The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-12
Former Labor Leader Appeals
for Unity of Workers.
Regiment Wiped Out While
WOrkmen Took Holiday.
nUNITION SHIPMENT HELD UP
Victory for Germany Means En-
slavery of America!
Address Before Opening Ses-
zzz sion of A. f. of L. Today.


AMBuffalo, Nov. 12.-With an appea!
to all American working men to place
their full and undivided force behind
the fighting men at the front and
stirring picture of what labor may ex-
pect il Germany wins the war, Presi-
dent A. A. Landon of the Buffalo
Chamber Of Commerce today well
coined the American Federation Of La
Dor at the opening of its convention
here.
A former labor leader himself, who
has seen first hand in Europe how
troops in the field give their lives
and blood for naught when workers at
home engage in disputes instead OF
putting all their energy to keeping the
fighting men supplied, Mr.. Landon ap-
pealed to all labor to sink everything
in a tremendous effort to do its part
to win the war.
War of Self Protection.
president Wilson" declared Mr..
Landons has said we are fighting a
war for democracy. We are not only
fighting a war for democracy but a
war for industrial freedom and self
protection, a war to conserve that
which we now have. A victory for
Germany would mean slavery for the
American people for generations to
come and the people who work will be
the greatest sufferers.
Il spent the summer of 1915 and
1916 in France and Italy, doing what
I could in helping them in their eff
forts to increase the efficiency of their
industries so that they could hold
back the German army and possibly
defeat them. In 1915 England was in
a very sad way.
Il was in England when the Prin-
cess Pat-Canadian regiment-.wa
literally cut to pieces. You know
they vert in full regiment of 2,4OO
men and came out with less than $50
men and eight officers and most of
them wounded. l was talking 10 a
young canadian officer from Mon
treal who used to be a salesman and
therefore worker in civil life and
he told me that they had run out of
ammunition, that the artillery had
run out of shells. and that they had
to crawl out on their bellies, leaving
approximately 1900 men behind. dead.
and missing. They even had to wit
ness one of their officers cruciffed
before their eyes.
Stin Washing Dirty Linen.
And what was happening in Eng
land, large shipment of munitions
that ! was assisting on was completed
and ready to ship and could have
been used and should have been used
in this very battle-upwards of 80
QUO pieces of munition entirely COM
pleted-with the exception of a small
Ilrlng PIN was told that they could
AAON Rt 0GllN6TeQ IN less than three
weeks for the reason that the work
lngmen were taking their annual
summers holiday Think of that
while their own brothers and sons
ana relatives were undergoing hard
ships and fortunes of hell and the
very nation in danger
ana now we are in this war and
thus convention is going to give the
answer SO far as you are concerned
to the American people and TO orr
allies. and last but not least. 70 tba
emperor of Germany. And 1 want tn
say to you that so far as we have gone
the answer is on the side of Germany
we are still washing our dirty linen
and we have not as yet settled down
to a realization of our condition The
German propaganda is a broad one in
the land, and may. be numbered among
your delegates. And why not? They
We're IN the house of parliament in
England. They were in the durna of
Russia; they were in the chamber of
deputies of Italy; they were in the
chamber of deputies in France They
had Greece by the throat and if such
IS the case, why should they NOT he
in our own legislative bodies. national
state and municipal? And if there
repeat, why not here, and if here
how are we going to know him? He
won't tell US. We can only iud1s Nv
his actions and how he approachss
this great problem of winning the war.
Who Are Helping Germany.
1T matters not what a man claims
as reason for justifying the retard
ing or holding back of our war activi-
ties. We must stand on results or any
man or any body of men who as
sumo to get in the way of the results
of winning this war for democracy,
conservation and humanity. is on the
side of Germany. regardless of what
his method of reasoning may be.
DO you imagine that under Ger
man rule you could possibly have he
rights you now have under a deuoc-
racy? Ask any man who has come
from Germany. Ask him why he left
Germany. He will tell YOU the an
swer If he is honest. If we ron
tinue to argue among ourselves as to
the right and wrong of this prinei-
pie and that principle and if we con-
tinue trying to satisfy our personal
ambitions and our pocketbooks al the
expense of our national efficiency
what will we say when our bows re-
turn from France How are We going
to excuse our negligence to them
when they return legless, armless. and
eyeless (if they return at alb know
ing that the reason for it was that
we failed to back our boys at the
front. That the boys very father re-
fused for some reason or other to
make him another shell to shoot or