Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-06-14
ALL AID GIVEN
WAR BY LABOR
Samuel GOmpers. President OF
Workmen's Federation Tells Of
Loyalty of Organization.
OPPOSES PEACE NEGCTIATI0J
"NO Possibility OF Losing Says
Chief Of Industrial Unions at
st. Paul Meeting.

Samuel Gompers, president o.
the American Federation OF Labor,
which convened in St. Paul at its
38th annual convention This week,
at the meeting Monday reiterated
that labor is willingly aiding 10
bring the war to d victorious con
clusion. He repeatedly denounced
all talk as TO negotiating peace
with the Hun until democracy IS
made safe
The following clipping was TAX
en- from a pamphlet sent 10 The
Argus from ST. Paul b. Charles
MCGOWAN, president Of the TIL
city Federation OF Labor. The
extract in part gives brief points
on Mr.. GOmper's address.
81 have said. II we should lose2
There is no such possibility. The
spirit of the men of outraged Ser
bia and Rumania. Of ravished Bel
GUM and invaded France, the spir-
it OF Britain. the spirit o. - IN
America, the men Of GaribalIi's
blood-these men viii fight aad
fight on until the Hun shall lc
driven from France, from Belgium.
from Serbia and Rumania, yes,
back from Russia into Germany
(The audience arose unauimou5 r.
and applauded the above state
meRt OF President Gomp5rsl
I'VE must not fall. W. VIII
win. If we should lose, Il we
could lose, the lights of freedom
would go out over the whole world.
The men and women OF labCr OF
America, combined with the citi-
7enship of our republic, are heart
and soul in this struggle, making
common cause With the peoples u
our allied countries. We are in
this fight and we must win We
will win, no matter how long the
contest may last. And God grant
that it may be done quickly! We
have said, and we repeat, that for
the republic of the United states
ana her cause. for the cause OF
freedom and justice and democracy
all over the world we Will give
everything, but for private prolit
nothing.
There IS 10 hatred in our hearts
for tn IeOIle of Germany and
Austria; there is nothing bat SYM
pathy or regret, or both sympathy
and regret for them ana their
course. We know how shey have
been miseducated, We know how
their aspirations have been dUlled,
We know how their men have suf-
fered because they have dared to
1 speak, and we know that tie voice
of labor of Germany must be at
tuned by the key given by kaiser
! ism or that voice cannot be heard
at all We do hope that the spir-
/ it of America, the spirit OF labor
Of America, the spirit OF the demo-
/ cracies of the world may peTmeate
/ the mind and the heart o. the Ger
man people and that they them
selves will crush the tyranny that
! has oppressed and misgIilsc them
so long But IL they feil, Il they
are unable to bring about thAs re-
/ suit, then 1t behooves the workers
and the democIacIes Of the world
/ to crush that Imperialism and that
autocracy for them
May 1 take this opportunity TO
say what perhaps l may not have
another opportunity 10 gsy - q
word in regard to Russia It IS
| a great pity that the situation has
! existed in that unhappy ssR9-tFy
as it has within these past several
months. Every thinking man and
woman must be convinced that q
| treaty or agreement OF any govern
ment with the government a Ger
many is absolutely fruitless and
WORTHLESS. From the time that Ger
man autOcraCy tore esunder the
! treaty that guaranteed the neu-
I trality of Belgium and regarded ir
as a scrap OF paper" TO its prom
! ises TO the American government
again regarded as a scrap OF pa
per-nOne Of its promises have
| been kept Even a few days ago
an agreement secured that certain
cities should not be bOmharded by
either the allies or the Germans
was regarded by the Germans as
a scrap of paper A treaty or
peace was entered into by the rep
resentatives of whatever govern
ment existed in RUSSIA hunih-
ating peace, but nevertheless q
treaty of peaCe-with the imperial
government Of Germany and Aus
tria, and the ink was hardly dry
upon that treaty before German
armies invaded Russia. just as
though no treaty or peace hud
been concluded. Another scrap OF
paper! What hope is there OF any
agreement being kept by the gov
eminent that now exists In Ger
many? The people of Russia are
, suffering as few people know. 1t
is the duty of the American peo-
pie. it is the duty Of the people and
/ the governments of our allied
countries to come to the assistance
in a material way of the people
Of Russia that they may be able
TO maintain themselves. TO redeem
themselves, and possibly again
great Russia with her people will
stand side by side in spirit and in
fact TO fight and defeat and crush
The hated Hun