The sun., 1919-04-11
GOMPERS BACK WITH.
$500 VETS OF WAR
Steamship Rotterdam Arrives,
but Stays All Night in
Gravesend Bay.
KERENSKY AID rs HELD
Albert Strauss and Mrs. Harri-
man Of the Red Cross Among
the Passengers.

More than 1900 contented doughboys
aboard the Holland-America liner Rot
terdam. who prefer daylight to noe
,turnal debarkation. spent last night in
Grsvesend Bay, where they could see
only the glow browning the city through
mists drifting in from the southeast
Nearly 900 civilian passengers were not
so well pleased, as they had expected
to land in Hoboken before sunset The
health officers had completed their ex-
animation by 1880 o'clock. but the army
authorities decided II was too late to
dock the ship; also, according to the
ships officers. the tide In the North
River was not favorable to warping in.
The officers explanation reconciled most
Of the civilian passengers to night in
Gravesend Bay.
| Samuel Gompers president of the
American Federation OF Labor: James
Duncan. president OF the Granite Cut
ters Union: Frank Duff. general secre-
tary OF the Brotherhood OF Carpenters
and Joiners. and William Green, secre-
ltary-treasurer OF the Mine Workers
| Union, all of whom are Independents
| Of the American Federation OF Labor,
were taken of the Rotterdam and
brought to the Battery. They went
abroad in January 30 as to be in Paris
] when the Peace Conference convened.
Mr. Gompers was met down the bay by
his sons. Samuel J. Gompers and Alex
ander ]. Gompers. who told him that
their mother was Ill. They did not tell
him that Mrs Gompers had a paralytic
stroke several days ago.
Gompers Lands and weeps.
When Mr. Gompers embarked at
| Plymouth he was Ill, and was supported
up the gangway to the ship. The tonic
| of the salt sea put him firmly on his feet
again. and he walked unassisted on TO
the concrete Battery pier He appeared
| to be unaware that he had landed. for he
| asked: IT'S this terra firma or a bridge?"
He was told he was at the south end of
the biggest borough, and he said MY
| own native land. thank God!" and burst
, into tears. He said TO the reporters who
met him aboard the Rotterdam: IT am
clam tonight" Then he added he
might have something TO say to-day at
the Hotel Continental
Mr.. Gompers and his fellow delegates
received a wireless message as the Rot
terdam neared port from the Nations al
Civic Federation inviting him TO lunch
con tomorrow. Mr.. Gompers replied
that he and his colleagues would attend
the luncheon II 1t did not interfere with
other arrangements made for them be-
fore they landed. Before Mr.. Gompers
boarded the Rotterdam at Plymouth n
brass tablet was presented to him by
the British Trades Union Congress SYM
bolizing the triumph OF labor.
Denounces Speaker on Ship.
The Gompers commission had declined
with the British labor men, to attend a
so-called international conference In
Bern. Switzerland. at which Geman, Aus
TRAN and Bulgarian labor men were
present. because they believed their at
tendance might embarrass the Peace
Conference.
During the voyage Mr.. Gompers gave
three talks on patriotism, twice to the
troops and once TO the cabin passen-
gers. In the last talk he scored the
remarks made through an int -preter
by Gregory Ziebourg. passenger, who
said he was former Secretary OF War
and later Secretary of Labor under
Kerensky. Zebourg spoke in French
and Mr. Gompers was loud in his de-
nunciation OF him for his BolsIeyik
theories.
Tho immigration authorities decided
last night they would hold the former
Secretary of Labor OF Kerensly for
further investigation at Ellis Island
The commission did other things
while away. which included a protest
TO the American Government against
changing the shipbuildng situation, es-
pecially In its effect on the Pacific
coast. by giving up the completion OF
ships unless they were co per cent An
ished. The members OF the commits
sion believed 1t would be better to COM
plete the ships II they were more than
26 per cent built. and made such a
recommendation, which was followed by
the Government Another recommenda-
ton was that building operations should
begin at once instead OF holding back
until February, 1920, as the Government
contemplated. This was granted
All this. the members of the commits
sion said, tended to lessen unrest in
labor circles.
William English Walling, Socialist, of
Greenwich Conn, passenger who
stayed down the bay, went abroad az a
representative of the pro-war Socialists,
with Charles Edward Russell. who ar
rived several weeks ago. Mr.. WallinR
said the President had done great work
abroad. but that Bolshevism was now
a dark cloud over Europe
Mrs. ]. Borden Hartman. assistant
director OF the transport service of the
American Red Cross. returned for
stay of a few weeks. She went over
last October and said that although
they had 100 women workers in the
service they needed 800. as the canteen
work had increased since the signing
of the armistice.
THE women who once drove ambu-
lances are now driving camions and
supply trucks" said Mrs. Hartman.
"or serving in canteens. Men from the
army have been put into the ambulance
service and several OF the women have
become part Of a taxicab Red Cross
service In Paris"
Mrs. Hartman saw a parade OF
10000 American soldiers when Albert.
King of the Belgians, was present. The
King said he never had seen such a
display of men of such high physical
and mental quality. America has
wall OF such men from the north of
France straight into Germany" said
Albert strauss Returns.
The Rev. Mgr. j. de Becker. rector
OF the American College. Louvair, Bel
GUM. and president Of the Catholic Uni
versity, which was destroyed by the Ger
mans arrived to give a series OF lectures
for the rehabilitation OF the stricken
city ]. G, Patterson. American repre-
sentative of the Travellers Insurance
Company in Hartford in Paris, said that
A. C. Baron Mackaye lived In Holland
near Count Won Bentinck, who is the
Kaiser's host.