NO VOTES TODAY

The impatient liberals who delight to contrast the collectivistic zeal of British labor with the very cautious program of the American Federation of Labor will find more material for despair in the work of the annual convention just closing in El Paso. Resolutions against the extension of government activity in business, refusal to join any political party, opposition to Russian recognition--the readoption of these safe-and-sane truisms is enough to make the union leaders life members of the chamber of commerce. Obviously, the American Federation is not radical.

And why expect it to be radical? Should trade unions give up the very certain fruits of a semi-monopoly for the shadowy benefits of a collectivistic chimera? In America population has not begun to strip the overflowing bread-basket; elsewhere laborers in millions are deprived of all but the barest minimum, as the limit of population has been reached or even overstepped. In America competition is strong, but it is competition for the best fruits of industry; abroad workers compete for the mere right to survive. Decidedly, foreign laborers, made desperate by economic inevitabilities, are ready to strike out for new Utopias; but third-party leaders in America need not expect the well-fed and well-flivvered worker to rally round specious shibboleths of discontent. It's only lean and hungry men that Caesar fears.