President approved, the creation of a commission to make an investigation of the situation in the West and Northwest and to report to the Council and to the President. Upon that commission Labor will undoubtedly have one or more representatives.

All along, in the activities in connection with production, transportation, or war contracts there is the disposition to deal fairly and honorably with Labor and to see that representatives of Labor are on the various boards and agencies.

Now, my friends, that is what we are trying to do. This one thing I know, we are in the war and we cannot get out of it. We dare not get out of it until America and the world are safe, so that all the peoples of the world may each live out their own lives, may each of them evolve and develop as best they can to attain their highest ideals.

As Lincoln said in his time, that "America cannot long remain half slave and half free," so the President of the United States in his great message to Congress on April 2, sounded the keynote for the whole world. It is by the wisdom of his great character, by his vision that the world shall be free, and it is by the com

mon consent of the democratic peoples of all the world that he is the standard-bearer and leader of the war of our time.

With the aid of the Central Federated Union of New York, with the organizations of New York State, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and a few other places, we have organized a movement of trade unionists and men who have declared their unalterable fealty to the American trade union movement as represented by the American Federation of Labor, accepting these two standards, separately and combined. First, there shall be solidarity in the American labor movement; the fight against secession and duality in the labor movement must be crushed out; and second, with the American trade union movement we shall undertake a campaign for the more thorough organization and the more thorough Americanization of the working people of our country. Standing loyally by our Republic that movement has gone on and on, and, as you have heard read, an invitation has been extended to the trade union central bodies and state federations to send representatives to a national conference to be held at Minneapolis, Minn., September 5th, 6th and 7th. It is my earnest hope, as I am convinced it will be to the advantage of the labor movement of the State of New York and of our country itself, that the men of labor shall be at Minneapolis on September 5th.

In some of the countries, the liberties of many of the people have been taken away from them during this war. In the United States thus far no such attempt has been made, and if I read the signs of the times correctly, and I think I do, if the men of labor of our

country will be true to themselves and true to their unions and true to the Republic of the United States and the cause in which we are all engaged, there will be no attempt made to take away any of our liberties. But on the contrary, that for which we have striven so long, that for which we have given so many hours and years of our lives, will be maintained forever, except as improvements may come. It is all depending upon us. The course is open for us. We have no choice. I was about to say we must make our choice, -there is no choice. There is only one way, and that is the straight way; not only the straight way to labor patriotism, but to group patriotism, to human patriotism and to the patriotism and loyalty to the cause of Labor and the cause of our Republic the cause of justice, of freedom and of democracy.

AMERICA'S FIGHT FOR THE PRESERVA

TION OF DEMOCRACY

The United States has declared that she can not live in safety when there is stalking over the earth this thunderous machine of murder. The United States authoritatively has declared that peace is desirable and should be brought about, but that peace is impossible so long as life and liberty are challenged and menaced.

In accepting the presidency of the American Alliance for Labor and Democracy upon its organization as a national body at Minneapolis, Minn., September 7th, 1917.

There is a tide in the affairs of men

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to Fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows and in miseries;

On such a full sea are we now afloat;

And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.

THE

HE application of the present situation of the peoples of the democratic countries of the world was never better portrayed than in that admonition to one of Shakespeare's characters. Now is the time that tries men's souls equally as much as when that slogan was put forth.

I am not given to the course of condemnation of those who differ from me and even those who differ from our movement, but is this great Republic of ours worth preserving? Is the history of the struggles of the colonists of America of no importance? Is the

Declaration of Independence meaningless? Are the Constitutional provisions and guarantees without understanding or pertinence? Was the Revolution fought in vain? Was the Civil War a fruitless struggle and sacrifice? Was the war between the United States and Spain for the independence of Cuba worthless and meaningless?

A moment's thought will decide that there never was in all the world a great country that was so altruistic in purpose and idealistic in its practices as is the Republic of the United States of America. With thinking men and women I count myself honored as one of the critics of the shortcomings of our Government and our country. I am not given to hide or to gloss over the wrongs which are committed against our people.

Under any and all circumstances, as far as the light and the ability have been given me, I have protested against a wrong committed against the meanest and humblest of our people in the United States and have tried so far as it was within my power to be helpful so that the wrong should be righted and the right conceded and guaranteed. Because I realize that we in the United States have not yet reached the acme of perfection industrially, politically, judicially or socially, is that a reason why I should lack in appreciation of that which has been done and that which has been accomplished?

Take country by country, those at war against each other, and see where liberty and conscience and freedom prevail. Beyond question it will be admitted by those who are fair enough to see the right and to dare to utter the right, that the democracies of the world