Evening star., 1920-01-29
.G0MPERS ASSA|LS
REDS IN EDITORIAL
Emphasizes Evil Effects of
Journals Of Opinions and
detached" Agents.

Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, in an
editorial in the Federationist. the
official magazine of the organization,
strongly condemns completely, final
iy and for all time bolshevsm. He
declares that he doubts whether the
propa ganda which comes from the
bolshevists' organization itself is more
eHective than that conducted by
those who claim to be entirely de-
tached from the Russian influences
and Russian pay rolls.
He asserts his doubt as to whether
bolshevists agents have a greater
effect and influence in America than
those which like to be known as
journals of opinion such as the Ma
ton. the Dial and the New Republic
Extended reference is made by Mr..
American people know little or
nothing of what Is going on in Rus
sia and the argument that it, is un-
fair and unwise to pass judgment.
Form of Government Important.
1T is not necessary" says Mr..
Gompers. for Americans to know at
all times just what were the exact
conditions in Germany before passing
judgment on the form of government
eNiSliHS III IerilldHN. 1T was HeCts-
Sary only to know what was the form
of government and under what rules
it operated. We do not have to wait
for information about the form OF
government existing in what is called
soviet Russia. All the information
necessary to the passing of judgment
on bolshevism and the system of gov
ernment and as state of society is
at hand from sources that are au-
thentic The plea of these misguided
persons in America who say wait for
facts before passing judgment is
nothing more than an excuse which
it is hoped will gain time for the Rus
sian experiment and enable it to
spread to other countries"
Quoting from the new bo1shevist
constitution, Mr.. Gompers points out
that. while the fifth pan Russian con-
gress declares for a dictatorship of
the proletariat and the poorest peas
antry. great portion of the peas
antry is disfranchised. and the largest
bolshevist estimate of the proletariat
calculates them as only one-fifth OF
the number of peasants. Even
fairly prosperous workingman, by
this calculation. Mr.. Gompers says,
is not a proletarian. Bolshevist sta
tistics, he says. shows that the boil
shevist minority does not even rep
resent the masses of factory work
ers in MOSCOW, the bolshevist strong
hold.
Quotes Russian Dispatch.
Quoting from bolshevist official
documents to show the extent OF
massed terror By the bolsheviki. Mr..
Gompers declared that the economic
condition in internal Russia at the
present time has absolutely nothing
to do with the merits or demerits of
the bolshevist philosophy of govern
ment." and adds that it should have
II afa,- iriy ha i,,d1-
ment of any person upon it as such"
He quotes as the most direct informa-
tion a dispatch from Russian trade
unionists to W. A. Appleton. president
of the International Federation of
Trade Unions, which declares that
bolshevists have split up the reserve
fund of trade unions. throttled the
labor press, killed labor organiza-
tions, split up trade unions as
class and put down strikes by force
of arms and plentiful executions"
In all concepts of freedom within
Gompers. lone fundamental principle
is that any involuntary servitude-
that-is. compulsory labor-shall not
be enforced upon the working peo-
Pile
quotes Amendment.
He quotes the amendment to the
federal Constitution and adds:
That concept ana the spifit VI
that amendment have been entirely
reversed by the constitution OF boil
shevist Russia, which provides for
and enforces compulsory labor. The
plea to withhold judgment is last
desperate attempt to win favor from
the American people for system of
government which. by the confession
of it's own advocates and defenders.
is foreign to every concept OF the
American republic. We know about
Russia. We know about bolshevism.
We know the piteous story of cruelty
and intolerance and We know the
autocratic concept that underlies the
minority dictatorship which is hailed
to the world by it's dupes and advo-
Gates as the most perfect state of
II and we condemn it completely,
1ually and for all time"