New-York tribune., 1918-06-12
Mission, Back From Eu-
rope, Proposes Plan to
Combat Socialism
Unity of Workers
Sought to Win War
Report Urges Campaign to
Prevent Inter-Bellig-
erent Conference
Especial Dispatch to The Tribune)

Especial Dispatch to The Tribune)
ST. PAUL, June 11.-A proposal that
Samuel Gompers be sent to Europa to
initiate an international trade union
federation to combat the influence
which the international Socialist party
is exerting over the European labor
movement was made to day at the con-
vention of the American Federation of
Labor by the official labor mission, just
returned from England and France.
The immediate aim is to squelch the
plan for conference between Allied
and German labor groups, which, the
mission found, now dominates the in
ternational policy of the labor forces
in England and France. The American
Federation has opposed this plan from
the beginning. and it was chiefly for
the purpose of stating this opposition
that the mission was sent abroad.
The proposal was made la guarded
language because the mission was not
empowered officially to make recon-
mendations, but the report was dis
cussed thoroughly with Mr.. Gompers
before being delivered. and the mem
bers Of the mission. in private CONVEX
sation, told of the farreaching charac-
ter of the suggestion.
Workers Stand with Allies
That the convention grasped what
was being proposed was shown by the
applause which greeted the significant
passages and by the protest of four
lone Socialists. who amid Kisses sought
to prevent the report being published
as 1T stood. There is little doubt that
when brought up for discussion from
the floor the plan will be indorsed.
The report, read by Secretary John
P. Frey, of Cincinnati states that out
side Of "small but noisy" pacifist min
ority, the will of the working classes
IN Allied countries is TO continue the
war resolutely until victory is won.
But, it continues, there is a wide d.
vergence as to the means to victory.
In both England and France majority
Of the leaders favor some form of con-
ference with the German workinpmen.
The commission believes, however. that
the rank and file is against any parley-
ing with the enemy until he IS driven
off Allied soil.
This anomaly, the report continues.
is due to the dual organization of the
european labor movement. "In Great
Britain" it states. "and upon the Eu-
ropean continent there exist to-day
among the workers more or less Joint
industrial and political movements
the political wing being invariably Of
Socialist complexion "While these
Socialist groups work with the trade
unions politically, they maintain their
separate affiliation with the interna-
tional Socialist organization"
Sees Danger in Socialists
In other words, the mission believes
that the Socialist party, which has
maintained some sort of international
organization during the war, is able
to dominate the purely industrial la
Dor movement, which has not To po-
lltlcal socialism, internationally or
ganized, it attributes the growth of
Germans, demand which originated
with the Russian Soviets soon after
the revolution, made a convert of Ar
thur Henderson,, then labor member
OF the British War Cabinet, and
through him converted majority of
the labor party of England and the
General Federation of Labor in France.
The members of the mission believe
that the purely industrial labor move
ment should have as close an interna-
tional organization as the Socialist po-
litical movement in order to combat it.
ut is unsafe and unsound," the re-
port says, "to contemplate passively
the influences exerted upon the trades
union movement in the great indus
trial nations of the world by political
leaders, however sincere they NAV be.
whose viewpoint and experiences are
those of the theorist and the politician.
The policies artl programmes of the
workers must be formulated by the
workers themselves, acting through
their industrial organizations, if their
best interests are to be conserved.
Urge Labor Movement
1.-THE existing conditions tend to en-
phasize the urgent necessity for a pure
ly trade union international federation
at which the industrial problems can
be given ample consideration entirely
apart from any political movement. or
considerations. We therefore recon-
mend that during the period of the war
the American Federation of Labor
maintain one or more direct represent
atives in Europe"
1t is understood that the projected
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