The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-04
FRIENDS OF PEACE
ASSAIL GOMPERS
They Declare That the Labor
Leader Seeks to Pro-
mote War.
HIS MOTIVES ATTACKED

CHICAGO. Sept. Samuel Gompers'
| president of the American Federation OF
| Labor. was denounced to-day as an
enemy OF peace by the executive COM
mittee OF the Friends OF Peace. whose
organization the labor chief assailed as
! ~pro-German and unneutral.
Admitting that many German Amer
cans are identified with the movement
the Friends OF Peace denied vigorously
that they have any purpose unfriendiy
to American interests.
President Compers's charge that the
organization was infested with German
spies, however, caused something OF q
stir In official circles.
! John Brisben Walker. chairman or the
convention. ard fellow leaders arrived
from New York and other Eastern cities
to-day and completed plans for the con-
vention which will include a mass meet
Ing in Medina Temple on Sunday and
| an omen air demonstration ON Monday
at Federal League Baseball Iark. W.
j. Bryan has tentatively accepted an
invitation 70 speak at the latter meet
ing.
Immediately after they assembled the
natioral committeeman or the FRIENDS
OF Peace replied to Mr.. Gompers.
J. J. Tobias. chairman OF the execu-
tive committee, denied that the assoc!a-
ton was in league to win union labor
over to the German cause.
Mr.. Gompers Is mistaken" said Mr..
Tobias. This Is purely an organization
for the purpose OF influencing Congress
to impose an embargo on American made
munitions. We also will take "A hand In
the national election next year. which
L. - -..N IT, N.W- ANf mann A IA nln
and 5000. 600 German American voters
in the United states and they will make
their protest heard in the election next
year.
The German Americans " 81 per
cent. of the real estate OF the United
States. There are 100000 900 German
Americans i'm the United States, and we
propose to take an active part IN the
national campaign next year. We VIII
vote solidly too"
"iompers d~euounces the Friends OF
Peace because he Is disappointed at SIS
interference with his own wish to call
a labor peace congress in Washington
as he planned said job y. BuGart.
chairman OF the labor committee. More
than fifty leading editors and ~oragnizers
are aiding US in this movement. We
are forced to attribute to Samuel Com
pers a desire to promote war and create
dissension among our people when he
hurls his attack from Washington az
this late day. The organized workers
OF England. Russia. Belgium. France,
Serbia and Germany AVE gone on rec
ord as opposing war, while Mr.. Com
pcrs has gone about the country settling
strikes at ammunition plants. He has
frequently denounced movements for
peace
jeremiah O'Leary. president of the
American Truth Society OF New York,
a member OF the committee. said
I'VE question Gompers's motives. H.
talks OF bribery. Labor ought TO in
vestigate and learn why its head, born
under an English flag. has worked 80
~assiduously To keep his subordinate
hard nj their tasks of manufacturing
the things that Kill"
Miss Jane Addams will preside at the
meeting In Medina Tmple. Besides Mr.
Bryan those expected to speak at the
open air gathering AT the baseball park
are United states Senator Borah and
Timothy Healy. international president
Of the Brotherhood of stationary FIFE.
men.