Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-06-15
0NUSF0R WAR
PUT ON GERMAN
LABOR UNIONS
Organized Movement
Fails at Critical Hour.
Gompers' Declaration.
u. S. Made Full Contn-
button to Cause Fra
ternal Delegates Told.

Denver. Colo, June 14.-Organized
labor of Germany could have prevented
the world war. President Samuel
Gompers declared in an address Tues
DAY before the annual convention Of
the American Federation of Labor.
Il hold that the Organized labor
movement of Germany failed at tho
critical hour" said the veteran labor
leader in responding to addresses of
the fraternal delegates from Great
Britain and Canada.
1t is true" he continued, that If
the labor movement of that country
had taken the situation in hand it might
nave meant the destruction of a few
thousand: it might have caused the in
generation of many thousand, but il
that had occurred it would have stop
ped the war.
No Antipathy in Heart.
The failure of men to act when the
time has arrived, when action is es-
sentiaL is faithlessness to the common
cause. | have nothing in my heart
that can be intimated or suggested of
feelings of anipathy toward the Ger
man people. toward the German labor
movement. toward their attempt to
conduct great Republican form of
government. 1t cannoh be driven out of
the minds of peoples who have lost
young men Of their flesh and blood,
fallen in defense of this great common
cause. to maintain some degree of
sen-determination in democratic
form of government.
You know that the American labor
movement has made its great contribu-
ton to the great cause. And as one,
you kIoow that I have tried to do my
full duty in the critical circumstances |
the peace table wisdom did not prevail. !
l think that most men who have given |
the subject thought, quite agree. But
it is always hindsight that is SO su-
perior to foresight. and in the frame
of mind in which the people were it is
not difficult to understand that they
to penalize Germany IN some
way.
Demooracies' Mistakes
1--WE know that the representatives
Of democracy make mistakes and that
is the penalty we pay for having demo-
we have the right to make
z mistake rather than to yield to the
1ictation of some emperor, kaiser or
King. If We want democracy we must
.ake the penalties for the mistakes
democracy is subject to-"
Mr.. Gompers said that he assumed
.ull responsibility for his remarks re-
.arding the German labor movement
Ind that 'tno one has been consulted
'bout them either as being in my mind
n as my expression"
eve have been with you and with
III the allied democratic nations in the
var" said Mr.. Gompers addressing the
raternal delegates, land to the extent
# time that we were in it we made
'ur full contribution. We have not
one anything which we find it neces-
ary to boast of and we have no cause
o hang our heads in shame.
Canada Holds Own.
'@The pity of it all was that when
he crucial time came there were some
those who had made flamboyant dec
arations who failed at the crucial
our
w. F. Bush, fraternal delegate rep-
esenting the Canadian trades and
lbor congress told the delegates that ,
espite difficulties organized labor in
anada was holding its own. He re-
iewed the origin of the Zone Big I'm
IN" movement and predicted Its early
cath"
"A TeSOluLlOu WAS dQOpLCu Oy LQe con- |
nntion urging congress to pass imme-
ately the johnson bill providing for
federal investigation into conditions
the Mingo county strike zone in =
lest Virginia. 4
Pledge Strikers Sympathy. il
A resolution adopted by the American I
sderation of Labor Tuesday, pledging s
mpathy with the striking mine work -
$ Of West Virginia and urging un- "
alified and immediate adoption Of the
nding resolution calling for sena- o
-ial investigation of the situation, was e,
|eeraphed to each member of the -,
1ited States senate Tuesday. The -
solution submitted by the United v
me Workers Of America, declared tt
At "intolerahe and un-American con-
ions prevail in Mingo, w. Va, where Of
: more than a year, COCO mine work. m
! have been resisting lockout by al
= coal operators because of their q
in the United Mine Work K
, Of America. n
armed agents of the coal operators r
re charged with Committing acts" at
ainst the persons and homes Of mine
rkers which have shocked the sensi- BY
ties Of our citizenship and disturbed vi
: domestic tranquility" q,
Continued on Page Three.)
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