The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-07-14
RoosEvELT.eoMPERs ROW.

Carnegie Hall in Uproar as Colonel
Accuses Labor Leader Of Justifying
Murder in East st. Louis Race Riots
-ExcIaims Later: al Wish | Could
Get My Hands on Him.
Starting most auspiciously with a
public welcome amazing in it's spon-
taneity and evident sincerity, the
greeting of New York City to the Rus
sian War Mission yesterday ended in
hostilities between Colonel Theodore
Roosevelt and Samuel Gompers, Pres
ident of the American Federation of
Labor.
Before an audience that filled Car
negie Hall to overflowing, at the mass
meeting which marked the end of the
days program, these two men for a
few minutes went at each other in
way that caused the eyes of the Wis
itors to open in astonishment, the
crowd to gasp, then takes sides and fl
nally become thoroughly disorderly,
and the members of the Mayors Re-
ception Committee to look very much
embarrassed.
Mayor Finally Restores Order.
The end of what would otherwise
have been perfect day was saved by
Mayor Mitchell, who succeeded in get
ting order out of chaos after a little,
and by reminding the audience that
the purpose of the gathering was the
welcoming of the Russians, enabling
the new Russian Ambassador to
make the speech he had prepared,
while Mr. Roosevelt and Mr.. Gompers,
sitting just behind him, glared at each
other.
When the meeting was over friends
had to keep the two men apart. The
Colonel seemed the more eager for 2
meeting. Said he, as Police Inspec-
tors Myers and Dillon escorted him to
his automobile:
al wish | could get my hands on
him!" And then again: "a can scarce
ly keep my hands off hm!"
He seemed anxious to go back from
the Fifty-siXth Street entrance look
ing for Mr.. Gompecs. Theodore Ros-
seau and others, however, prevented
this, and the Colonel drove away.
Then Mr.. Gompers, much more cool,
came out with Hugh Frayne and Tim
othy Healy.
Should Put a Stop to- Murder Before
We Talk of Justice.
The Mayor had introduced Mr..
Roosevelt as the chief speaker with
glowing phrases and the crowd had
yelled for Teddy" as usual. With his
manuscript in his hand the Colonel
had at once departed from his pre-
pared text and brought in the recent
race riots in East st. Louis. He said
that before this country began to talk
of liberty and justice to others it
should see that everything was in or
der in it's own house. He reiterated
much he said at Forest Hills on July 4.
He touched on the appalling brutal
ity" of the East st. Louis affair anu
said that to let such things go unpun-
ished would leave a stain on the name
of America.
Before we congratulate others on
having drawn the mote from their
eye" he said, 1--WE should see that the
beam has been withdrawn from our
own eye. So much for this brief eu-
lody of my fellow citizens. Now for
the business of the evening""
When Mr. Roosevelt had concluded
his prepared speech the Mayor intro
duced Mr.. Gompers, and the latter
told little story to the effect that
had he his own way he would say,
''Them's my sentiments" and sit
down. Then he turned at once to the
East st. Louis matter and said he
would yield to none in express de-
testation of acts of violence.
"Exercise of Tyrannic Power"
81 wish l had brought with me"
he went on, "a telegram l received
of the Federation of Labor in Illinois
explaining the whole matter. 1t was
not only the labor men in East st.
Louis, but a member of the Chamber
of Commerce there as we'll, who
warned those who were bringing the
colored men from the South that they
were to be brought there to under
mine the white workers. Yet thou
sands were brought in and had not a
place in which to lay their heads. The
whole thing was an exercise of tyran-
mic power like that which existed in
old Russia"
There was prolonged applause at
this and Colonel Roosevelt looked
thoughtful. Mr.. Gompers went back
to the Declaration of Independence,
said that all the ideals of America
had not been realized by any means
and that "there is too much injustice
here" and then slowly worked to the