New-York tribune., 1919-09-27
President of A. F. of l..
Appears Before Sen.
ators; Defends Walk
Out in Steel Industry
Men Prosecuted
Like Criminals
Asserts Corporation DOM
mates Officials; POM
creme Attacks Foster
Nc'r York Tribune
WNsHjnufoo p,,.,,,

Washington B1reoa
WASHINGTON, Sept 25.-The Sen.
ate investigators of the steel strike.
after hearing Samuel Gompers. presi-
dent of the American Federation of
Labor. halted their inquiry pending
The appearance Of Judge Ebert H.
Gary. head of the United States Steel
Corporation, before the committee.
Judge Gary has Informed the COM
mlttee that he cannot come to WASH
lngton and present the company's side
OF the strike situation until next
Wednesday. The committee. however.
would make an effort to have him
testify before then. Senator KENYON.
chairman of the committee, said after
to-days hearing
William z. Foster, secretary OF the
committee Of steel workers organiza-
tons, has been summoned, but he will
not testify until after Mr.. Gary has
stated the case of the employers.
Pomerenc Denounces Foster
Foster vas bitterly denounced as an
"agitator and syndicalist" in the SEN
ate to-day by Senator Pomerene.
Democrat. of Ohio
This man. with the record which he
wrote favoring sabotage and destruc-
tion, said Senator Pomerene, "s
parading himself before the country
as one Of the friends of labor. God
help labor when it gets in the clutches
q men Of that type. All that men Of
that type can do or Will do is to ruin
the cause of labor"
The steel workers were striking be-
cause they demanded voice in deter
they should work, Mr.. Gompers told the
Senate Committee on Education and
Labor, He said that the strike had to
be called at this time because if the
workers had waited until after the
October labor conference at the White
house there was no telling who might
lead them IN the strike"
MIR. Gompers on the Stand
hat are the issues in this strike ."
Senator Kenyon asked Mr. Gompers
The issue of the right of the en-
ployes to be heard through their own
choosing; the right to have their day
in court. the court to determine wages
and conditions of employment" Mr.
Gompers replied.
The right of association of workers
has been denied the men for many
years, and denied with all the power
and wealth and domination of the
Steel Corporation; not only denied by
lawful means, buc denied by unlawful
and brutal means.
THE c'.arge has been made that tha
men now engaged in the strike are
fore lgners. hat may be true. and no.
doubt it is. But these men we're
brought to- the United States by The
systematic efforts of the Steel Corpo-
ration and given precedence over ma
tive Americans and mon already in
America. Indeed, there has been sys-
tematic effort to eliminate mericans
They have the harvest to reap now"
Allies Imported Illegally
In reply to questions asked by Sem
ator Phipps. Mr.. Gompers said that
the importation of aliens to work in
the steel mills had been going on "for
twenty-five years, until Just before the
war. He added the charge that the
practice had been continued even after
the passage of the law prohibiting the
immigration OF contract labor
Efforts of the men to organize have
always met with stern opposition from
the steel companies. said Mr.. Gompers
The men themselves, he added, finally
requested the American Federation Of
Labor to help them organize
Men making such efforts were
spotted by the detectives who spied
upon them Mr.. Gompers continued.
The private detective agencies Of the
United States two years ago gave fully
so per cent of their activities to deal
ing with agents in the mills or mines,
OF engaging in spying. dogging men or
provoking the men into contests
prematurely in order that they might
commit some overt act or be forced
INTO premature strike for which they
were unorganlzed
Are Doggcd Like Criminals"
Men were discharged for no other
reason than grumbling. Men who had
the temerity to go to any meeting were
watched and tagged and discharged the
next morning. The whole system of