New-York tribune., 1916-02-21
"If Ny People Are Saw
ages, SO Am I,' Says An
sonia High School Youth.
INFORMS AGITATORS
THEY'RE NOT WANTED
Will Be No Vicious Tactics, He
Guarantees, but Employers
Must Come to Terms.
rrron s.r corr,.pona.s, o. TIL. rnsun,l

fFron sisr Correspondent Of The Thtun,.l
Ansonla. Conn. Feb. 2O.--Jos. Grohol,
called King Joe by the striking Hun
kies and Little Boss b. the Italians and
Lithuanians and Poles of this sleepy
town, was playing a solitary game Of
checkers underneath the ftful gas jet
that set shadows jumping on the walls
Of the home lie shares with his sister,
Mary Ann.
"I'm going 20 fight for my people" :"
cried the youth, who has done more
for peace than could one hundred rifles.
an fight till amt got any more
strength. They call 'em savages, beasts,
foreigners. Well, then, I'm a savage
and beast and foreigner too"
"My father worked in one of these
shops" said young Joseph, folding his
legs under him, tailor-wise. 81 worked
in one Of them. Those foreigners had
70 have a leader-just had to.
stumbled into the leadership blindiy,
for had no more idea Of il last Thurs
day than the man in the moon.
"They rented hall in a building
that belonged TO my father, who died
three weeks ago. | was there to see
there should be no disturbance. The
agitators got on the platform and the
men ran about like sheep. They did
not know what they were doing. Those
agitators were binding them, showing
them into violence. | told the men
that II they wanted to stay in the hall
the aQitators would have TO stop. !
suggested that a committee be elected
and they elected committee. They
followed other suggestions of mine and
seemed to look to me AS their leader"
Joe knows seven languages" inter-
jected Mary Ann, with look Of pride.
"Yes, know 'em fairly we'll" ad-
mitted young Grohol.
"You remember the story of Naomi
and Ruth went on Joe. well, it's
my story. When saw that these peo-
pie were practically leaderless, except
ing for a few loud mouthed agitators,
decided I'd have to get into the fight.
They're ignorant, but they're good peo-
pie at heart. All they want is a kind
word instead of blows and curses.
They're asking for fair. decent living
wage, so that they will be able to live
like their American neighbors. Is there
anything wrong in that? You bet there
isnf. That's why they're striking.
That's why I'm helping them. That's
why it's going to be my life work to
help them.
"'Lo. joe" greeted one of three men
who entered. They we're foreigners,
their faces tanned by work in the fields.
their Sabbath clothing spotted with
plaster and grease. They addressed
Grohol fondly and respectfully.
Grohol spoke TO them in Polish and
they turned and went out.
That's the kind of people this town
calls savages," Joe sneered. "We had a
mass meeting at Sarsfield Hall this
morning. We had a conference with
the officials of the American Brass
Company. We outlined our requests.
cannot tell you what transpired until
after our mass meeting tomorrow
morning, but can tell you that those
requests have become demands
"What are they" Grohol was asked.
Better wages. Shorter hours. The
situation is pretty serious and there's
going to be fight. But there won't
be any vicious tactics"