Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-06-11
LABOR URGED
BYW|LS0N To
HELP IN WAR
Says It Can Be Lost in
America as Well as on
Fields of France.

Washington. June 11-Presi-
dent Wilson today telegraphed
to the American Federation OF
Labor and the American Ali
ance Of Labor and Democracy.
in convention at st. Paul,
Minn.. urging renewed efforts
of labor in sppOrt of the war
program.
"The war can be lost in
America as well as on the
fields OF France and ill cOnsid-
cred or unjustified Interrupt
tiOns of the essential labor of
the country may make it i'm
possible TO win it." said the
presidents telegram to Robert
Mafsel. of the American Alli-
ance for Labor and DemOc-
racy.
No controversy between capital
and labor should be permitted to
interfere with prosecution of tho
war the president said, until ev-
cry instrumentality set up by the
government had been employed to
settle it To Mr.. Gompers, the
president telegraphed:
Pleased BY LabOr's Support.
please convey to the thirty
eighth annual convention of the
American Federation of Labor my
congratulations upon the patri-
otic support the members of your
organization have given TO the
progress of the nation in the past
year.
We are facing the hardships Of
the crucial months of the strug-
gle The nation can face them
confidently, assured now that the
intrigues of the enemy can never
divide our unity by means of those
industrial Quarrels and class dis
sensions which he had tried so
diligently TO foment. In these
days OF trial and self-secrifice the
American workingman IS bearing
his share of the national burden
nobly. In the new world of peace
and freedom, which America is
fighting to establish, his place will
be as honored and his service as
gratefully esteemed"
Praises ORGANIZATIONS Work.
The presidents telegram to Mr..
Mais said:
The American Alliance for La
Dor and Democracy has my earnest
hope for a successful convention
that will give added strength TO fu-
ture activities. Called into being 10
combat ignorance and misunder-
standing, skiIlfully played upon by
disloyal Influences, your organiza-
tion has done a great work. 1t has
aided materially in promoting the
unity that proceeds from exact un-
derstanding and is today a valid and
important part of the great machin-
cry that coordinates the energies
of America in the prosecution of a
just and righteous war.
Must Aid War First.
THE war can be lost in America
as well as on the fields of France
and ill-considered or unjustified in
terruptions of the essential labor
Of the country may make it impos-
sible to win it. No controversy be-
tween capital and labor should be
suffered to interrupt it until every
instrumentality set up by the gov
ernment for its amiCable settlement
has been employed and its interme-
diation headed to the utmost; and
the government has set up instru-
ments wholly fair and adequate
And this duty to avoid such inter
of industry wherever it can
be avoided without the actual sac
rifice of essential rights rest upon
the employer as imperatively as
upon the workman. No man can af-
ford to do injustice at any time but
at this time justice is of the essence
OF national defense, and the con-
tests for any sort of advantage that
at other times would be justified
may now teopardize~the very life of
the nation"
Wilson World Leader.
st. Paul, Mimi, June IA re-
port emphasizing President VIII
sons position as a world leader in
the war, giving in details the re-
suits of its meeting with English
and French labor leaders and rec
the establishment of an
federation of trade
unions, today was submitted TO the
annual convention of the American
Federation of Labor by the Ameri-
can Labor Mission which recently
returned from Europe.
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