The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1919-08-30
BOLSHEYISM IS
SPURNED BY LABOR
DECLARES COMPERS
President of American Federation
Says Employers Are
Not Masters.
MEETING IN WASHINGTON
Labor Leader Says Germans Are
Unrepentant and Boastful
as He Predicted.

Especial to Connecticut Labor Press)
New York, Aug. 29.-President Sam
uel Gompers and Treasurer Daniel J.
Tobin of the American Federation of
Labor left here for Washington, where
the executive council of the Federation
is in session.
|. President Gompers found himself
plunged ;nto situations of tremendous
Importance the minute he landed from
the Steamship George Washington. He
went into conference Immediately with
representatives of the iron and steel
workers, headed by John Fitzpatrick,
chairman of the organizing committee
Later he conferred with representatives
of the theatrical unions.
During a brief intermission between
conferences Mr.. Gompers ra1ked to as
many newspapermen as could be crowd
ed into his hotel about domestic affairs,
preferring to withhold comment until
he had opportunity to more thoroughly
familiarize himself with events that
have taken place during his absence
There was, however, one reply to a
question relating to conditions in this
country that was characteristic of Com
pers. He was asked his opinion about
the situation in the steel industry.
II didn't come here to interfere with
the progress of labor" said he. 81 came
to help. If the employers of labor have
not yet learned that the time is past
when they are masters of all they sur
vey labor will surely have to teach
them a lesson. Surely the men of
labor have right to voice in deter
mining the conditions under which they
will give service"
Most important of President Com
e.
his assurance that Bolshevism is losing
its grip and that there is "a steadying
influence making itself felt in all the
eastern countries"
Men who have been in other con-
ferences anG men who have been in
the eastern countries tell me-" he said
that there is a steadying influence at
work
"Bo1sheyism has not carried out one
hope or promise on which it fought its
away into power The people have no
work and they have no bread; they
have nothing of a compensatory char
acter."
He said the Amsterdam congress had
appointed a committee to investigate
the situation regarding trade unicns in
Russia. He pointed to the Bol3hevik
enmity toward unions and said that the
unions had been punished and diSor-
ganized and that it was desired to ascer-
tain just what condition now exists.
When President Gompers returned
from a former trip to Europe ne de-
clared the Germans were then unre-
pentant. He was asked about MS opin-
ion at this time II now have evidence
of the truth I then stated" he said
They are unrepentant; they are boast
full. The thought of doniianting it still
uppermost in their minds. It was that
that led me to say to them that they
hadn't learned the meaning of the war
that Deutschland ueber allies don't go
any more"
Mr.. Gompers, discussing rhe work at
Amsterdam, made clcor tic iinpof+ , ce
of changes made in the voting SYSTEM
under winch henceforth the voting will
be as follows: One vote for the first
$4,000 members, two votes for from
100000 to 100000 members, three votes
for from 100000 to 100000 and one
vote additional for every half million
or fraction thereof above the first mil
lion.
He emphasized the defeat Bolshevism
had suffered in the Amsterdam con-
gress.