Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1919-12-18
labor UNREST
PASSING AWAY
Federation Chiefs Clearing
Their Ranks Of
Radicals
REFLECT NEW SPIRIT
Arbitration Method in Coal Settle
ment Being Acclaimed as Prece-
dent for Future Action.

\ Washington, Dec. .S.-Develop
ments in Washington offer good evi-
dence that the climax of the indust-
rial disturbance that followed in the
wake of the war is past.
Organized labor is cleansing its
house of the revolutionary rubbish
that accumulated during, the busy
days of the war and the chaotic Pc
riod of reconstruction that followed.
That is made unmistakably evident by
the spirit of the conference of ma
tional and international union heads
injecting here this week.
The meetings are being held in Sc
cret, but the temper of the delegates
is possible of Identification. They both
resent and fear the presence in their
ranks of radicals with revolutionary
tendencies, who are fundamentally op-
posed to all American institutions, the
American Federation of Labor includ-
ed. The majority of the delegates look
upon the Federation of Labor as an
intensely American Institution that
must stand or fall with the system of
government of which it is conssitu-
ent part, and they are determined to
clear their organization of any para
sitic attachment of anarchy or Bol
shevism.
John Fitzpatrick and William z.
Foster, leaders of the steel strike,
have resolved scant comfort from the
conference. It is true that they Sc
cured vote favoring the continuance
OF the strike, but they accomplished
this only by delaying the decision un-.
til IL of the "a members of the steel
committee had left the city, ard of
the remaining 13 two voted agains:
the resolution.
Major George L. Berry. information
al president of the pressmen, express
ed what is believed to be the maicrity
sentiment of the conference here when
he attacked the leaders, of the steel
strike and declared that they should
be driven from organized labor.
The federation is on record as in
dorsing the steel strike, but it is
known that it took it's stand more in
opposition to Judge Gary and his. re
fusal to recognize collective bargain
ing than in fun support Of either
strike or its leaders. !.
Offering further evidence of the
anti-Red spirit of the conference, Will
liam II. Johnson, president Of the In
ternational Associa ation of Machin!sts,
announced thatehis organization had
recently expelled 100 meni in Detroit
who were out of sympathy with the
American form of government.
1--WE have no objection to those who
believe in progress by evolution" he
said, shut we have no room for those
who desire revolution"
In further evidence of the better
ment of relations and imminencc Ct
a new and workable basis in the set
tlement Of disputes between employ
ers and employees, John L. Lewis, act
I ing president of the Mine Workers
Union and William E. Green, secre-
tary and treasurer. are acclaiming the
accepted arbitration method of set
/ ting the coal strike as precedent for
! the handling of like situations in the
future and as the herald of new
era of industrial peace.
It is an open secret that the Ma
tional Industrial Conference, now
meeting here in executive session, will
favor collective bargaining and semo
form of arbitration akin to that favor
ed BY Lewis and Green. With the
Federation unions cleaning house and
favoring arbitration as a principle q
strike settlement, and in national con
ference expected to recommend pro
gram in harmony with the genera
nature of the coal strike settlement
those closely in touch with the situa
tion believe that the period of re
construction chaos may be considers
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