Evening star., 1921-06-20
LEWIS OPENS FIGHT.
FOR HEAD0F A.E.L.
AGAINST GOMPERS
Mine Workers President to
Permit His Name to Go
Before Convention.
PRESENT LABOR CHIEFS
SUPPORTERS PREPARED
Second Week at Denver Is Opened
With Many Problems Before
Delegates of Unions.
By the Associa ted Press.


Delegates of Unions.
By the Associated Press.
DENVER, Colo, June 20.-John L.
Lewis president Of the United Mine
Workers of America, today formal
ly announced that he was candi-
date for the presidency Of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor in opposi-
| ton to Samuel Gompers.
IT have decided to permit my name
to be submitted to the convention as
a candidate for the presidency OF the
American Federation of Labor, was
the brief announcement made by MI
Lewis. He declined to make any fur
ther statement.
Gomperx Accepts Challange.
President Gompers announced that
| he will be a candidate for reelection
| in the following statement:
1.-The delegates to the convention
| fcers, and if they see mt to re-elect
their president, they Will nave tne
opportunity. Ny name Will go belore
the convention and it Will not De
| withdrawn"
Followed by Conferences.
Lewis announcement came at the
close of the morning session Oh .he
convention, when he cailI tis
newspapermen aside and made ms
While the action of Lewis was not
unexpected there was hurry OF
excitement among the delegates as
| the report was spread about the coh-
vention floor.
Several delegations imediately
went into conference to d9ermine
! whether they would support the mih-
ers' head or President Gompers:
Lewis as head of the miners or
ganization-the largest union IN tne
his own organization alone. inc
United Brotherhood of Carpenters
and Joiners. the second iargest
| union. has also announced IT'S m
| tention to support him Lewis sup
porters also claim the support OF the
railroad ORGANIZATIONS. The Inter
| national Association OF Machlnlsts
| came to the convention Instructed
not to vote for Gompers.
Attack on Shipping Board.
| Declaring that the United States
Shipping Board had established the
open SHOP" Andrew Furusetn, pres.
dent of the International Seamen
Union, today asked the federation
convention to support the seamen In
their fight against this policy.
| The resolution, which was submit
| ted by the seamen's leader and re-
i ferred to committee, declared that
| the Shipping Board was hiding pc
| hind a smoke screen OF union nate.
and is torpedoing the merchant ma.
rine and seapower OF the Uniteo
| States"
| A resolution was adopted instruct
| ing the executive council to coop
i crate with organizations of federal
employees to obtain the right OF ap-
| peal from decisions OF officials IN
yolving demotion or dismissal.
The resolution said that at pres
ent there was no recourse for the de-
NOTED or dismissed employe.
i Strenuous ProgTnm.
Faced by one of the most strenu-
| GUS programs in it's history. the fed
Grafton opened the second weeks ses-
sion of its forty-first annual conVen-
| tion.
The Irish question. the railroad
| problem, determination of future re-
! lations with the European trade un-
| ion movement. jurisdictional disputes
| and many other important matters
were scheduled for the action OF the
| delegates.
1t was learned that President
| Gompers and administrative forces
have made plans to meet contest.
Gompers supporters have held sew
eral conferences during the last
! twenty-four hours ana taken cam
vases of the situation.
| The complicated situation growing
/ out of the split between the two fac
| tionS of Irish sympathizers was ex-
pected to be disposed of today or to-
morrow when the resolutions commit
tee brings in its report. The commit
! tee is understood to have decided to
reject the resolution urging boycott of
Eritish-made goods and report favor
ably the less drastic resolution of SYM
| pathy for the Irish cause and calling
! for recognition of the Irish republic.
Supporters of the boycott resolution.
who declare it the official resolution of
| the Irish republic" asserted they will
/ carry the fight to the floor of the con-
] vention in an effort to overthrow the
committees report, if it is unfavorable.
They said they will also demand a roll
sonal representative of Frank P. Walsh,
| is here directing the fight in behalf Of
| the boycott resolution.
!. international Labor.
! The International Association Of
Machinists announces its determine
! tion to have the convention repudiate
the action Of the executive council in
! seyering relations with the Interna-
| tional Federation of Trade Unions. 1t
has submitted resolution directing
the council Immediately to reaffiliate
| the federation with the european Ia
| Dor movement.
The request of the United Brother
hood of Maintenance of Ways En-
ployes and Railway Shop Laborers for
| reinstatement in the federation, IL
was learned, has the full support of
all the railroad organizations. This
union, with its membership n of nearly
200, 900. was suspended in 1919 be-
cause Of a jurisdictional dispute with
the United brotherhood of Carpenters
and Joiners. The carpenters union has
announced its intention. with CO.
operation of the building trades
| unions. to fight against the railroad
organization reinstatement.
| The question of putting into effect
the federation's railroad program call
ing for government control with
democratic operation" is expected to
he one of the major issues.
The opening of the actual nation
wide campaign to unionize the steel
industry has been postponed incefin-
| ;telv because of the Industrial depres-
sion. 1t is officially announced.