The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-28
Not Strike For Benefit of Bridgeport Labor, But Movement to Aid Kaiser By Stopping the Output of Ammunition.

The Boston Herald sees in the la Dor troubles in Bridgeport not a move for the benefit of labor, but a sinister scheme to stop the manufac- ture of munitions of war.
 This newspaper. publishes a lengthy story Of the German influence,' be- hind the strike, crediting to Samuel Gompers the statement that Gompers so emphatica11y denied to The Farmer on the occasion of his recent visit here. The Herald assumes that Gompers believes German influences are at work in this strike, while Gompers plainly said that his statement as to the German influence had to do with an entirely different situation. the impending strike of dock labor CTS in New York and vicinity. .. Here Is the Herald,s summary of the sttua- ton:
 This was not a strike of Bridge port men. Its origin was not in Bridge port Whether it was merely in the interests of the workers, or, as well informed men believe. in the interests of Germany, designed to prevent the allies from receiving intuition sup plies for the prosecution of the war. it's inception was away from Bridge port Just where or Just how or ated, is not now known. Detectives have been at work in the city for som e time seeking to locate the foreign influence, but have failed. The few local men who have gone on strike say, with every appearance of sheer ity, that they have no interest in the war, that they are only looking after their own bread and butter.
 Had the movements of the labor Ieaders-by the way, these leaders or some of them. have been in Bridge port for weeks-been honestly intend ed merely to secure better conditions for the machinist workers, they mi ght have beeen satised with the companyss announcement of a. shorter day, to ap- ply not only to the works in Bridge port but to the factory in IIion, N. Y, as we'll. But it was necessary for them to make good their position as labor leaders. So they said to the men. That announcement is no good. We've got to have an agreement in black and white with the union The company's word is not good. You can't believe what Hartley Dodge tells you If you call this thing off he will revoke this order and you'll be just where you were before. Now is the time. We've got 'em on the hip. They've got to have the workmen and here's where we get recognition of the union. Don't put any trust in the promises of the company"
 ''So it may appear that the move was nothing more than an effort of
 
 their own importance and to assert the power of the labor union.
 Major Walter G. Penfeld, works manager of the Remington plant, and Samuel Gompers of the American Fed sera ton of. Labor have stated their be- Tlief that German influence was behind Ethis labor movement. If the factories Fof this country should be prevented Efrom making was munitions, on which the allies are relying after Shaving placed large contracts here. contracts running into the millions, the German cause would be greatly aided and the condition of the allies correspondingly depressed.
 .'There has been no overt act of Germans in Bridgeport. no real indi- cation of German influence in Bridge port. But Bridgeport is only a. short distance from New York. There the Germans maintain headquarters and there in the WooIworth building, are the officers of the Remington com pany. It would not have been -neces- sary for Germans or German sympa- thizers to come to Bridgeport to in stigate and engineer the strike. On the contrary, it would have been bet