New-York tribune., 1918-03-29
They Will State Clearly
That u. S. Workers
Back War
No Interference in
Allied Labor Policy
Nor Will Those to Go In
clude Members of Out
side Bodies

ne American AIllaHCe 1Or AdDoi
and Democracy, of which Samuel Com
pers IS thc president, yesterday made
formal announcement of the personnel
OF the labor delegation which will soon
leave for France and England to make
clear to the workers of those countries
the attitude Of organized labor in
going abroad to talk on the war.
At the same time emphasis was laid
on the announcement that the delega-
ton goes as an Independent body, that
it represents the American Federation
Of Labor and that it has no connection
with any group of college professors
or sociological workers that may be
goig abroad to talk on the war.
These latter groups may go. to Eu-
rope, they may even travel on the same
ship. but they will in no way represent
labor or be of the labor party. as pro-
vided for in the original programme,
approved by George Creel. chairman of
the committee on public information.
This change in plans, it was stated
Yesterday. was due to protests on the
part Of labor with being linked up
even informally with the so-called
''intcilectuals" and to public criticism
Of some of those originally named to
90 in the college and sociological
groups.
Those Who Will Go
james Wilson. president of the Pat
tern Makers League of North America.
is 10 be chairman of the labor delega
ton. and John Frey, of the Interna-
tional Moulders' Union, secretary. The
other members of the party are Will
iam Short, president OF the Washing
ton Federation of Labor; Miss Melinda
Scott, of the Straw Hat Trimmers'
Operators Union; Miss Agnes Nsstor;
president of the Glove Workers
Union; William II. Johnstone, nterna-
tional pres ident of the Machinists'
Union; George L. Berry, president of
the international Pressmens As
sistants' Union; Martin f. Ryan, presi-
dent OF the brotherhood of Railway
Carmen. and Chester NJ. Wright of the
International Typographical Union.
1t should be made clear" said Mr..
Wright. who made the announcement
at the Offices of the American Alliance
for Labor and Democracy, of which
Samuel Gompers is the president. that
this delegation represents the sent-
ment of organized labor in America, as
ton OF Labor. whose representatives
the members of this delegation are. 1t
goes to England and France, not to tell
the workers of those countries what
they should do, but to tell what the
workers of America are doing and
where they stand.
The delegation will deal with the
General Federated Trades Union as the
representative labor body of Great
Britain. 1t viii not mix III the poll
ties or other internal affairs of either
England or France. 1t has under its
credentials the right to confer with
labor representatives of the Allied
countries. but it will have nothing to
do with the representatives OF enemy
countries
Bar Enemy Representatives
ON the matter of dealing with rep
resentatives Of the enemy, it will stand
on the specific declaration of the
dealing or trucking with representa-
tives of the enemy while the war is on.
"Generally it will investigate condi-
tons and report to the convention of
the American Federation of Labor at
its annual convention in St. Paul on
Juno 10"
Mr. Wilson, speaking at the Hotel
Continental last night. said the policy
Of not interfering with internal affairs
IN Allied countries will be adhered to-
We would resent Englishmen or
Frenchmen coming here and telling us
what to do" said he, when the pro-
gramme of the British Labor party
was mentioned, "and I am sure our
mixing in their affairs would properly
cause resentment. SO far as labor is
concerned, we go to tell our friends
abroad that organized labor stands
squarelY with President Wilson for the
prosecution of the war to ultimate and
complete victory"
Three Are Ex-Socialists
Of the nine members Of this party
three arc former Socialists. who de
serted that party because of its un-
American attitude toward the war.
These arc Johnstone, Wright and Miss
Nestor.
Considerable mystery surrounds the
plans for the other groups that were
to have gone abroad as part of the
labor delegation. The most prominent
individual Of these. Professor Charles
A. Beard, late of Columbia University,
has announced that he is not going in
any party, this announcement follow
ing considerable criticism of his selec-
ton to represent the United States.
Another who is not going abroad az
tlis time is Frank p. Walsh. cx-chair-
man Of the Industrial Commission.
There IS also doubt as to whether Clar-
once S. Darrow, who was counsel for
the Los Angeles dynamiters, will be in