The Washington herald., 1918-02-16
Chairman Of Board Appeals
to Patriotism Of Union
Workers.
GOMPERS PLEDGES AID
In PROSECUTING WAR
Federation Head Says AL
lied Labor VIII Aid
to Victory.

iuS SHltCo StatCs ShhPPhi6
Board last night was in a deadlock
with the United Brotherhood of Car
penters and Joiners. 5000 of whose
men are on strike at the shipyards
on Staten Island. New York. and at
Baltimore.
Chairman Edward N. Hurley. of
the Shipping Board. admitted he
had nothing more. tangible than
hope, based entirely on the patriot
ism of the workers. to get the men
back on the job without drastic
action.
What the action would be he
would not discuss. We'll cross that
bridge when we come to it. he
said.
Makes Wage Demands.
Mr.. Hurley made public a telegram
he sent yesterday afternoon to VIII
liam l. Hucheson, general president
Of the carpenters brotherhood. In it
he emphasizes the fact that Mr..
Hucheson is "the only international
president Of all crafts working in the
shipyards who has refused to become
a party" to the otherwise general
agreement of organized labor to sub
NIT all disputes tos the ShipbuIlding
Labor Adjustment Board.
This telegram was in answer to one
of Mr.. Hucheson's sent in reply to
the chairman's first telegraphic admo-
milton to "go back to work at once. "
Mr.. Hucheson's reply to that was a
reiteration, in effect, of his original
demands, the main issue Of which is
for absolutely union conditions and
the Pacific coast wage scale on the
Atlantic coast
Commenting on that. Mr.. Hurley's
telegram of yesterday afternoon says.
in part:
Your efforts have been confined to
demanding special privileges for the
members of your organization that
would discriminate in their favor as
against the other crafts. Are the
other international presidents less pa
triotic or less careful of the interests
of their crafts than yourself? You
have known that you could become a
party to this agreement at any time
and thereby cooperate with the gov
thu nfhnr ranTaSanfatiVpS
OF organized labor in preventing ces-
national crisis"
Gompers Pledge LabOr's Aid.
Within few hours after the ex-
change of these kilograms, Samuel
Campers, president of the American
Federation of Labor, who had been in
conference with labor delegates from
Great Britain and members of the ex-
ecutive council of the American Fed
Grafton, issued a statement in which
he declared that organized labor will
stand together sin the triumphal pros
ecution of the war"
"The situation of the labor condi-
tions of England and America, respec-
lively" Mr.. Campers said, were gone
over at these conferences and the unity
Of the labor forces of both countries
are together in the triumphal prose
cution of the war"
The British labor representatives,
taking part in the discussions. were
w. A. Appleton. Charles Duncan
James Walker and William Moses.
Almost coincidenet with the an
nouncement, Mr.. Gompers sent out
a ringing appeal to labor throughout
the United States to stand by the
government, and a reminder that ii
is labors own liberty and freedom
that hangs in the balance OF the
world struggle.
Labor" he declared, has given
its young men to the service OF the
republic. 1t will not endanger the
lives of soldiers and sailors, nor the
principles of freedom. Labor knows
that the international principles for
which we are fighting have a coun-
terpart in the normal relations be-
tween man and man. All of labor's
accumulated power will be used to
maintain those principles in every
relation of life.
"As know the power and the con-
science of labor. from the depths OF
my heart hope nothing will be done
TO hamper the constructive work of
the organized effort of free workers
who have been rendering indispensa-
BILE service and who will stand faith
full until victory comes"
President May Act.
The situation with regard to these
walkouts is understood to have oc-
cupied the attention of the Cabinet
at a particularly lengthy meeting yes
terday afternoon.
While no announcement was forth
coming, the impression prevailed
strongly in official quarters that the
President himself might make move
in an effort to compose the difficulties.
Lack of coordination between the
various departments of the govern
ment in the adjustment of labor Ques-
tons is said to be in part responsible
for the failure to reach an under
standing.
Striking shipyard workers subject
to draft lay themselves open to draft
into military service.
Ample authority for this procedure
is provided in the Selective Service
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