The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-13
LABOR FEDERATION
 BEGINS IFS 4lST
 CONVENTION TODAY
Will Mark Milestone of Prog ress, Says Gompers, as He Points Out Issues
 Which Must Be Faced
By Assoelatsa Press

By Associated Press
 Denver, June 12.-Ths forty-hrst annual convention of the American Fsdsratien of Labor, which opens to- morrow. will be xatnering for the peenstion of development of Amer ioan welfare and freedom. President Samuel Gompers of tho federation tecaArsl In statement tonight.
 This osnysntton. tho veteran isbor leader said. would mark milestone sf eur national progress" would dsai with the great postwar issuss eenfronting sssanised laber which ars tsday in the balance at the era- cisi moment whore the dis must bs east enc way or the other"
 Mere than 100 delegates from ths United States and Canada ware ss-; ssnbisd for the meeting. which win probably continue two weeks. J. H. Thsnas, president of the railway werksrs union of England. vas here ts represent ss . fraternal delegate tho workers of Great Britain in the Dritish Trade Union osnsress.
 Lewis Not t. 0spsss CAiN
 Despite many reports that prssi- don't Gompers and his administration would bs opposed for reelection, up to tonight there had not been any open indication of such . movement While John L. Lewis. president of the United Mine Workers, boomed a candidate, for tho, presidency by the anti-Gompers forces, declined to make any statement, 1t was under stood that he would not oppose the labor chief.
 The dsiegates to the nAchinists' union cannot vote for President Gompers, as they are instructed by the convention of their international organization not to vote for any of fIcer or active member of the Amer ican Civic Federation. They have not announced any intention of put ting candidate in tho field
 The suachinists delegates are also instructed to vote for the passage of resolution providing for the election of the officials and members of the executive council of tho fed eration by a general referendum vote of all organized workers of the country. They also want tho fed eration reorganized along industrial lines instead of craft 1ines-7making it sssreat industrial congress.
 Leaders of railroad organizations and several other unions, it was learned. were planning to hold a conference to decide whether they would put . candidate in the field for 6s vice president. Last year thess orEantxations tried to xst this representation of the federzticn's executive council but failed.
 MatoR Issues
 The major issues before the ccun- cil pfo9ramms include:
 "The condition of unemployment, of which estimates run as high as 5000, ,0Oe workers.
 "The un-American movement to crush labor and blast it's spirit through what is called, with naises- able disregard for the truth, tho open shop movement.
 ssThe railroad problem, involvin: the nations chisf means of transport tation.
 sThe immigration problem, with It's vital bearing on American standar4s of living and of citizenship.
 ''The problem of Russian affatrs, the cancer that is eating ar the VI txls ef world civiliza ton.
 sThe problem of how best to meet conditions brought about 0y court decisions. problem nnhappily: not t.ecreasing fn inaporta nee and for that reason demanding more than usual attention.
 "Added te those are the construc- tive demands which labor must voice with enlsss repetition and with growing Intelligence and eni3hAs.s; the tprobl6ms that. will be brought forth by the delegates affecting the tradinxs 4hd calling of the workers; international bodies; the constdera- tion of .SuSEsstiens and proposals looking to the marking out of New York and nsw programmes of ac- tion."
 Disarinament and, the Irish ques. ton and the high cost Of living VIII also occupy outstanding positions on tho federatioh's programmes :,
 The adoption Of resolution caIl- inG upon Congress to take steps to bring about world wide disarmament will be uncpposed, labor leaders de- ciared as the convention in 1918, 1914 andtin 1913 wsnt on record favorinE. international .disarmament.
 Two factisns of Irish sympAthisers have developed among the delegates. One fs preparing resolutions demand ing that the Harding administration reccgnins the Irish republic, that Great BritiAn withdraw her troops from Ireland. and that she also re- pay simmAdiately the 5000 900, 900 loaned her by the United States. The cther Bronr h preparing similar resoluttons, but demand that Prssi- dent Eomptrs take steps to put any action of the conention on the Irish Quasticn into effect TX