The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-06-08
Congressman Buchanan to
Urge Conference of Union
Men for Peace
WILL CONFER WITH
SECRETARY BRYAN
No Conflict Unless Invasion Is the Plea
-Rumor That Buchanan Is Affili-
ated with Organizations Financed by
Andrew Carnegie.

WASHINGTON, June S.-A conference
of organized labor from all sections of the
United States to protest against war, ex-
'cept in case of invasion, is one of the
probabilities of the near future The
question will have consideration at the
hands of the executive committee of the
Federation Of Labor at a meeting to be
held in Atlantic City this week
The author of the idea, Representative
Buchanan of Illinois, one of the labor
leaders in Congress, arrived in Washing
ton yesterday. He hopes to have a talk
today with Secretary of State Bryan. At
ter a call at the state department Mr..
Buchanan viii proceed to Atlantic City,
where he will meet Samuel Gompers and
other members of the executive commit
tee of the federation.
! Mr. Buchanan will urge that labor meet
in great conference and protest against
war with Germany or any other nation on
the ground that conflicts between nations
are waged primarily for commercial or ter
ritorial aggrandizement and that the
workers Of the world are the principal suf-
feTers.
/ The Illinois member, who represents
! what is known as the '.labor group" in
Congress, declared that he would urge
Mr. Gompers and the other federation
leaders in Atlantic City to decide imme-
diately on a national conference, express
ing the belief that any delay in the mat
ter would only play into the hands of
THAT he described as the war party" in
/ the United States.
| Asked if the secretary of state had any
knowledge of the movement he is trying
to further, Mr.. Buchanan replied:
Not that 1 am aware
/ Reports preceded Mr. Buehanan's arri-
wal in Washington that he had become af-
|. filiated with certain organizations finan-
ced by Andrew Carnegie with a view to
Ipersuading organized labor, particularly the
federation, to take action against war.
} Mr. Buchanan made it clear that at this
time in the worlds affairs he did not be-
lieve the United States should take up
arms except to repel invasion. He was of
: the opinion that labor leaders generally
: shared this view of the situation. Mr..
t Buchanan insisted that there were no
e questions in controversy between the Unit
: led States and Germany that would justify
!. a recourse to arms. He insisted that COM
e ,mercial greed prompted men to send
0 ships across the ocean. 1t was his opinion
e that Americans and American ships should
e keep out of the war zone.
There Is no justification Tor war except
to stop INVASION declared Mr. Buchanan.
The Colorado strike struck deeper at the
fundamental principles Of our republic
than the sinking of the Lusitania. [ do
not, of course, justify the attack on the
Lustania, but it is one of those acts that
, we must expect when nations descend to
the barbarism of war We must keep our
ships and our people out of the war zones
!, if we would avoid trouble. They would
u not expose themselves to such hazards
lwere it not for the desire for gain. Al
least that is the case in the majority oI
instances.
e 'In my opinion the people interested il
/ the manufactures of ornaments are IL
K Igreat part responsible for war sentiment
|. Ito some extent this interest seems to b,
l. centred in and around what is known a
,, the armor plate trust. In the last Con
:. lgress and in preceding sessions efforts wer
n made to secure large authorizations 70
2, submarines All the circumstances sugges
d that the armor plate people did not wan
Is submarines and they had their way to
ia considerable extent. 1t is the very sam
le lpeople who would profit by war, and yo
2 are sure that they have taken steps t
n avert war"