Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-11-08
REPORT MADE TO FEDERATION
REGARDING EFFoRTs or
uNNEuTRAL AGENTS.
PLOTS AND PLANS OF
EUROPE CALLED FAILURE
Executive Committee Presents Annual
Report at Opening Session Of Amer
lean Federation at San Franeisco-
Dick Military Law Apprevsd-lndus-
trial Commission Report Commanded

Correspondence of Associated Press.J
San Francisco, CAL, Nov. 8.-Pre-
sentation of the annual report OF the
executive council featured the open
ing day of the thirty fifth annual con-
yention Of the American Federation OF
Labor which opened here today 1or
two weeks session. President Samuel
Gompers presented the report WHICH
pronounced the year past the mos.
momentous in the history OF organlzeu
labor and one of extraordinary stress
for the labor movement, testing as II
had its very existence.
.There is not a country and there Is
scarcely a relation in the common nfe'
says the councils report, mat uoes
not show some effect of the terflpie
war that is being Waged IN Europe'
From our present viewpoint these Ell
fects are primarily destructive "hat-
ever of constructive value SHAH coile
out Of 1t all, will depend upon the Wis
dom, the ability and the statesman
ship of the real statesmen OF the ma
lions. But at present we see customs,
institutions, and the relationship tnas
are the result of years OF struggle anu
persistent effort to realize loeais'
swept away by the great tide OF oe-
struction and lost in the clash OF arms
the smoke of the battlefield. and IN the
terrors of naval warfare
Effort to Misuse Labor.
Describing the effects OF the war
upon Organized labor and American
customs and institutions, the report
deals at length with attempts by IN
Z Wv nations
to interfere with the peaceful pursuit
OF American industries.
"Some of these movements" 1t says
"haye been genuine. others have been
created by individuals and interests
that were really unneutral. These
moyeme nts have taken various forms
some have tried to influence the poll
cies OF the state and governmental au-
thorities of our country: others nave
tried to work upon public opinion ana
sin others have sought to use the
GOOD name OF our labor movement to
further the interests Of some foreign
country"
High tribute was paid the working
men Of the nation thru whose patriot
ism, the report says. these plans nave
perished and the movements 50 fal
have been futile.
"The EFFORTS to use the working mer
of orr country have been OF TWO
kinds" the report continues. one q
get thru them the endorsement OF tint
foreign policy to place an embargo up
on so-ealled munitions OF war, tht
other has been to stir up Industrial
contentious and disputes and thus IN
terfere with the actual process OF pro
duction so that products 10 De SEN
abroad may be stopped. Foreign
agencies have been trying to corrupt
" reach some Of the organizations o
the workers but they have not sue
ceeded There is nothing touching KIT
Industrial and commercial life of Arr
erica that is not Of interest To tnf
warning nations
The holding of worlds labor con
rress at the same time and place tina
peace delegates meet when the war Il
ended is recommended in the repor
as necessary in order to infuse tn
spirit OF humanity and democracy int
this political conference" In orde
that the position of the United State
working men in this regard may d.
..ully representative Of the country
unanimous voice Of labor. the repor
recommends that all internationa
~ ms be urged to give the plan incl
80 rort.
Dick Law Approved.
The report covers the recent investi
CATION by labor leaders of the Dicl
military law. In that connection.
saws:
"Up to the present we have received
no complaint nor have we learned o
any act in which the military arm o
the government had misused the Dicl
law to Offset or curb the aspirations Q
the working people Of the land.
We refer particularly to the situation
in Colorado last year. TIL
corporations had practically coerce'
and intimidated the officials of tn
state and had over-ridden the laws o
the state. There is not near
~ 30 grave danger in the Dick law a
there is in the menace threatening on
institutions thru the private uetectiv
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