The Washington herald., 1918-05-26
LABOR CONTROL
NOT AIMED AT,
BAKER STATES
Work or Fight Order to
Guide Exemption Boards
Only.
APPLICATION GRADUAL
Shifting Of Workmen Dif-
ficult and Slow, Says
Official.

Secretary. of War Baker yesterday
afternoon made It plain that Provost
Marshal General Crowder's work or
fight" order was not aimed at mill
tary regulation of labor. The secre-
tary was emphatic in the assertion
that this regulation has nothing to
do with the labor situation Of the
country" and the War Department
has no intention of undertaking to
affect the labor situation of the
country by military regulation"
The Secretary further declared that
unemployment by reason of strikes
would not bring a registrant within
the scope OF unemployment under the
Crowder ruling.
Bakers Statement.
The Secretary's statement follows
My attention has been called to
the possibility of some misunder-
standing Of the order issued through
the Provost Marshal General affect
ing persons engaged in less es-
sential Industries, one suggestion
being that this Is the beginning of
q SCIlC6 VI IC6 uAaNiOhS AoA Nho poA
pose of affecting the labor situa-
tion in the country. l want to
state in the most positive way that
this regulation has nothing to do
with the labor situation Of the
country, and II is no part OF the
intention of the War Department.
either in this regulation or any
ether, to undertake to AFFECT the la
90 IL hHy,
tary. regulation. The sole purpose
of this order is to guide exemption
boards in their duty to apply the
provisions of the law enfecting oc-
cupations as a reason for exemption
and deferred classification"
Eject on Unemployed.
The Secretary then was asked what
would be the effect of this regulation
upon persons temporarily out Of en-
ployment by reason of strikes grow
ing out of labor disputes. He said:
THE regulation is silent on that
subject, but 1t is not the intention
of the Department to permit the draft
regulations to be used to AFFECT any
such labor controversy. and unem-
pIoyment by reason of strikes will
not be regarded as such unemploy-
ment as will cancel either exemption
or deferred classification. The whole
question of the relation of the gov
ernment to labor is for administration
by the Labor Department, and the
War Department does not intend any
indirect interference in it"
Labor Leaders Approve.
1t is known authoritatively that
Samuel Gompers and other officials of
the American Federation of Labor
were consulted before the work or
fight order was made public. and
that no objections were offered. Presi-
dent Wilson also gave his approval
of the new regulation.
Inquiry yesterday developed that
the Provost Marshal General, i'm pre-
pairing his work or fi-ht" order, did
not have in mind any wholesale
transfer of men from one community
to another. Districts In which there
Is no shortage of labor will not feel
the full effects Of the new regulation
so long as there Is no acute need for
workers. Washington will be little
affected, 1t was admitted.
This illustration was given by one
Of General Crowder's staff officers:
"A grocery clerk in a small rural
town. who may have dependents and
a permanent home, would not be re-
quired to pull up stakes and go 20
a far-away work center"
Boards to Consider.
Attention was called to this por-
tion of General Crowder's statement
announcing the order:
where a change from nonuseful
to useful employment OF occupation
would necessitate a removal of the
registrant or his family, local
CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT.