Evening star., 1915-09-18
LABOR NOT STAMPEDED /
ON DEFENSE QUESTION
Samuel Gompers Denies It Is Com
mitted to Any Armament
Program.
Insists Position on This Subject Has
Not Changed in Twenty
YearB.

When 1t comes to a question OF ma
resented by the American Federation
Of Labor. is not going to be stampeded
one way or another by the waving OF a
few carefully staged American flags or
by the cooling OF a theatrical dove of
peace. The statement that Samuel
Gompers is going to stand by the
President in a reasonable program OF
defense" must be salted and seasoned:
and furthermore organized labor has
not changed it's attitude on the de-
fense question, the militia question or
any corollary questions In twenty years.
These statements are authoritatively
made after talk with President Sam
uel Gompers Of the American Fedora
ton of Labor on tho general subject OF
organized labor and its relation to ma
tional defense.
No Change in Position.
Mr.. Gompers said he had been SO frs-
quently misQuoted. and that exact quo
tations had been so badly misconstrued
by both "militarists and peace advo-
cates," that he was inclined to make no
statements at all. He referred his In
terviewer to letters written to men Of
prominence in the United States. all
referring TO the militia and army ques-
tion, and all OF them extending over
period of years. during which time the
attitude of the federation had not
changed a degree. Furthermore IT can
be stated that organized labor Will not
make any positive advance for univer-
sal disarmament until 1t can take
practical step.
The labor movement always has be-
fore 1t the temptation to indorse some
thing or other, and Mr.. Gompers has
recently made plain that he could not
countenance any fake peace move
ments operated in the false name OF
labor.
Avoid Defense Leagues.
He and other officials have the con-
slant opportunity to become ohicials OF
various defense league boards. and for
fear Of giving the wrong impression
labor officials have consistently kept
out of big armament movements.
Therefore, it may be summed up that
organized labor has Joined neither the
militarists or the doves Of peace. but
according to the views OF Its leaders It
takes the common-sense view that
whatever Is most practicable and feas-
ible 1t will support.
Orators who declare labor is against
the army and navy" or that Tabor IL
supporting an extreme armament" ara
can be said Is that labor Is against mil
itarism. Mr.. Gompers said today he
had never committed the organization
to support the Presidents defense pro-
gram. but that he had been misquoted
after a conversation in which he had
spoken of himself personally. Further
more. the Presidents program" 10 an
unknown quantity-it having yet to bs
announced.
Not Copying the Ostrich.
A close study Of the resolution adopted
yesterday by the Maryland State and
District of Columbia Federation Of
Labor regarding service in the National
Guard is urged by labor officials. as it
is understood to have the sanction Of
the highest officers in organized labor.
This resolution states that labor Is op-
posed to a large standing army and all
elements of European militarism, but
that a moo crate standing army supple
mented by patriotic citizen soldiery il
the true American ideal of defense.
Mr.. Gompers today pointed out that
labor is unalterably opposed to war. but
that 1t Is not in the attitude of the
ostrich with it's head in the sand. Or
ganized labor does not intend to strike
for disarmament until war has been
oh Rhad n nthAr words