Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-06-17
REPUDIATES BIG
union IDEA OF A.F.L.
Ask Congress to Pass Jap
enese Exclusion
Law ]
STORM. OVER KU KLUX
Majority Against Boycott Uf English
Made Goods-T, InveTtigate South
ern Cotton Mills

Denver, June 1.-THE American
Federation of Labor, by unanimous
vote, today repudiated the zone big
union" idea.
Without discussion, resolution
presented by'J. L. Pauley, of West
Virginia, calling for zone body Of
workers through analgamation, fede
ration and protective agreements
was rejected. 1t also urged al ma
tional and international unions to
! insert clauses in the working agree
ments whereby they can 'render such
assistance as is needed by any and all
crafts when called upon @ do So"
Another blow at radical:sr; ir the
ranks of American labo" IS s.rucl
today when President Samuel Com
pers, of the Federation, announced
that the executiyc council had repu
dated finally and completely the In
ternational Federation Of Tide
Unions as it is now conducted.
The Irish fight and the recr :oencc
of the boom for 5ohn L. Lewis, the
miners leader, 20 succeed 7 esident
Gompers overshadowed the real wc-k
of the convention. This included
the passage of resolutions asking
Congress to pass Japanese exclr.
sion law, placing subjects of the Mi
kado on the same footing as Chines,.
calling for Congressional investi-
cation of Andrew Furuseth's charge
of conspiracy to destroy the Amer
ican Merchant Marine; asking for
an investigation ty Congress of con
ditions in southern cotton mills ard
providing for az intensive i,gan.@-
ing campaign on the Northwest log
ging camps
The convention alsc authorized a
special comYittee of five to inv"sti-
gate unemployment and possible Con
gressional relief. 1t declared Con
gress should appropriate money IN
peace times for necessary public
works and when panic dev 'lcps
there should be work for the 'Inem-
ployed."
The convention was thrown into
confusion when several delegates de
MED the negro delegation permission
to introduce resolution undermining
the "mob violence" of the "Ku Klux
Klan," or White Caps" of the Soutn
The resolution nreed that steps be
taken to have the Government "'hol
ish this unlawful organization
known as the Ku KluX Klan, IT
White Caps" and that the Fedora
tion use it's "hest endeavors to pro
tect organized labor as represented
by the colored wockers. :"
The Rev. G.. s. Laclllund, of Den
yer. who followed shortly after, re-
stored the good feeling of the conven
ton by vigorous denunciation Of
Pittsburgh business interests refus-
ing TO assist the Young Women's
Christian Association because of its
activities i'll labor matters. j..
The split in the Irish group IS due
to the insistence of Boland-Walsh
agents here THAI the convention pro-
claim boycott upon all English
made goods.
This the majority of the Irish
group, including such men as Peter
J. Brady and Timothy Healey. Of
New York. Michael ]. Mcclure, OF
San Francisco: John J. Hynes, of
Boston, and Phillip G. Murray, of
Pittsburgh. found could not be put
through the convention. The Irish
caucus Monday night thereforevoted
to submit resolution calling for the
recognition of the Irish Republic and
for an active propaganda by the Fed
Grafton for Irish freedom and for the
repayment Of the S9,0OO,OOO ,OeO in
war loans and accrued interest now
due from England. )
Lewis boom has set the polite.
;ans' milling about the hotel lobbies
in an effort to make a coherent tale
out of deals, and rumors of deals thai
are to result in the retirement O.
the veterans Gompers. Lewis refuse
to take position in the matter. H
has been subjected to heavy pressur
on the part of strong interests il
the Federation, such as t'.e carpen
tiers and the mach;nists to allow tn