New-York tribune., 1919-01-17
Labor Conference Decides
10 Order Walk-Out for
Whole Country as Protest
Dehs States His Position
Declares He Il With Red.
icals; Plea for extra
Legal Action Is Made
Siaf Correspondence


Nem York Tribune
CHICAGO, Jan. 16.--The resolutions
committee of the Mooney labor confer
ence here agreed tonight on April / as
the date for a nation wide strike in the
event that Mooney is not freed before
that date. Meantime by fixing April
instead of May /, as was demanded by
the radicals, The committee plans to
avoid confusing the Mooney movement
with the Socialist disturbances common
on that date in European countries.
Eugene Y. Debs, under sentence fol.
violating the espionage act, appealed
by wire to-day to the conference for
direct action" Debs's telegram was
the feature Of the convention.
Other features were the presence of
William D. Haywood's Japanese valet,
who pledged aid to Mooney from the
workers of Japan, and an attack upon
the Bethlehem Steel Company by a
delegate from Oakland Cal, who ac-
cused it of building ships in China and
Japan with proceeds Of Liberty bond
sales" while thousands Of Americans
are idle.
Chairman f. D. Nolan began to-day's
session with defence of the invita-
tion of Debs and the declaration that
the question at issue is deeper than
Mooney" This was repeated by James
Il. Maurer, the PENNSYLVANIA Socialist
| whom he called to the chair while he
worked on resolutions, and by others.
One Jarring Note
expression." To repeated declarations
did something for Mooney" Nolan as
sionately declared the chair was "tired
Of being insulted." This was the only
Earring note in what was otherwise
the quietest day since the conference
opened.
D. Z. Bait, Detroit radical, made
the llrst appeal Of the day for extra
legal action. "All legal means of help
ing Mooney having been exhausted,' ,
ne said, we must now resort to extra
legal means. We must declare a gen
crai strike. The threat of a general
strike prevented Mooney being hanged
Now general strike will swing the
prison gates wide open for him.
Debs's telegram was read at the
opening of the afternoon session. It
was, in part, as follows:
Free speech prevails in Russia, but
is dead in the United States since the
world was made safe for democracy.
"Moonoy is innocent, and the whole
world knows it. This is enough. The
convention can do no less than demand
his immediate release, and issue an
ultimstum to that effect, giving due
notice, if that fails, a general strike
Will follow at specified time and in
dutry paralized throughout the land.
"Appea! has been made to the CON
sciences Of the capitalists in vain Now
let the batteries Of the labor movement
be opened ON their profits There is
no half way ground. Every possible
cXpedient has been tried and failed
and now the working class must cour-
ageously proclaim its purpose if the
| American labor movement is not to
I stand convicted of cowardicc and trea.
son before the world.
"The capitalist class and their off
! cial hirelings have utterly forfeited
their right to counsel obedience to
law. They themselves have tramplec
! the law in the mire in their cole
blooded determination to murder labo,
! leaders too rigidly honest to sell out
! and too courageous and self respecting
/ to be browbeaten and intimdated.
"Lct the ultmatum be the immcdi
ate release of our follow workers 0,
general strike
T "If the silk hat conspirators anc
would-be lynchers on the Pacific Coast
and elsewhere insist upon war, let i,
come. We have nothing to lose hut