Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-11-26
Organization Presided Over by
Samuel GomperS Is Now
Highly Centralized and Per-
fect|y Coherent,
UNIONS COMMITTED
TO AMERICAN POLICY
Workingnen Are Staunchly
for Prosecution of War Until
Great Enemy of Democracy
Is Crushed.
Especial Dispatch From Basil VI.
Manly, the Morning Journals
Expert Economist

Buffalo, Nov. 25.-The entire char
acter of the American Federation OF
Labor has been altered at the most
important of all its conventions, with
where the great changes have taken
where the great changes are taking
place, and with few of the delegates
conscious of the significance of
eventful decisions adopted almost
without debate.
The changes in the federation are
at least as revolutionary as those
government of the United States. The
government, even after the war, will
never resume its old forms, institu-
tions and spirit, nor will the A. f. of
l.. ever resume its old character and
methods.
The American nation is being re-
born during thq war, and so is the
American Federation of Labor.
Before the war the A. F. of L. was
loose confederation of autonomous
unions, with no control over either
International or local organizations
save the power to revoke charters,
Not only would the constituent unions
have refused such control, but the
Gompers administration did not seek
it, avoiding the tremendous respon-
sibilities which it would have en-
tailed.
Each union got what 1t wanted by
strikes or negotiations with employ
ers and there was little common ac-
| ton save in few phases of federal
! Legislation. Few people outside the
labor movement knew how weak
were the bonds which held the unions
! together.
The war has changed and is chang
(. ing all this. First of all, the A. F. of
| L., through the influence of President
Gompers, undertook the enormous re-
sponsibility of committing the Ameri-
can la Dor movement to a definite atti-
tude and line of action during the
war. Having accepted this RESPONSE
bility, it has been necessary to develop
the means of control by which the
unions and their individual members
could be brought to work in harmony.
SO far little more has been done in the
direction than to create the necessary
spirit and lay the broad foundations
upon which the great machinery OF
Union control and coordination will
| hereafter be built.
The war itself has already forced
international and local unions into a
| position of dependence upon the fed
Grafton and consequent degree of
coordination. which is not yet ap-
preciated by the rank and file. Be
fore the war each union got what it
could by strikes or negotiations
whether the A. F. of L. liked it or
not
| Now strikes or union negotiations
Iaffect not merely an employer or a
group of employers, but the interests
of the government and the entire
American people. The government
must be dealt with and that requires
hin nearly every case the good Of
fices of the A. F. OF L. and President
Gompers. In the old days the union
with a strong treasury could ignore
the opinion of Gompers and the gov
iernment. Now no strike, even by
the strongest union. would have a
chance for success IL Gompers de-
nounced it.
The demand Of the federation for
Representation in all governmental
Iactiyities is also destined to work far
lreaching changes With the power that
lis being sought and gained is coming
responsibility. In the past the Amer
hican labor movement has Stunned
Rrather than sought participation in
government, content to pursue its own
political and economic ends by the
means which bore the least possible
onus of responsibility.
Indifference to great economic and
political questions has been marked
Ichara cteristic Of the conventions of
1.-The A. F. of L., but in the future, the
Ia r. of L. will have a measure OF
responsibility for whatever the execu-
tive branch of the government does.
OF equal Importance in changing
the character of the A. r. of L. is
the change of the convention date
from November to June. November
was selected originally with an eye to
keeping politics out Of the conyen-