The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-11-30
Bewildered AT His Fail
ure to Name Gompers
AS Peace Delegate.
MAY BAR MEETING
F federation earful Lest
Allies Decide Against
Simultaneous Con-
ference.

Washington, Nov. 2e.-Organized
labor Is watching President Wilson
and the various governmental depart
mcnfs, fearful lest tho consideration
and friendly reception accorded II dur
ing the war is TO be lost, now that the
war Is won.
ure OF some infimation to come from
the White House that samuel
Gompers. its spokesman. and president
of the American Fedora don of Labor.
Is to be appointed a delegate TO the
peace conference:
Assurances given the labor move
ments OF England and France that
both Premiers Lloyd George and
Clemenceau are to appoint ahor mem
hers in the delegations from those
countries have been reported to the
ton here and have encouraged the
American labor movement to feel that
IL was surely entitled to representa-
ton, especially as its leader and un-
official nominee for the appointment
has just returned from an inter allied
labor conference abroad and from a
Pan American labor conference. in
both Of which he was the dominating
figure
day by the American Federation OF
Labor OF It's intent to call the inter
national conference of labor at the
same time and place with the peace
conference. The purpose Of this con
ference IL TO lift the voice Of labor,
so that it shall be heard in peace con-
ference an: make its influence felt
in the determination Of the plans for
the new internationalism which that
conference may work out.
1t also plans new international
trade union federation to take the
place of the former organization
which existed before the war. but in
which German unionists held leader
ship. American leadership il 10 sup
~IlAnt the German ia the new. arganiz2.
ton.
May BAR Conference
Additional uneasiness was given to-
day by Representations from France
that this conference might not be per
mitted by the allied nations. The
report seems to have originated from
the appeal of labor delega. on To
Premier Ciemenceau for permission to
held ta*s sfsestlng 10 which he erNp4&ed
that he would .afer the matter both
TO the cabinet s.nd the allies,
The only action which might be
taken here to halit. would be the re-
. fuSal or passports 10 Inc ueleEaics
So far as is known, no such action by
the state department is contemplated
Application for passports has not as
yet been made. President q .ripers
of the federation. left this afternoon
for New York to consult with labor
leaders there regarding the program
for the international conference.
Labor also is bewildered by its pres
ent relation with some OF the govern
mental Departments. The railway
tclegra piers are on the verge of :
strike because OF what they regard as
unfair treatment ny the railroad ad-
ministration. The commercial tele-
graphers are on the verge of strike
because of the failure of the postottice
department to adjust their grievances
along the lines recommended by Preat-
dent Wilson and the national W II
labor board. and representatives of the
shipbuilding trades are in convention
in Washington, considering their rela-
tons with the emergency fleet cor
poration. They came in angerea a.
the elimination Of overtime. hut arr
gradually coming ound to the gov
ernments view.
; Labor, however, fears that its un-
Outstanding with the government is
weakening. II expects to renew III
strength in It's new international trad,
union federation and its program fol
a closer combination of effort with
capital in all matters affecting in
dustry.