New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-11
Wilson toHelp
Gompers Fight
Labor Pacifists
President to Address War
Convention at Buffalo;
Loyalty Chief Issue

guard Of delegates to the first war
convention of the American Federation
of Labor, which opens here on Monday,
has begun to pour into the city, and
already it is patent that Samuel Com
pers, president of the organization, in
his insistence that organized labor be
loyal to the nation, is facing ono Of the
hardest fights in career marked by
hard fighting.
Just how important the Administrs-
tion considers this. fight is indicated to
night by the announcement of Mr..
Gompers that President Wilson will ad-
dress the convention on Monday. Ser
retary Tumuity notified Mr.. Gompers
to-day that the President will leave
the capital tomorrow for a flying trip
here, returning Immediately after ad-
dressing the convention.
simultaneously it was announced
that the men of the officers training
camp at Fort Niagara will act rs >
guard Of honor to the President while
he is in the city.
La Toilette Influence Felt
In this fight OF Gompers the infu-
ence Of Senator La Toilette shows
clearly, for the present programme OF
those opposed to the Gompers policy OF
standing by the government is 20 have
their fight made in committee ard on
the floor of the convention by Andrew
Furuseth, head of the Seamen's Union.
Furuseth is the author Of the snlpplng
bill which bears the name Of the
Wisconsin Senator. He is under obli-
cation TO La Toilette for his work IN
forcing the measure on the statute
,)oks, and will in part repay the DEBT
p not only leading the fight of the
pacifists and the pro-German elements
nat will be found in the convention
for peace resolutions, but VIII detend
the Wisconsin Senator IN any attack
that may be made upon him.
Furuseth could have the support OF
all of the anti-Gompers elements IN
the convention for the presidency II
he would consent TO make the contest.
This. however, he will not do, for
however much he may oppose and crit
icise the position taken by Mr.. Gom-
pers. he will not contest his election
This refusal leaves the antl-war-antl-
Gompers element without candidate
for president. for the time being at
least. In other years an element among
the printers has fought Gompers, So
calists and others rallying about Max
HAYES for that purpose. inns year
HAYES will. it is now understood. stand
with the administration Of the FED
Grafton and against his former associ-
ates. The anti-GomperS element nave
also counted on measure OF assist
ance from the printers as whole be-
cause of the friction that developed pc
tween Mr.. Gompers and Marsden u.
Scott. the printers leader, over the re-
cent streetcar strike in New York.
Printers May Aid Gompers
The best information now available
Is that printers will be found lined up
solidlv for Gompers as matter OF ma
tional policy, reserving whatever grley-
ances they may have until happier days.
James II. Maurer, president OF the
Pennsylvania State Federation OF La
bor and an active worker IN the pro-
German Peoples Council, Will be mere
Monday 70 take charge of the hght OF
/ the professional pacifists. With him
will be Max Pine. Of the Hebrew trades
of New York. and others OF prominence
in the Manhattan East Side labor "otld
who have been lined up on the pacihst
side. Maurer is not a delegate 10 the
convention. but he will direct an enort
70 have the convention discredit the
American Alliance for Labor and De-
mocracy organized by Gompers to hght
/ the labor pacifsts and pro-Germans.
Mr.. Gompers has been on the ground
since Yesterday, with others OF the
executive council OF the Federation
and the heads of numerous interna-
tional bodies. These assert that while
/ the pacifist crowd will be noisy and DO
everything in their power to force the
organization TO come around 10 their
way of thinking, the overwhe lining ma
jority of the delegates VIII be Tor tne
| prosecution of the war to a successful
| finish.
There is" says Mr.. Gompers, mo
doubt that there will be fight by a
minority against the policy organized
labor mas followed since before this
country went 70 war. but II ls undoubt-
edly true that the convention will de-
clare It's wholehearted loyalty TO the
government and the support Of the
war"
While the convention opens on Mon
day. il will be late in the week before
any of the contests take shape, and
well toward the end of the week before
IL settles down 70 hard work. IL prob
ably will be in session y fortnight