The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-16
PRESIDENT WILSON
 OPPOSES LOWERING
 STANDARD OF LABOR
Tells British Envoys Moth ing Could Be More De- plorable Than Move
 of This Kind

WdshllSloil, Mdy lo.--A delegation or labor leaders here for conferences with the British labor enYoys were told by President Wilson at the White House today that he considered that nothing would be more deplorable' than any movement in the present crisis to set aside temporarily the laws which safe guard standards Of labor
 "i do not doubt, said tne President, that any body of men representing labor will be willing to make any sacri- flee that is necessary to carry this con- test to a successful issue, and in this confidence I feel that it would be in- excusable if we deprived men and women of such a spirit of any of the existing safeguards of the law"
 The President mentioned particularly proposals to have state legislatures set aside state labor standard laws during the war, declaring he had been much alarmed" by such suggestions.
 In the delegation were about 150 labor representatives, headed by Samuel Com pers and his associates on the labor committee of the national defense, coun- cil. After the visit to the White House they went into conference with the Brit ish labor leaders at the American Fed eration headquarters discussing in de- tail wartime labor problems. The British representatives told of Great Britain's experiences and advised regarding the best means of preventing labor troubles and safeguarding labor interests in this country until the war is over.
 PRESIDENTS SPEECH
 In addressing the labor delegates the President said:
 This is a most welcome visit, because it means a most welcome thing, the spontaneous cooperation of men from all walks of life interested to see that we do not forget any of the principles of our lives in meeting the great emer- gency that has come upon us.
 MT. Gompers has expressed already one of the things that have been very much in my mind of late. have been very much alarmed at one or two things that have happened at the apparent inclination of the legislatures of one or two of our states to set aside even temporarily the laws which have safe guarded standards of labor and official life I think nothing would be more de- plorable than that. We are trying to IlSnJ ln a cause WnlCn means lne llll- ing of the standards of life, and we can fight in, that cause best by voluntary cooperation. I do not doubt that any body of men representing labor in this country speaking for their fellows will be willing to make any sacrifice that is necessary in order to carry this con- test to a successful issue, and in that confidence I feel that it would be in excusable if we deprived men and women of nf Of tha aYiStinR safeguards of law. Therefore, I shall exercise my influence so far as it goes to see that that does not happen and that the sacrifices we shall make shall be made voluntarily and not under the compulsion which mistakenly is inter- preted to mean a lowering of the stand ards which we have sought through so many generations to bring to their pres ent level.
 GOMPERS QUOTED
 MT. Gompers has not overstated the case in saying that we are fighting for democracy in larger sense than can be expressed in any political term. There are many forms of democratic govern ment and we are not fighting for any particular form,, but we are fighting for the essential part of it all, namely, that we are all equally interested in our so- cial and political life and all have flSnt to VOlce III the government unQeT which we live and that when men and women are equally admitted to those rights We have the best safeguard of justice and of, peace that the world af- fordS There jS no other safeguard. Let any group of men, whatever their original intentions, attempt to dictate to their fellowmen what their political fortunes shall be and the result is in- justice and hardships and wrong of the deepest sort. Therefore. we are just. now feeling as we have never felt be- fore out of a sense of comradeship. We shall feel it even more, because we have not yet made the sacrifices that we are going to make; we have not yet felt the terrible pressure of suffer- ing pain of war and we are going pres ently to feel it and I have every con- fidence that as it's pressure comes upon our spirit will not falter, but rise and be strengthened, and that in the. last we shall have a national feeling and a national unity such as never gladdened our hearts before.
 T want to thank you for the compli- ment of this visit and say if there is any way in which I can co cooperate with the purposes of this committee or with those with whom you are laboring it will afford me a sense of privilege and of pleasure
 where an ice course was served Mrs