New-York tribune., 1919-06-21

thy, of San Francisco, that Congress
adopted a six-hour day; would the
consent of the league have to be OBJ
tanned before the law could be put
into effect?"
Mr.. Woll said it would not and that
there was nothing in the labor pro-
visions that forbade Improvement in
conditions. The only restriction was
IN revising conditions downward He
denied that the treaty in any way
takes away American covereignty.
Frank McNulty here got the floor
to submit the amendment desired by
the Irish sympathizers in the conven-
t1on. He moved to amend the COM
mittee's recommendation by adding
that nothing in the league shall be
construed as denying the right of Ire
land to complete freedom
Radical Attacks Sympathizers
James A. Duncan, the Seattle radical,
got the floor long enough to declare
that "the Irish in this convention are
poor sports When they had a chance
to do as much for other nations as
they are trying to do for Ireland thew
refused"
The committee Immediately accepted
the amendment agreed to by the Irish
sympathizers as the one thing neces-
sary to secure their approval of the
league. A large Sim Fein flag which
Miss May Matthews, of Boston, sought
to place on the platform was ordered
removed by Mr.. Gompers.
Speaking of the league, William
Green, of the Miners, said he was
willing to vote for Ireland, although
he thought section ten, to which the
Irish took exception and at which the
amendment was aimed, had been mis-
represented. The labor people, he said,
were for peace and against war and
would oppose rejection of the league
of nations which, he said would leave
them exposed to all of the horrors of
militarism. He likened the league to a
trade agreement
I'VE do not" said he, "always get
all we want from the bosses, but what
we get we use as the basis for some
thing better later. The league is not
perfect, but it leads the way to better
things"
Heller Opposes Covenant
Jacob Heller, of New York, repre-
senting the Women Garment Workers
ground that it was a thing without
power over governments, but with
greater power over labor"
John H. Walker, of Illinois, told of
stumplng fifteen states for the league
which, he said, bound the United States
to nothing not approved by its repre-
sentatives in its board of government
and agreed to by Congress. Opposition
to the treaty in the Senate, he said,
was largely by Senators from states
where production is highest and wages
/ low, and where munitions are made,
though he was careful to say he ascribed
no selfish motives to Senators oppos-
ing the treaty.
Mccarthy, of San Francisco who had
been selected to make fight for the
Irish amendment if a fight were neces-
sary, followed Walker with the decla-
ration that he could not understand
why any 1rishman should oppose ap-
/ proval of the league as amended. He
had no fears of a "super-legislature,
ne said, nor any fear but that Califor-
MIA would be able to take care of it's
own affairs, as she had when Colonel
Roosevelt intervened In behalf of the
Japanese.
Mr. Gompers said that, although, he
had been elected preside of the labor
conference, he soon found he was in
an almost hopeless minority, and at
one time had been forced to threaten
osubnit a seperate report to the
peace confe@ence. Following this, he
said, Andrew Furuseth had voiced his
approval of the labor provisions.
Furuseth Letter Read
Soon afterward, he said, he learned
Furuseth had written to the President
objecting to the labor provisions. He
tried, he said, to get copy of this
letter from Furuseth, but failed
Later friend supplied one. This was
read to the convention. 1t showed that
Furuseth objected to the labor cove
nant on the ground that it did not de-
clare against slavery and was silent
on the matter of the seaman's bill.
Mr. Gcmpers cited the recent cross
ing Of the Atlantic by aeroplane as an
argument shat the United States can
no longer expect to hold an isolated
position and the necessity Of better
understanding with the rest of the
world
Referring back to changes in the
labor provisions of the treaty, Mr..
Gompers said that while he was i'll
in New York the State Department was
asked to inform the Federation what
alterations had been made, reading in
reply telegram showing that Sir
Robert Borden had caused some amend
ments to be made. This, he said, was
followed by the sending Of this mes
sage to the President on Tuesday:
Upon my advice executive council
of the American Federation of Labor
has recommended TO the convention of
the Amirecan Federation of Labor now
In session the endorsement Of the
league of nations including the labor
provisions.
Reports published here indicate
that the labor provisions have been so
changed and weakened as to pract-
cally nullify effectiveness"
II cannot ask the convention or the
rank and file of labor to endorse
propositions which have been or may
be made valueless"
THE convention must necessarily
take up consideration OF the matter on
or before Friday, June 20, 1919, and l
urgently request full and definite in
formation upon this subject, together
with copy of previous provisions af-
fectin glabor as now framed"
VIII Hasten Better Day"
To this Acting Secretary of State
Polk wired statement as to some
minor details, on receipt OF which Mr..
Gompers said he had sent Guy II
Oester to Washington to get some def
mite answer by to-day. The Presi-
dents cable, printed elsewhere, fol-
lowed
Mr.. Gompers concluded by making a
plea for approval of the league as
something that "would hasten the bet
ter day spoken of by the poets"
napfai Trh Io,J ~f