The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-11-12

"STAND BY MR.. G0MPERS"


ana TIlllClplC OI t6uOIlIr
He Says
AUDITORIUM, BUFFALO, Nov.
L President Wilson made ca personal
and eloquent appeal here to-day for the
iull support OF organized labor for the
government in the conduct OF the war.
Speaking before the annual convention
OF the American Federation OF Labor.
he declared the war could not bc won
unless all factions unite IN a common
cause sinking their differences.
Teh president paid warm tribute
to Samuel Gompers, president Of the
federation and virtually called upon
the federation to give him united
support
He denounced paciiists and crit
les He appealed for cooperation.
Discussing Germany the president
declared flatly that Germany had start
Cd the war and that he was willing to
await the verdict Of history on that
HatemCnt
III Co-Operation Is Better.
n New instrumcntalties for better CO..
|lspcration between labor and capital
|pas one statement by the President
Nhch was Of prime interest to the dele
|falcS 10 the convention. The president
|aluded to the present was as the last
| |deciste issue between the old principles
ot power and the new principle OF free
dom
II believe" he said, that the
/ spirit of freedom can get into the
shearts OF Germans and find as fine
a welcome there as it can find IN
any other hearts. But the spirit OF
freedom does not suit the plans of
the Pan Germans Power cannot be
used with concentrated force
against free peoples II IT is used By
flee peoples"
"You know" he continued "how
many intlmalions came IN Us from one
OF the ccntral powers that It IS more
anxious for pCav' than the chlcl central
power, and YOU nov that it means that
the people in that central power know
that il the Wu ends as it stands, they
will. in effect themselves be yaSSalS
| OF Germany Notwithstanding that their
population, e compounded ol all the
i people and that part Of the world and
uotwilh>, uuuc the fact tia, they do
not wish their idc and proper spirit
oi nationality To he absorbed and doml-
mated.
"No Freedom for RWsis"
Referring in another hart OF his
speech to Russia, the president said
MAY | not say it is amazing to me
that any group of people should he SO
ill.iniormcd as to ,upposc as some
groups in Russia apparently suppose,
that any reforms planned in the inter
est Of the people can live in the prrsls
encc OF a Germany powerful enough to
undermine or overthrow them by in
trigue OF force. any body OF free men
that compound with the German gov
crnmcnt compound, Tor ijS own dcsuuc-
| tion'
Man Of Deslnv."
Samuel Compcr,. president Of the
American Federation ol Labor intro
ducing Mr. Wilson. referred 10 him
as this man OF destiny spokesman ar
| freedom interpreter oi the Aims and
spirit OF our time leader of thought
and action among the nations OF the
earth
Mr. Wilson began by saying he e..
tccmed It privilege and an honor &c
be present as IT seemed to him a time
above all others for common counsel
"a time for drawing the enerRie, ot
the nation together
Most Critical Time Yet
The president referred to IN" pres
eni as "a time moro critical than IN,
world has vet kuown'
1T was important in this moment nj
counsel to remind ourselves how IN,
war came about he said, and con
tinucd "rhiS is the last decisive is
sue between the principle of power
and the new principle oi freedom"
He said the war was started by
Germany 81 am willing" he said,
TO await the verdict Of history on
the statement have Just made
Germany has made a place in tn,
sun, the president continued "Wh,
was she not satisfied what more doc
She want"
i Government Controls Competition.
/ The president described Germany
1 expansion as a nation you have ON
i answer TO the question why she wa
not satisfied in her favored competi
iou." he said, telling how the govern
msnt of Germany has laid hold or
industry" and controlled the compe
lnlon He said 1t was not only in
du,lrial control OF labor but politica
,lulroi rs well
"rhe Berlin Ragdad railroad proicc