Denver labor bulletin., 1917-11-03
RMISSARY TOLD THAT 1T
is UNTIMELY.
Buffalo Convention Will Have
Many Big Labor Issues to Con-
slider. Among Them Con-
scription for the War
Industries.
by LAURENCE TODD
teVsAal Representative The Deaver Labor
BuuetfnD


Washington, Oct .29.-At the very
outset of its session for drafting the
annual report and Recommendation TO
the convention of the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor, the executive council
has thrown down the challenge to that
considerable party in the labor move
ment which has been urging that the
Federation take part in labor confer
ence abroad during the war Il has
refused to join with the Russian labor
movement in calling an international
labor conference.
According to an official statement
Of the matter from the office Of Pres
ident Gompers:
The executive council. having be-
fore II n report made by President
Gompers of n conference with Mr.. ia
cob Baum, who claims TO be a courier
entrusted with n message from the e1-
ecutiye committee of the Workmen's
and Soldiers Delegates Council, De
partment of international Relations
OF Russia, Vice President Perham and
Secretary Morrison having also re-
ported having conference with Mr.
Baum upon the same subject of his
message. and the message being n re-
quest for the American Federation Of
Labor to call or TO participate in an
and socialists Of all countries, having
given the subject matter full consider
alton, declares ms follows:
That we regard IL rs untimely and
inappropriate. conducive to no good re-
suit, but on the contrary harmful, to
hold an international conference at
this time or in the near future with
the representatives Of all countries. in
cluding enemy countries. and we are
constrained therefore to decline at this
time either to participate in or to call
such n conference.
Greetings to Russian Worker
we take occaIion again to send fra
tcrnal greetings to the people and re-
public of Russia and our earnest
wishes for the success and perma-
ncncy of Russia's democracy. That
we all make energetic efforts in our
democracy in all the nations Of the
world"
Your correspondent inquired. at the
offices of Mr.. Gompcrs, today, whether
the executive council would submit any
alternative plan for securing con-
ference of spokesmen of the working
people of the various countries, or of
any group Of countries. No such alter
pativc is being proposed to the Rus
sian workers. but as the whole matter
will be up for debate at the Buffalo
convention in few weeks, il is safe
TO assume that the executive council
will have some plan in mind.
Industrial Conscription.
Another big issue before the con-
vention, and one with which the coun-
ell is wrestling this week, is industrial
conscription, or forced labor. Lord
AL, -, I.,, L., q Ix,,.1
Of more ships. and the demands of his
American friends that 100000 addi-
tional workers be found Immediately
for the shipyards have given the pre-
text for an outburst OF editorial sug-
gestions that Tabor" be made to serve
under military orders.
In the manifesto Of March 12, 1917,
adopted Mt a conference here attended
by the heads of almost all of the inter
national unions comprising the A. F.
of L., one of the fundamental lines laid
down was the refusal to submit to any
industrial slavery under the name of
military service. The workers Of the
United States would do their bit in
time of war, but they proposed to rem
der industrial service under industrial
terms, and not under military law, IL
they could have any voice in the de-
cision.
Problem Of More Labor.
Today there is very strong resent
mcnt noticeable among the men in the
trades that would be affected by any
forced service of the kind proposed.
As one Of the international officers Of
the Machinists pointed out, there is
only certain amount Of labor in the
country, and all Of II is employed Mt
present. II the government wishes to
place these men in jobs that are more
necessary to the government just now,
no citizen can object. But to think
that more work will be done by men
under military compulsion than under
normal civilian conditions, in which
good work brings good pay, and in
which every man has his freedom, is
folly. More than that, II is destructive
to the spirit Of all the workers in those
trades.
Instead Of forced labor, the union Of
ficials propose that the government