The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-17
KEPPLER, WR0TH AT BRIBE TALK,
 DENIES CHARGE
Dares Anybody to Say He Is 'sMr. K." Mentioned in
 German Letters

New York, Aug. 17-J. J. Keppler, vice-pres1dent of the International As sociation of Machinists, denied ern- phaticaIIy yesterday that he is the friend K'' spoken of in letter from c. Dencker, presumably a German agent, to a MT. Marlow at the German Embassy as willing to talk over the opportunity for strikes in munitions factories in this country.
 MT. Keppler who organized the arms strikes at Bridgeport, Conn.,. and is now active in securing an eight-hour day for rnachinists here and in New Jersey further fortified his denial with assurances that not only had he not been involved in the extensive Ger man plans revealed by the publica- ton of letters and memoranda, but he never even had been approached on the question of aiding Germany Tby tying up American factories: His motive, MT Keppler said, was purely a. business one; to seize the opportun- ity offered by. the war to obtain an eighth our day for nla,chinists.
 Let me have a good look at that letter said MT. Kepp1er, when re- porter showed him copies Of the ar ticles in which the correspondence was published yesterday morning. No, he continued, after reading both pa pers, q am not the K referred to- I dare anybody to say or print that K stands for Keppler-the rKeppler who was in Bridgeport.
 sI am in mo way concerned in this matter, and it interests me only as a matter Of news. A week ago a report CT asked me ifsI knew C. Dencker.' who signed the letter. or 'MarIow' to whom it was sent could not re- call having met or heard of them. nor of e. w. McBane,' of Detroit, who wrote Dencker that a strike could be started in the automobile industry there. Since then have tried to find out who they are, but without success. They certainly are not con- nected with any labor organization I know anything about
 . NO, you have come to the wrong party to find out anything about pro German activities in connection with have, even been approached in con- nection with starting strikes to ham, per shipments Of munitions or any tiing else to the AIlies-or to the Germans either. for that matter.
 There is no reason why [ should ward in his chair and punching out his remarks with his fist. Suppose ] got a million dollars right from the Kaiser to do it. The minute the ern- pIoyers granted the demand for an ht-hour day, couldn't keep the men from going back to work. Noth- ing could keep them from doing it if their demands were granted They can mak too much money working to stay out a minute. longer than they have to. and living is high now. T want to make this plain; all Pm mixed up with is the eight-hour day for rnaehinists. want that and I want it bad. but that's all Just to show you how foolish it is to say that Germany or anything else but organ ized labor, let me tell you how the Bridgeport strikes started.
 On July T sent to all the labor leaders in the East, including a lot in Canada, a letter reminding them that the International Association of Ma cE1fnists had decided to bond all it's energies to get an eight-hour day for n1achinists. told them that in my opinion the situation created here by big war orders made this the time to strike. and the factories that had those orders-and had to fill them qdick-the most vulnerable spot to strike.
 [ s.I pointed out that we could get an eight-hour day for nac1linists work ing in such plants much easier than anywhere also, much easier now than O got 1t for them. we could then get it for all machinists in all kinds of plants. That was before had been to Bridgeport
 aThen I went to Bridgeport on an entirely different matter. without any idea of starting a strike at all. I saw conditions there, saw what could be done there,t and beane convinced that there was a chance right to my hand to do something really big. Just about that time. when we were Formulating demands and looking things over, I heard that Major Walter G Penfield plant manager of the Remington Arms 6 Ammunition Go, had said that he would not treat with the nachinists at all unless they were olA on strike I decided to ob1ige him. and T. called the strike.
 That's how the Bridgeport strike started It was purely a matter Of business with me-and so are ali the other strikes we have called or may call. My job is to get an eight-hour day for the naactinists. The war has given me my opening. and you bet I'm going to take it., As for this German business--no otning to it.''
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