The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-12
.GOMPERS PROTESTS
COVENANT CHANGE
Cables Wilson Against Any
Alteration in Platform
Agreed On by Labor.
q. 6. LAWS sAFEGUARDED
Federation. Head to Preside at
First Conference in Wash
ington. in October.

Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor. an
nounced last night at his headquarters
in tho Hotel Continental that ne had
sent cablegram to President Wilson
in Paris protesting against the action OF
G. N. Barnes, Labor member Of the Brit
ish Cabinet. in submitting an smsud-
ment to reopening the labor covsnrut
Of the League Of Nations Mr.. Comp
ers returned Thursday from Paris, where
he was chairman of the Peace Confer
legislation.
II cabled President Wilson that am
compelled to protest against any amend
ments or reopeninE of the covenant"
representatives of the world two months
to perfect the covenant, and I most en-
phatically protest against reopenins IT."
Mr.. Gompers said that his protest was
from Paris yesterday. which is supposed
to have contained the text Of the British
amendment and which stated that Mr..
Barnes had offered his amendment rec
ognizing the fact that working condi-
lutte uniformity in labor legisation irn-
possible"
Labor Liquidation in Paris,
Mr.. Gompers also issued q statement
dealing with the work of the labor leeis-
lation committee in Paris. He said.
The report drafted by the Interaliied
Labor Commission Is most satisfactory.
1t is an instrument that can only make
Tor the good of the working people and
the masses Of people in all the countries
or the world. It provides for an inter
national labor conference annually and
In the interim a governing board. The
governing board IL composed of a rep
resentative OF each Government, a rep
resentatfve OF the employers and a labor
delegate. The first conference Will be
held in this country at Washington next
October, and have been selected as
president OF this conference. The de-
'liberations will last ten weeks
"A great deal of difficulty was expert
enced at the sessions OF tho labor COM
mittes in Paris before the United States
could become party to the programme
This Is due to the dual Government OF
the United States-the State Govern
ment and the Federal 0overnment-with
separate labor legislation. Our pro-
gramme could not trespass ON the States
rights to deal with labor legislation.
Provisions were made to overcome this
difficulty. Another difficulty was that
the United States could deal with the
two questions by International treaty
which did not coincide mainly with the
Governments of other Powers.
THE maritime nations objected to our
seamen's laws. but a protocol was drawn
up 30 that no State shall be asked or be
required to enforce any agreement in the
covenant of the Interallied Labor Com
mission which involved a lowering OF
standards for searien or any other OF
the laws which might make standards
lower than the existing ones
Fundamentals in PIatform.
Tho following are fundamental plapks
in the labor platform: An eight hour
maximum embodiment OF the Clayton
act, which holds that labor of the hu-
man being shall not be held as COM
modify to be bought or sold equal
wages for men and women in the per-
formance Of same duties: child labor
provisions and that each country IL
guaranteed the right to determine its
own policies.
president Wilson was IN accord with
the American labor delegation in de-
clining to attend the Berne Labor Con-
ference 20 meet with representatives of
unrepentant Germany.
Il have never heard OF a German
yet who Is repentant for Germany a
crime against civilization. Have YOU
ever heard of a revolution in n coun-
try where one man against whom
the revolution Is directed has been ar
rested. punished or killed? Yet they
call II revolution in Germany.
IT hold that Bolshevists. standpatters
and prohteers are equally a menace to
their time. II every effort made by labor
In America is opposed or defeated or
trampled upon We shall be powerless to
prevent anything that may happen
there Is only that ono other alternative"
Labor Hero Against BoIshevisn,
Other delegates who accompanied Mr.
Gompers to the Peace Conference and
returned with him on the steamship
Rotterdam quoted the labor leader as
stating that II Bolshevism nakes Its
appearance in the United States the
fault will be with employers ana not
with working men and women. To the
wage ehrners or the world, Mr.. Com
pers believes, must be given a more
generous proportion OF the results of
their Industry than they have been re-
ceivinR and employers by granting this
can Danish discomfort, and Bolshevism
a nE with It. 1t Isl Mr.. Gompers opin-
Ion that American labor as a whole ia
strongly against BolshevisIn. and can
be depended upon to do It's share to-
ward keeping the movement harmless in
this country.
Mr.. Gompers also was quoted as say-
ing that Bolshevism IL simply a mani,
festation OF discomfort which IL felt bv
working men throughout the world, and
Is an evidence Of the fact that the great
masses of the people have been taught
their strength by the war, and have
concluded that they will hereafter ex
act a greater share OF the comforts OF
life than they have been permitted TO
enjoy hitherto