The sun., 1919-10-04


less about editorials. The Important
thing ID to get the facts stated to the
public. anu you can do that. You don't
need to fear about editorial expressions
OF hostility. Some OF us here have been
engaged for six months past in a cause
in which the editorial expressions were
generally decidedly adverse to us, but
we fnd that public opinion nevertheless
has been more and more rallying 10 its
support"
Mr.. Foster said that in his participa-
ton In the strike be was not animated
by the views expressed in his book.
II want to say this" he said. The
date of the last Issue of the book. 10 far
as 1 know. was 1911. In the last few
weeks thousands of copies have been
circulated through the steel district It
originally sold for 10 cents. but the price
of those that have been circulated is
given as IS cents, suppose. in order
| to show me as CRATER"
do you mean to say the mill owners
have secured copies and are having the
book republished and circulatedf" asked
Senator Phipps (Col.J.
1T would create that impression" said
Mr.. Foster.
do. you still feel that you are what
you called a syndlcalistT' asked Senator
Mcclellan.
II do not" Mr.. Foster replied. "But
to try to enter into any explanation is
futile. With this committee alone l
will talk for a week But will not talk
to the newspapers"
Says He Has Been Misquoted.
Mr.. Foster declared he had been gross
ly misquoted since the strike began.
Cant you fix the time when you un-
derwent change Of uewsr Senator
| Sterling asked.
81 couldn't say" replied Mr.. Foster
Some of them I still believe and some
don't"
what do you stili believe in" asked
Senator Mcclellan.
IT really don't believe could defend
any of it," Mr.. Foster replied.
After prolonged questioning by Sem
ators Borah and Kenyon Mr.. Foster said
that he does not now entertain the
views ''as expressed In the book" He
said that instead of syndicalIsm he now
believes In unionism, but that he does
not believe In bloodshed or violence.
rs 1t your purpose to conduct this
strike In accordance with the principles
OF law and order7" asked Senator Borah
Absolutely" replied Mr.. Foster. my
work is subject to careful scrutiny of tho
biggest men in the A f. of L. l could
not do anything Off color or my activi-
ties would suddenly come to an end. ]
have told Mr.. Gompers that II / did any.
thing the A F. OF L. objected TO he need
only drop hint and ! would retire"
| Mr.. Foster said that his views did moi
enter into the strike
II have not tried at any time" he said
ITO inculcate the doctrines Of that bool
into the strike"
All of his acts. he said, are under tn,
censorship of the presidents OF the TWEEN
try-four international organizations tina
called the strike
Was I.w.w. Delegate at budapest
Foster said that he represented tn,
/. w. W. at the Budapest Congress il
1901. but he left the l. w. w. soon afte
that Asked II ne knew Jacob Margolis
attorney for the l. w. w, Foster ad
mitted that he knew him and conferred
with him in Pittsburg last August blu
denied that the steel strike was men
toned.
In reply to questions by Senate
Phipps Mr.. Foster said that more thai
SO per cent of tho employees Of tn
branches Of the steel industry affects
by the strike have quit work.
This strike arose from the refusa
OF conference by the Companies Nj
Foster said. The strike was not post
| poHcu AZ ne request OF the frebMen
because while In some plants We nigh
have been able to postpone II. there wer
whole groups of plants where the com
panies were carrying on the policy o
wholesale discharges of the men.
The men wanted better conditions
and felt that their organizations hav
, been in existence long enough to de
mand better, conditions. The men wer
told by outsiders that the A. r. OF /
was in the movement TO organize ther
in order to get the mems dues and the
leave them nat, and that the A. F. OF l
wanted them to postpone the strike 70
that reason. The men would not hsv
, struck II It had been possible TO post
) pone."
Mr.. Foster said he was In harmon
; with most OF Gompers's views now.
II am not 100 per cent. In harmon
with his views but ! am on most {
, them" he said.