Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-09-15

! Grafton of Labor, issued a statement
! foreign governments to influence cor
+; ruptly leaders of organized labor to
start strike among the longshore-
men and seamen mad in that way pre-
ducts.
Mr.. Gompers says that he has known
fo.' some time of the facts published
in the New York World and Chicago
Tribune and calls attention to an
intimation he gave of the present
situation in the letter to Ernes, Bohm.
secretary of the New York Central
Federated Union, who was interested
in the orsanzatio Of labor's national
peace council
President Gompers hints that other
revelations will come. even more
startling perhaps, and they will prove
that labor leaders have withstood
great temptations during the crisis
thru which the world is passing.
Expose Will Surprise Nation.
President Gompers says that sooner
or later the country will learn With
astonishment the extent to which the
ora gnizations to tie up the commerce
OF the country
Mr. Gompers statemcn: follows.
Replying to the question as to the
expose published in this mornings
New York World ard The Chicago
Tribune regarding the efforts OF the
agents OF foreign governments to cor
rupt leaders 81 labor for the purpose
--,iLy
shoromer. i, may be interesting tn call
attention 70 the fac. tina, In my letter
to Ernest Bohm. secretary OF the New
York Central Federated Union. Of
June is. intimateA that subject and
then in response to hts query il my
letter to lii,n of July IS. ] said:
Authentic information has come to
me that efforts have heen male to
corrup. ner for the purpose o: having
strikes inaugurated among seamen and
longshorerT,en engaged IN handling Of
American products and manning ships
containing American products con-
signed to certain European ports. and
that the corrupt'ng influence was be-
inr conducted by agents OF foreign
government and that / have no doubt
that the same agencies and influences
were a. work elsewhere with the same
purposes in view
Tried to Corrupt Labor.
''Ir that same letter said:
THAT the effort has been made TO
corrupt some Of orr men for sneh
purpose (strike) Is true, but that the
strikes have been inaugurated is I'M
true and it is untrue because the men
who have given time and service TO
the workers of our country have inter-
posed in time
THE facts as disclosed in 'he eS-
posure I have known for consider
able time If you compare the time
when Mr.. Cummings ceased his i'm
portunities with President O'Connor Of
the longshoremen and the dates OF my
| letters which were made public some
| reason may be found for his getting
under cover.
when the time shall arrive and
! further disclosures are necessary the
| people will learn with establishment
! ), nat f1as already taken place and the
| obligations which all owe to the rep
resentatives of labor and what great
temptations they have been honest
and patriotic enough TO resist in the
| effort to maintain first a strict neu :
| trality in the present European war
and also to insist that the American
| labor movement shall be conducted by
| the rank and file Of that movement OF
our country, free from corrnpting and
| communicating influences OF repre-
sentatives of foreign nations"
U. s. to Take Up Warnings.
1t became known here that the adj
| ministration still has under considera-
| ton the question of its attitude toward
| the publication in this country OF no
! tees to German and Austro- Hungar-
ian subjects Of penalties they will SUI
fer at home il they engage In the
| manufacture Of war materials for the
enemies OF their governments.
| Copies Of such notices published in
newspapers in this country by direc-
ton Of German or Austro- Hungarian
consular officers have been received at
the state department These will be
examined and upon what is found to
be the precise nature Of these notices
in relation to the laws Of this country
will largely depend the attitude Of the
administration toward them.
| 1t is generally held that, other things
being equal, 1t is legitimate for Off
4 Gals Of another government to call t.
the attention Of the citizens Of that
i government q law OF their own coun-
try which may affect their status In
their native country should they re-
turn there. II the notices are held to
be no more than this. it is doubtful
that any question will be raised by this
government