The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-03
BUCHANAN WAS WARNED, SAYS
 SAM C0MPERS

New York, May 3.-SamueI Com pers, president of the American sFed- eration of Labor, testifying today in the trial of Capt. Franz Rintelen of the German navy and seven other men charged with conspiring to fo- ment strikes to destroy the Entente allies munition trade in this cor1n- try, declared that Heerman Schulteis and Henry B. Martin. two of the de- fendants were known in Washington as political strikers These two men were active with former Representa- tive Frank Buchanan, another defend ant, first president of Labor's National Peace council, in the work of the council, which. it is alleged. was or- ganized to carry out RinteIen's schemes with money supplied by him. MT. Gompers said he warned MT. Bu- chanan, whom he had always regard ed as a "good, big man, had been imposed on, but that he began to doubt his sincerity
 The cross examination of MT. Com. pers is expected to bring out further details of conversations he had during 1915 with Buchanan, then a congress mon from Illinois. Yesterday Mr. Gompers testified that Buchanan, sought to induce him to join in the movement to stop the making of mu- nitions and their shipment to the En- tente allies. The witness said that he told Buchanan that such a course would be against the interest of the United States and that he warned Buchanan to be on his guard against any policy put forward in the name of labor that was not sanctioned by the American Federation of Labor in open convention.
 The most startling evidence since the trial began was that of John c. Hammond, publicity agent, who tes. tified yesterday that Rintelen told him | that he would go to any extreme to prevent shipment of munitions and at strikes must be brought about in the ammunition factories" On cross examination Hammond, who said Rin- telen came to him with a plan for a campaign of public in the interest ot friendly relations between this coun-
 try and Germany. testified that he no- | tified Secretary Humility and the de- partment of justice, saying that 'sRin. telen/ had said to me that he was do. i ing all in his power to embroil this country with Mexico, because if this |
 stop the shipment of munitions to
 Europe, and that it was only a mat
 ter of time before German diplomacy
 would embroil this country with
 Japan"
 Under cross-examination by counsel for Schulteis and Martin, MT. Comp CTS conceded that general peace p1so- Eposa1s were endorsed by labor.
 Labor has consistently advocated
 universal peace and general interna- tional disarmament" MT. Gomper:
 said.
 In addition to advising Buchanan 1 against the peace council. plan. MT
 Gompers said. he wrote and spoke t.
 other labor leaders. invited to join tn,
 movement, advising them against it.
 "I tried to prevent labor from be
 ing diverted from its proper purpose,
 Gompers said.
 MT. Gempers described as absurd @ question by counsel whether hi Testimony was colored by the fea
 that Buchanan wanted to succeed hin
 as president of the A. F. of L. Another question that arouse,
 Gompers' anger was whether he ha l ever heard that "Gompers for year has tried to deliver labor to tn | trusts" Violently hammering tn arm of his chair. MT. Gompers sai
 he would mot submit to being in [ suited" No such charge. had eve been made against him, he declared.