The Washington times., 1920-09-29
A. FL. REPUD|ATES
/. ENGLISH UN|0N|SM
.Gompers Declares Course Of
Body Being Guided by
Russian Reds.
.(Continued from Frvt Pass.)

1 stSonunuoo UOtu ruW fa2a1
er In Russia and enabling IL to extend
is influence and TO dominate neigh
boring countries.
U. q. LABOR NOT REVOLUTIONARY.
'-rhs American Federation Of Labor
10 not a revolutionary body and has
never had any sniiiation with any
revolutionary body which would re-
Quire IL to give serious consideration
to revolutionary proposals of any
KIND. While recognising the need of
revolution against sutocratic govern
ments. organised labor In this country
regards the American Government as
being essentially democratic.
Tho International Federation Of
Trade Unions takes q position of
anarchistic hostility to all govern
ments without discrimination.
| The British Labor party also turns
Its back on tho democratic pArlia-
ment system which England has
evolved by seven centuries of struggle.
GENERAL STRIKE REPUDIATED.
| Mass action by means OF a general
strike is repudiated even by a large
part of the extremists in this country,
when II was advocated both by the
International Federation Of Trade
Unions and by tho British Labor
party conference.
THE American Federation OF La
Dor has always declared for. and
stood by the demand against large
standing armies. for the Limitation Of
munitions Of war and for . reduc-
ton In naval establishments. But IL
the production Of war materials were
to CEASE entirely all small nations
would be utterly helpless and At the
mercy Of their larger neighbors.
Smaller countries like Belgium would
bo utterly powerless while Poland
and Georgia would fall into the
hands of Soviet Russia There can
not be the slightest doubt that the
defeat of Poland by the Soviets was
the concise and Immediate object,
both Of the British council of action
and the international federation of
trade uniona
PLAN LAID TO MOSCOW.
There can be little doubt that the
whole movement was largely devised
at Moscow and originated. at the con-
ference Of the third or communist In
ternationale q few weeks previously.
Lenin had called for precisely this
action on the part of the larbor
organizations in Western Europe. The
aggressive and violent character Of
the Bolshevist regime Is now duo
primarily, not to the certainty Of their
hold upon the Russian government or
upon the victories OF the Red Armies,
but upon the cooperation of Euro
pean labor.
1.-THE organized labor movement of
this country does not regard the boil
shevists as being tho Russian revo-
luton
''The American Federation Of Labor
is utterly and wholly opposed to any
thing that approaches any form Of
assistance to Soviets.
ITALY BELIEVED IN PLOT.
There have been Indications that
the italian uprising and the radical
stand taken by Smillie in England
were planned to take place at the
same time as the expected fall of
Warsaw. and to mark the beginning
of a general Bolshevist or near
Bolshevist upheaval throughout Eu-
rope.
1--WE are living in tho Republic Of
the United States OF America, a coun-
try by no means perfect, in which all
too frequently injustice is done. But
il is a republic based upon the
principles Of freedom. justice. and
universal suffrage. Our men and
women are not likely to throw these
rights and principles into the scrap
heap for the dictatorship of Moscow's
Lenin and Trotsky. The harangues
Of tho Soviets in Russia will fall on
deaf ears OF the American organized
labor movement"