New-York tribune., 1919-10-15
Steel Plans
Defeat May
Kill Parley
Continued from page I

tee. 1t stated general principles Of
nature harmless to all. The confer
ence showed tendency to argue about
procedure IN handling it. Mr.. Gompers
arose and flung bitter sarcasm at the
resolution and the procedure, wonder
ing why there should be so much
trouble in disposing of such a tire
mendously potential" resolution.
Speaking in the afternoon on the
steel resolution itself, on the question
of adopting the resolution pursuant to
a motion to that effect offered by Mat
thew Woll, Mr.. Gompers said failure
to adopt would be regrettable from
any. point of view.
"lf you can look anywhere at the
struggle Of labor to emerge from slav-
cry to serfdom, from serfdom to wage
labor, and find any proposition so gen
erous and yielding as the proposition
to remain silent for long while. The
steel strike is one which every one
ADMITS is OF very great Importance"
Strike Delay Impossible
Mr.. Gompers told of the negotiations
of Judge Gary to answer his letter,
Judge Gary's refusal to see represent
otlVos of the men and the Presidents
interest in tae situation. He said that
labor officials who had opposed strike
action a. the time were convinced upon
going to Pittsburgh that to delay the
strike would be impossible and that
they there concluded the strike order
could not be recalled. He said that had
effort been made at postponement the
strike would have taken place anyway,
and that I. W. W. officials then on the
ground would have taken charge.
"ONC WOnlt iYnarino that fIa,o ,ruo
great concession asked" said Mr..
Gompers. "But are we in 1919. after
having driven political autocracy off
the face Of the globe, to submit servile-
ly to an industrial autocracy? The
time has gone when any man can be
monarch of all he surveys. Men must
now have the opportunity to meet and
to formulate their views Because men
are workers IS no reason that they are
inferior to the highest officers of any
corporation"
Judge Gary Gives No Sign
Mr.. Gary and Mr. Perkins gave no
sign of being affected by the attack
directed at their policy. Mr.. Rookie
with his ewes closed most of the time.
Tie employers m re'y waited for Mr..
Gompers to finish his speech. The
abor group sat with seriou' faces. pay
ing closest attention 20 their chief.
"These men, continued Mr. Gompers,
"have a right to be heard by their
counsellors by men who could not be
driven off their feet. The United
States Steel Corporation denies them
this right. Where comes in the con-
sistcncy? The Steel Corporation is a
federation Of steel corporations. The
United States Steel Corporation is their
representative and it speaks for all,
and it not only sreaks for all, but has
the best legal brains in the country.
"You may vote. and no doubt you viii
vote, as you feel, but l think you should
hesitate to negative the re oluton OF
this labor group. You may not know
US, the work that we do, the burden
that is upon us. the effort that we
make, but let me impress upon you that
the whole world is in state of un-
rest
Labor to Stand Firm
The men and women of America are
determined never to go back to pre-
war concepts. We demand voice in
determining the conditions under which
we will give service--n determining
conditions which make life fair and
worth living or not. We make this de
mard. not a supplicants but by right
"The I. w. W.-the Bolshevists of
America-take the exact position thot