Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-09-07
Urion Labor Pledges It's Fullest
Cooperation to Help Win tie War
In Stirring Declaration of Principles Samuel Gompers Puts
Labor SoHdIy Behind Country.

MINNEAPOLIS, September t.
Samuel Gompers. president Of the
American Feredation of Labor and
chairman of the American Alliance
for Labor and Democracy, which
opened its national conference here
today, outlined the purpose Of the
organization as the assembling for the
support Of the government "all the
moral and material power of the
working class of the nation"
1T shall be our task" he said, TO
Interpret Americas democratic spirit
and purpose in the conflict to our fell
low workers. especially those Of for
eign birth, and to combat every form
Of propaganda, no matter by whom it
may be carried on, which tends to
weaken the loyalty and devotion Of
tie masses and their willingness to
strive and sacrifice for the nation and
it's high purpose
The complete declaration of princi-
pies as announced by Mr. Gompers
is as follows:
y AS believers in the great and splen-
did vision of democracy and inter-
nationalism the fraternalism ana
solidarity Of all peoples, we assert at
this time our unqualified loyalty to
the Republic Of the United States of
America and our determination to do
all that lies in our power to win the
wor in which it is engaged.
Loyalty to the ideals of freedom,
democracy and internationalism re-
quires loyalty to America.
Disloyalty to America in this crisis
is disloyalty to the cause of freedom,
democracy and internationalism.
mo national selfishness impelled
this Republic to enter the war The
impelling motive was the consuming
idealism born with the establishment
Of this Republic itself to preserve
freedom not only for itself but for all
nations, great and small, and the body
of international law which all the free
democratic nations of the world re-
spect and observe and only the brutal
autocracies seek to dishonor and de-
stroy. In such conflict real stand
ard bearers of democracy and true
iEternationalists can have no hesita7
ton in supporting oud republic which
has made its own the cause and in
.terests of all free peoples. It is
therefore in truth not a Capitalists
war" but a Freemen's wor.
Fully impressed by these facts,
realizing that noble International
ism is implicit in our American con-
ception Of national existence, it shall
be our purpose to bring to the support
OF the government all the moral and
material power of the working class
of the nation. 1t shall be our task
to interpret Americas democratic
spirit and purpose in this conflict 10
our fellow workers, especially those
of foreign birth, and to combat every
form of propaganda, no matter by
whom it may be carried on. which
tends to weaken the loyalty and de-
votionof the masses and their willing
ness to strive and sacrifice for the
nation and its high purposes.
We shall strip the mask from those
who in the name of democracy. anti
militarism, and peace are engaged in
the nefarious propaganda of treach
cry to all that these noble words rep
recent We Indignantly repudiate the
claim that this propaganda which, be
lit remembered, brings joy and COM
fort to German autocracy-has the