New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
Must Be Real Workers at
Lausanne or Delegates
Won't Sit, Says Compers
a. +. of l.. President Tells
House Committee Things
He Learned While Abroad
BY Theodore NJ. Knappen

2. q 7eratlon of Labor. told the Senate
II nmlttee on Labor and Education to-
day that 1t was by no means certain
that the committee the federation is
sending TO the outskirts of the peace
conference would attend the interna-
uonal labor and Socialistic powwow at
Lausanne, Switzerland, as predicted by
Chester Wright in q dispatch to The
Tribune from London.
Mr. Gompers gave the impression
that the American delegation would as
certain pretty thoroughly whether the
meetings at Lausanne were to be of
real laboring men or merely of the Gin
tcllectuals" before it committed itself
even by appearing on the scene.
Representatives Of American labor,
he implied, are very particular as to
what company they keep these days,
and they have learned from past eN-
perience that some very queer birds
travel as honest workngmen in Euro
pean labor conferences.
Mr. Gompers gave this information
IN the course OF the testimony. or,
rather. the discourse. with which he
favored the committee this morning as
20 us COllcCJlOn OIL M
formation concerning social recon-
struction and readjustment
How Americans Won
The committee enjoyed Mr. Com
pers's racy account of the European
labor and Socialistc organizations
and the personalities of some of their
leaders. and Of how, at the instance Of
the American delegation, the interna-
tlonal conference of workingmen held
in London in September reversed the
position taken five months before and
declared for peace by victory instead
Of by negotiation.
Speaking Of the inquiry made of
him at that conference as to why the
American Socialist party was not rep
resented in the American delegation,
Mr.. Gompers said he told them there
was no American Socialist party, but
only Socialist party in America which
was an adjunct of that in Germany.
Throughout his presentation of these
matters Mr.. Gombers evinced a SUI
preme contempt for that class of labor
and Socialist leaders whom he desig-
mated as the "intellectuals," among
whom he classified Arthur Henderson,
of the British Labor party
A. The purpose of the trip of the Amer
slcan Federation of Labor delegation
to Europe, Mr.. Gompers said. was to
advise the American delegates TO
! he peace conference, and perhaps the
conference itself, and to establish an
international federation of the organ
ICED workers of the world.
In this connection he remarked re-
gretfully that America, which had the
most united and representative ma
tlonai labor organization in the world,
one that had been more completely in
support of its government during the
war than any other like organization
elsewhere, was the only country that
did not have labor representative on
ats peace conference commission.
The American labor men who will go
10 Europe to represent the Federation
o. Labor are James Duncan, John R.
McAlpine, Frank Duffy, William Green
and Samuel Gompers. They will sail
January 3.
Mr. Gompers told the committee that
the social and economic problems
brought 10 the front by the war called
for an even greater etfor. C the coun-
try to deal with them COMPREHENSIVE
and eiementaNy than the war itself
This war, he said. had swept away
many mental cobwebs, and he believed
the whole attitude of the country tow
ard labor and social reforms had
changed, but the trouble was to get
that energetic and generous action that
was so easy 10 attain during the SEN
sational time Of the war; when it was
easy to warm the blood of men.
Matters of Emotion
War was sensational, aroused intense
interest and resulted in prompt action.
Peace was normal and therefore unsen-
sational Organizing a fire department
TO prevent a fire was matter of no
interest, he said, but a connagration
Interested everybody. Sanitation and
hygiene and the prophy laxis that pre-
vented epidemics aroused none, but
when the epidemic was on. and it came
10 lighting 1t, everybody was concerned.
What the country must do now. he
said. was to take those orderly steps
n human progress that would prevent
an outburSt Of social conflict in this
country; but, though the task was as
important as winning the war, it would
be more difficult because Of the lack
Of the stimulating sensation. Yet it
was only more basic expression in
law and practice that was required
q the historic moral attitude of the
people of this country. In the case Of
every great catastrophe or unusual
suffering and disaster the government
mad always come to the assistance Of
tic afflicted community and had recog-
nRZed the imperative demands of com
mfn humanity and country. regardless
81 state lines. What was required now,
Nir. Compers said, was a forward step
TT at would tend to prevent that eco
afDTnic suffering and discomfort.
What France Didn't See
/ The task wag a heavy one, but II
~ nld be performed as soon as the
yeopIe became accustomed TO its mag
rituae. SIR. Gompers continued. illus
trating the possibilities Of reserve
strength 10 accomplish tasks that seem
TOO heavy. he said that representatives
If ali walks III life in France had told
him that had they known in advance
gfat the war would cost in money, in
life, in suffering, in taxes and personal
zacri6ce they would have bowed to
Germany without firing q gun; but each
ssew effort and each succeeding sacri-
zee paved the way for greater efforts
and more bitter deprivations.
Nor 10 deal with the problems Of
5ntersa1 peace and amity the nation
sduzts rally al it's forces and all it's
spirit Of voluntary service, Of which
the war had shown 80 many glowing
examples. The great thing about the
American war effort was that from the
first IL had been on q grand scale and
that II revealed such spirit Of ma
tsonal service ~ previously would have
beer iDerEdibIe.
"a. -. N