PRO-GERMAN LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 254, 22 July 1919, Page 8

PRO-GERMAN LABOUR

BEN TILLETT'S ENERGETIC PROTEST. LET THE GERMANS PAY. Mr. Ben Tillett, it,P., general secretary of the British D.ock, Wharf, Riverside, -and General Workers' Onion, recently 6ent to the district secretaries and ether mciubors of that body a communication which includes the subjoined passages : . "In the present crisis, which is graverthan at any period during (ho war, a circular is being signed purporting to represent Labour opinion and advice. As most of the signatories to ti.is document are irresponsible individuals abusing their trust as officers in trade unions aud other organisations, it is imperatively necessary that the workers cf the country ba warned against accepting on trust any document or statement Diade by such individuals. "In the first place, tho pro-Germanism of tho signatories is so obvious that their insolence in promulgating the anti-Brit-ish attitude passes comprehension. Hundreds of thousands of British soldiers and sailors have been maimed or have lost their lives through the malignant actions of some of ihe signatories. During the war they have mischioi'ously delayed supplies of ammunition, food, and defensive productions which wore being to our own 'brave fighters. Oun Executive throughout tho v-ar have boon no party to such siuister recreant treachery, anil I am positive the rank and file of the organisation aro behind iho Executive. I would challenge tho persons who are using their officiai designations to tako a ballot- of the rank and iile. It is only the rank and hie who havo paid and suffered in this war. "The circular, which opposes indemnities and reparation, is signed for tho most part by persons who havo remained unmoved while a million and a Quarter Armenians were crucified by tho Turks; who have viewed with complaconcy the massacre of hundreds of thousands of innocent men and women citizens of FTunce, Belgium, Rutiiatia, and Serbia; who havo been, ilidiffort-ut to the wholesale violation and massacre of innocent women and children, and the wholesale transporting of girls and women of Franco and Belgium. Tho same class have ignored the tcrriblo outrages perpetrated . on our prisoners of war. it is the same class who have looked without repugnance upon the wholesale destruction of the women of tho French peasantry and citizens generally, tho destruction to buildings, properties, mining plant, aud agriculture, the cll'ect of which will paralyse tho initiative owl resources of Belgians ai:d Rumanians for a hundred years to come.

"After the murderous price our countrymen and women have paid for this war, the individuals signing (lie circular I refer to, are prepared to let British Labour pay for all the loss, tho paralysis of trade, the cost of restitution, and are eien going further than that in their flagrant treachery by their 'demand that we should feed the Germans, work for them, and pay the debt tl.ey oalculatedly imposed as a speculation to build 011 the ruins of Europe mi industrial, material, and commercial supremacy. "Wo did not promote the war. Every oent for which the Gorman people ar« exonerated from paying leaves more for our side to pay. After all, we have paid enough. It is for us to honour the bravo dead and disconsolate bereaved by'charging Germany with the full penalty of her crimes."