The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-03-02
DEFENDS LABOR AGAINST
DlSLoYAETY IMPUTATlONS.
Editor of The, Labor World:

Editor of The, Labor World:
In the: Feb. 18th tissue. Of the Du,
luth Herald there was an article de-
voted to pending strike of the Ship
builders In the Twin Ports, and vari-
Gus reasons for such action and accus-.
ing our members Of being Of pro-Ger-
man tendencies, etc.
Where or how this information took
. root is a mystery to the loyal men,
bers OF our organization. We have had
to swallow many such accusations and
underhanded tricks in the past, and
find that they are falsely perpetrated
by some snake" whose interests
would be benefited. by. such action.
That. we think, is the source of these
false statements, .... =,
If there is anything that will give
our enemy aid and comfort it is such
articles as these in the public press
and the kaiser will sure chuckle when
his representatives send him this art
icle and reads that some of the ship
builders are pro-German and that
these pro-Germans are successfully
instigating unrest and strikes among
their fellow workers. In attempting
to knock organized labor under the
guise of patriotism this writer has
placed himself in the boots in which
he intended placing our organization.
I defy the writer to prove one state
ment made in this article.
This practice of accusing workers
of being German sympathizers and +.
w. w. etc., must come to a stop. 1t
never fails that if a body of honest,
loyal workers, the true citizens Of this
! United States, unite to protect them
| selves against the nefarious conditions
! sometimes imposed upon them, and to
endeavor to secure a wage sufficient
to keep the hungry wolf way from
the door of their wife and children
| that they are then misrepresented to
| the public as pro-German or I. w. w.
| The reason for these Qying) state
| ments is to tear down their only
! chance to secure the rights which
they are entitled to as loyal American
! citizens.
| It states in this article that 1.-THE
! agitators and leaders Of this (sup-
posed) strike are, pro-German." II
| there was ever an accusation that
!. would stir the wrath of the loyal
patriotic members of our organiza-
lions, this is the worst. Even the first
| thought of strike has not occurred
nor been brought up by any member
of our organization. BY this state
| ment it is intimated that we are led by
! individual members; or in other words
puts us in the class Of the I. w. w.
who work or strike according to their
whims or fancies. We have one lead
! err in such matter, and he is our
, worthy International president, J. A.
Franklin, who, is a member of one
! of Uncle Sans labor boards. Even
he must consult with Samuel Com
pers, man whom all loyal Ameri-
ems respect. To accuse our local or
| ganization of being pro-German casts
the same reflection upon Mr.. Frank
lin and Mr.. Gompers, as we are under
! their jurisdiction.
We have, in our organization,
strong, intellectual and moral men,
! who are now engaged in laboring to
furnish Uncle Sam with ships. They
are the men, who, when the crisis
comes, are looked up to to preserve
the liberty and freedom of this Unit
! ed States. They can take, and have
taken, much abuse and never whim-
| per; but, there is a limit. When mat
ters go the limit, the patience of these
men will snap. and being accused Of
pro-Germanism is reaching almost the
Shaping point It is the duty of every
patriotic citizen to deal with our mem
bers and organization as men among
men. Anyone failing to perform this
duty is playing into the hands of the
enemy, and should be placed in a de.
tention camp while our nation is in
danger.
MARTIN SEVERSON,
Corresponding Secretary Int. Brother.
hood Boilermakers, Iron Shipbuild.
ers and Helpers of America.