New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-19
President Receives Delega-
ton Headed by Gompers
to Discuss Plans
To Send Fifty Men
Proposition Believed To Be
Acceptable, but Leaders
Refuse to Talk
fStsr corrrSpudenPl

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18.-Samuel
Gompers headed a delegation which
called on the President this after
noon to discuss plans for sending an
American labor contingent to Russia
on an organizing mission. Although
Mr.. Gompers declined to be inter
viewed on the subject to-day, it Is
understood that the plan is acceptable
TO the President. The mission will
comprise about fifty carefully selected
labor organizers.
Besides Mr.. Gompers. those who
called on the President to-day were
Frank J. Morrison, secretary Of the
American Federation of Labor; John
Spargo, Grant Hamilton. G. ]. Phelps
Stokes, DR.. n. Syrkin, II. Slobodln,
Maurice Kass, William Cochran and
Robert Maisel. It Is understood that
a number OF this delegation Will be
included in the personnel Of the pro-
posed labor mission to Russia.
At the conclusion of the White House
conference to-day, Mr.. Gompers at
tempted to "camoufsge" the principal
discussion with the President by en-
phasizing representations made by the
delegation gaIding the Importance OF
passing tho pending soldiers insur-
ance bill. "This legislation should be
passed at the present session., stated
Mr.. Gompers. at is but another ex-
preston Of the principle now recog-
nizcd as sound in American industry
that the workman should be compen-
stated for injuries suffered in the dis
charge Of his duties"
Asked Il he lad discussed with tho
President the proposed labor mission
20 Russia, Mr.. Gompers countered with
the question, Where did you hear
about thatT Pressed further for
statement regarding the matter. he
positively declined 10 discuss II.
Ever since the return of the Root
mission from Russia there have been
reports that delegation representing
organized labor would be sent to Rus
STA in an effort TO compose the various
elements whose differences seem to be
incapable of settlement from within.
Such a delegation, it has been pointed
out. could accomplish much with the
workingmen's and the more conserva-
tive Socialist elements. In this con-
nection, It has been further empha-
sized, that a labor delegation spon-
sored by Mr.. Gompers would be much
more effective at this juncture In the
Russian internal embroglio than any
other possible mission from the United
States.
German propagandists in this coun-
try, it Is said, robbed the Root mission
of much of it's usefulness to disordered
Russia by widely publishing informa-
ton regarding Mr.. Roots former cor
porate affiliations. In this, il is COM
petently. stated, some Of the more radi-
cal elements In organized labor in this
country Joined. The result was that,
while the Root mission accomplished
much in assuring officials Of the Pro-
visional Government of the hearty CO.
operation and support Of this country
in the further prosecution Of the war,
il failed to reach the rank and file of
the Russian people in way that would
tend TO solidify the several contro-
versial elements. This function. it is
predicted, will be effectively performed
by the proposed labor mission.
There Is a certain delicacy attached
to sending a supplementary mission to