Evening star., 1918-06-01
AMERICAN LABOR
IGNORES GERMANS
Returning Commission De.
clares They Must First
Crush "KuItur."
MEET OFFICIALS HERE,

That American labor will have mol
relations with German labor. enter
into no negotiations and hold no con
versations whatsoever with the repJV
resentatives of the laboring classes
Of the kaiser's empire until kultur
Is crushed and liberty established.
was the message borne to British
laboring men and women by the labor
mission from the United States TO
Great Britain. France and Belgium.
which arrived in this city on the re-
turn trip today
Members Of the commission. which
sailed for England March 20. were
James Wilson. chairman; George L.
Berry. John p. Fry. Miss Agnes Nes-
tor. Miss Melinda Scott. William H.
Johnston, Martin F. Ryan and Will
liam H. Short.
The commission met at headquar-
ters of the American Federation OF
Labor today for a brief informal con-
ference with President Gompers, Sec
retary Frank Morrison and other ofti-
cials OF the federation. Further con-
ferences. at which complete reports
OF the tour and work OF the commits
sion Will be made, are to be held
later.
Commission's Itinerary.
In its tour of Industrial centers of
Great Britain the commission visited
Schefneld. Manchester and practically
all Of the centsrs Of munitions pro-
aussion. suction ssns,s Arms and artillery manu-
land. Ireland. Scotland and wales
The commission was given the
privilege of visiting the British grand
meet. being received on board the
flagship Of Admiral Rodman and
meeting that oficer. Admiral Beatty
and other high officers of the fleet
They also visited the American fleet
cooperating with the British grand
neet and were received by Admiral
Sims.
In France the commission visited
Befkian fronts. being actually on the
lighting lines and in the trenches.
where they saw the almost countless
thousands OF American soldiers "on
the job" in the warfare against the
Huns.
Recsived by Pershing.
They were received by Gen. Perish.
ing and his stan. also meeting many
other high ofncers Of the American
forces, as well a. thousands Of the 4,
men.
wherever we went" said Chair
man Wilson of the commission, I'VE
found nothing but the supremest
confidence in the ultimate outcome Of
the war. Not a single man in the
British. French. Belgian
and other allied forces but feels alb
solutely certain that the Germans
will be beaten, no matter what ap-
parently unfavorable conditions may
arise to delay that contamination"
AT meetings ,i with LABOR s represents, I,;.en
American labor was made plain with
the declaration that under no circum-
stances will American labor meet or
treat with representatives Of the
German laboring classes, hold con-
ferences with them. enter into dis
cussions Of any kind with them. or
have any dealings whatever with
them until the German autocracy is
overcome and liberty. as the term
10 understood by the civilized world.
10 established among Germans and
among the peoples subjugated by the :
kaiser's armies since the outbreak
OF the present war.
Amounts to Boycott.
This declaration, amounting to an
nouncement Of an absolute boycott OF
German labor by organized labor OF
America. was repeated again and
again at conferences with British
labor Representatives. according TO
statements OF members Of the COM
mission.
Relating experiences during the
tour Of the fighting fronts. Chairman
Wilson said:
mo one who has not seen the work
that has been done by the American
forces in France can have any con-,
ception Of its magnitude. The work
done by American engineers in the
of warehouses. railroads.,
supply bases and the like Is utterly
beyond tho power of the imagination
to picture"
Shipyards on the Clyde. said Chair
man Wilson, were beehives OF indus
try. English werkingmen. he said.
have awakened to the necessity for
exertion of their utmost efforts and
today there are no slackers among
the men who are building England,s
ships.
The commission is to remain in this
city for several days before compile
tion of its conferences with officials
of the federation and OF the goverE-
ment.