Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-03
Unions Here in Constant Com
munication With European
Workers, Says Gompers.
REFUSES A. F. OF L. AID
TO FRIENDS OF PEACE"
Denounces Organization as Unneu-
trail and Partisan of One War
ring Nation.

AS the result OF a controversy be-
tween John Brisben Walker, the New
York editor and economist, and Samuel
Gompers, president Of the American
Federation of Labor, it came to light
today that officers of the federation
have been, in Mr.. Gompers' language,
lin almost uninterrupted communities
ton with the representatives of organ
lied workers of the countries now en-
gagged in war;" and in a letter to Mr..
Walker Mr.. Gompers declares:
when the time shall have become
made in the interest of peace, all may
untried to accomplish peace"
The news that the great labor organi-
cation Is working with labor men in
Europe, in the hope of seizing on an
opportunity to make peace, was dis
closed as result of a request by Mr..
Walker that Mr.. Gompers give the sup
port of the federation to THE Friends
of Peace" an organization of which
Mr.. Walker is national chairman. which
proposes to hold big convention soon
in Chicago.
Mr. Gompers refused the support ask
ed and made public In Washington his
letter to Mr.. Walker, from which the
above extract is taken. In his letter
Mr.. Gompers attacks 1.-The Friends of
Peace' and charges that paid ennis
saries of that organization have by
raise representations attempted f1nan-
c1ally to corrupt large number Of rep
resentat1ve men among the union work.
ers of the United States. Mr.. Gompers
accuses Of fha IT.
with having been an active worker in
nalf dozen movements each the very
antithesis of the other.
Mr.. Gompers' Letter.
Mr.. Gompers' letter is, in part, as fol-
lows:
IF 1t were at all possible for me to
regard the movement in which you are
engaged or the meeting at Chicago as
prompted in the interest of peace, a
peace which any loyal American, any
true, intelligent, faithful worker could
support, I would not have hesitated a
moment to have found Immediate op-
portunity to pledge my most earnest
and active cooperation; but from INV
knowledge of events which are trans
plrlng and have occurred it is not peace
winch Is being furthered by your move
rnent ana your meeting, but your pur-
United States in false position before
the world, to play into the hands of one
side OF the warning nations as against
the other Carried to its logical con-
| ciuslon, your movement would make of
the United States not only an unneu-
trail nation, but would lead to the dir
est limits of militarism in every coun-
try and In its worst form.
With your letter you did me tho
courtesy of sending me copy of a
circular letter you addressed to the
union workers Of the United States. In
that circular you rightly say that mil
itarism is the deadliest foe Of labor,
That is a position for which the labor
movement of America has stood from
its earliest inception, and from which
no labor man within the wide range Of
my acquaintance has departed It is
position for which the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor will contend to the
uttermost Therefore. all the more as.
founding Is the tnsinuation which you
make in your next paragraph, when
you say. II there are those in the
ranks Of labor or amongst its off,cials
who would side with militarism thew
must be regarded as in secret league