Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-18
WOULD CORRUPT LABOR
AND CAUSE BIG STRIKES
Gompcrs Intimates That Agents of
Warning Country Have Been
Hard at Work.
ADVISES DILIGENT INQUIRY
He Bears Out Revelations Made in
Recent ENpose-Federal Govern
ment Is Trying to Get to Bottom
OF Sensational Charges.
[Specinl 10 The Times-pisnntch I

| Especial to The Times Dispatch.
| WASHINGTON. August 1.-THE
Federal government is now utilizing
an OF its resources TO get to the bot
tom OF the charges that Germany is
conducting an illegal propaganda In
inc United States. The Department OF
| Justice. the Treasury, the Navy and
Soiniherce are engaged I'm active in
'es,iRations. and the best experts in
! lem. 10
AN important development Of the dav
was statement given out by Samuel
| NoihEc:*. president of the American
| reoeration of Labor, that an investipa
,,o,, Si .he alleged efforts OF the prop
'u",,id 10 corrupt labor leaders
would be fruitful of results"
! MT Gompers declined to mention
any names or disclose specifcaIIv
what he knew. but the inti,n,tJon -
his statement is plain -
, EFFORTS CORRUPT
ORGANIZED LABOR
i have read this expose with mucb
interest. said Mr.. Gompers, and Will.
l am Interested in the first install
! .heh'' am particularly Interested in
.me second because it deals with the
SITUATION TO which II was necessary
LOT me to refer few weeks ago II
inc inquiry We're directed TO what 7
pointed out-that IL, the efforts IN ror-
| iuptiy induce labor men to call strikes
ah'ohS iohgshoremen and seamcn-it
would be fruitful of results.
Whatever information have T
snail Keep TO myself for the present.
me best interests OF all conccrned
VIII be best conserved by being dis
Greet at this time. While I have tho
interests of organized labor greatly M
neaF'' ALSO have the interest and
salety OF my country close to nv
heart, and ] would not jeopardize
either by unwise discussion
for several months, at times T
eoulo hardly avoid having people try
W come IN contact with me upon the
scheme TO call strikes which would af-
icct the situation regarding the han.
ding OF products intended for Euro
pean countries" continued SIR. Co.,
pers
In my opinion. diligent inquiry
should be made into this entire matter
hhd II not been for The honesty Of the
men AT the head OF some Of these or
CARNATIONS primarily In Interest. there
would nave been great strikes inaur-
ufatcu at the instance OF the agents
of foreign governments
/ All my life ] have tried. and will
continue to try TO secure the very best
possible conditions OF wages and hours
for the workers OF our country. II
thcse cannot be accomplished without
strikes, have no hesitancy In encour-
aging strikes for their attainment, but
such strikes Will have TO be undertaken
Tor thcsc SPECIFIC, direct purposes. and
not Tor any Interior purposes and i'm
proper purposes, and particularly when
undertaken by corrupt or other means
IN inc interests OF one nation as against
the interests OF another. Ours is an
American labor movement, and Will be
| conducted by the rank and file and the
ofhcers OF the American labor move
mcnt."
William II. Johnston, president OF the
international Association of Machin-
lists, whose executive committee is now
in session in Washington, after reading
Mr.. Gompcrs's statement. said:
Il heartily concur in what Mr.. Com
pers has TO say. 1t strikes the right
note"
PLOT is REPORTED
TO STIR UP FILIPINOs
Among the days developments was
the report that German agents were
at the bottom OF a plot to stir up n
revolution in the Philippines. It was
said that evidence OF this had been
submitted to the Department OF Jus
ticc. but 4. Bruce Rielaski. chief Of the
division of investigation, denied that
anything of this sort had been laid be-
fore him.
II this report should prove TO be true.
IL would constitute the most serious
VI any OF the charges mat nave been
I made, officials said to-day, because il
would involve plot against the gov
eminent Of the United States itself
and would be an unfriendly act toward
a neutral and n friendly government by
| one OF the belligerents in the European
war.
According to this story. two months
ago. when the feeling in this country
over the Lusitania case was acute, two
German officials purchased a Standard
Oil tank steamer in San Francisco. and
sent II ostensibly to port in Java
She was loaded with rifles and ammu-
milton. intended TO be diverted to sedi-
I tious Filipinos. 1t was charged that
Germans In the Philippines had been
advised Of this shipment and instructed
TO receive the arms and see that they
reached the proper natives, who are
! unfricndly to American rule. The cap