Arizona republican., 1919-06-18
LABOR DAY NUT
 ID BE CHANGED
 TO MAY FIRST
Russian Soviet not Recog- nized - Request Siberian Troops Sent Home - Mooney Strike Not Fla vored-Charge is Made Relief Fund Misused

ATLANTIC CITY. \. J., June IT, Amid general uproar. delegates attend ing the convention here of the Ameri- can Federation of Labor today re- fused 10 endorse recognition of soviet Russia, although urging recognition tN the United States of the existing Irish republic" and voted against the general strike proposed for July 4, in behalf of Tom Mooney, convicted in connection with the Preparedness Day bomb explosion in San Francisco.
 Discussion of bolshevism developed when the resolutions committee re- ported q resolution asking withdrawal from Russia of American soldiers, but refused to report others demanding. recognition of soviet Russia and lifting the blockade of Russian ports. The committee refused to endorse recogni- ton of the soviet or any other form of government of Russia, u@til the people of that country, by constituent or other form of national assembly, shall have established a truly democratic form of government"
 The debate was said by veteran la bor leaders to have been the most bit ter they ever heard. It followed re- jecticn by the convention, over the strenuous protest of the radical group of @ proposal to change American Labor Day from the first Monday in September to May i, "as a bond of affection to unite all the world of la bor into universal brotherhood"
 Gompers Against Change
 Samuel Gompers, president of the federation, led the fight against the May Day resolution, asserting that American Labor Day was a day for American labor" and not a political event. as it was in Europe.
 Peter Bollenbacher of the Pennsyl- Vania state federation of labor protested against rejection of his resolution, which called for the lifting of the Rus sian blockade, declaring he had of fered t "on humanitarian grounds" to bring about relief of women and child ren. John P. Frey, of Cincinnati, chairman of the committee, replied that organized labor was going to insist on recall of all American troops from Russia, but that it could hardly favor sending food there, for fear the bol- sheviki would get it instead of the women and children.
 In response to further argument by : dical delegates, MT. Frey declared the soviet question had been zrought to America ana into trade union meetings and that he and the other members of the committee were of the opinion that the convention should declare in no uncertain terms just where organized labor in Ameuca stood.
 The introduction of the Mooney reso- lution brought another uproar. G. F. Grow of Los Angeles, opposing the res olution, declared he mad talked to Mooney three weeks ago and Mooney was hopeful that the strike would be carried out, as he was confident il would result in his release. Chairman Frey retorted in his opinion, and that of other members of the convention, a strike not only would prove injurious to the Mooney cause but would "drive 8 wedge into organized labor"
 Julius Deutell Baum of the Detroit Central Labor union then gained the floor and delivered an impassioned ad dress, declaring that the time for reso- lUtions had passed and the time for ac- tion was at hand
 William B. Patterson of San Fran cisco, member of the carpenters union snd a member of the Mooney defense league, was then given the floor by { vote of the convention, and launched irto a vigorous attack on organized labor and its leaders in San Francisco
 "Out in San Francisco the union la. bor leaders did not go to the bat fol Mooney so we had to form a commit tee to do it." he said. "They wen about whispering that Money actually was guilty.
 Maybe we made some mistakes bu we make no apologies for what we hay, done."
 Delegate Murphy of the San Fran cisco Labor Council said it was trui some labor leaders in San Francisc, thought it best to let the law take it course in the Mooney case.
 Chairman Frey then declared:
 . Information has come to the reso Htions committee thattmoney contrib uted by trade unionists in America wa used to pay the expenses of delegate tC the Chicago meeting in behalf O Mooney and that representatives O the Mooney defense league. whose sal aries and expenses were being defraye by trade union money, had used thei opportunities to attack the America Federation of Labor and to carry on propaganda for it's destruction"
 James Duncan of Seattle was hoote and cries of put him out" wer raised when he declared that Presider Wilson's inquiry into the Mooney cas as an internal matter, was based o inquiries from Russia and that tn Mooney defense league put into oper alton the machinery in Russia whic resulted in the inquiry about Moone being made.