Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-06-22
ALL. SPURNS IRISH.
PLAN FOR BOYCOTT
0NENGL|SH GOODS
Delegates Overwhelmingly
Support Gompers in Throw.
ing Out Resolution.
SALE OF BEER UNANIMOUS
APPEAL OF CONVENTION
Council and Officers Instructed to
Work for Modification of
Volstead Measure.
By the Associa ted Press.


By the Associated Press.
DENVER, Col. June 22-After
stormy debate, the American Fedora
tion of Labor convention today dis
posed of the Irish question by adopt
ing a resolution-trimmed OF its most
drastic boycott provisions-express-
ing sympathy for the Irish cause.
Irish sympathizers supporting a
resolution calling for u boycott
against British goods were overwhelm-
ingly defeated today In an attempt
to have the convention overthrow
ruling made by President Samuel
Gempers which prevented reconsid-
GRAFTON of their proposal.
The action of the convention COM
the boycott declaration. which they
claimed had been drafted by high
officials Of the Irish republic" The
boycott supporters contested every
effort to bring the sympathetic reso-
luton to vote, without its boycott
and attempting to have the entire
matter referred back to the commit
tee for reconsideration.
Stormy Session Provoked.
The appeal of the boycott supporters
from the ruling of President Gompers
provoked one Of the stormiest sessions
IN the history Of the federation.
Cheers and jeers were mingled as the
boycotters took the floor and attacked
Mr.. Gompers. who had ruled out their
motion to have the boycott declaration
added to the resolution expressing
sympathy for the Irish republic, which
mittee
The convention unanimously adopted
resolution urging modification Of the
Voistead act to permit manufacture
and sale of beer. Officers and the ex-
ecutlve council were instructed to
work for change in the law, and IL
this should not be successful, all
unions would be called on to petition
Congress.
Gompers Gaining Strength.
him for the presidency Of the Ameri,
can Federation of Labor today show
ed OBJECTIONS, delegates of the La
dies Garment Workers switchfnr
their vote to Samuel Gompers, while
Workers are reported to have a1SS
over to Gompers. The Lewis feSees
still claim they have enough voted %
win. while the Gompers boomerssaFe
efsay eiset ;hsip sonfde1t that they will re-
Three delegates of the United
Mine Workers. commanding 1896
votes. were also reported to have de.
serted their leader for Gompers.
frank frank. Farrington; president Of the
has already announced his opposition
to Lewis, was reported on his vay
back to Denver from Illinois, where
he had been called on business
Claim 10000 Votes,
While the Lewis supporters admitted
that their own delegation would be
split. they claimed sufficient votes had
been pledged by the metal trades. the
with the machinist union and the car
penters and joiners, would elect their
candidate. Their lineup gave them ap-
proximately 10000 of the 38,294 votes
in the convention.
Gompers supporters were claiming the
railway carmen, railway clerks and elec-
trical workers-three Of the largest rail-
road orga nizations. The boilermakers,
all the printing trades and the federal
employees unions, the building trades or
ganiza tions, with the exception of the
carpenters and moulders' unions, were
labor chief.
The Amalgamated Association of
Iron, Steel and Tin Workers and the
mine. mill and smelter workers have
definitely been placed in the Lewis COL
umn.
Gompers Boomers See Victory.
The Gompers boomers declared that
they were sure of at least thirty
thousand votes-nearly ten thousand
more than needed to win.
Labor leaders who were closely
clared that the contest may be so
close that the PA votes of the state
central bodies. trade an6 federal
labor unions and fraternal organixa-
tions may decide the winner.
While campaigners Of both candi-
tion was before the convention and a
bitter fight was being waged. by a
group of Irish sympathizars TO have a
resolution providing for a boycott. by
american n,,g organized labor of, British
They were opposed by another group
whose resolution expressing sympathy
for the Irish cause was reported e.
vorably by the resolutions commit
tee.
The supporters of the boycott rs,o.
luton, which they declared was fb.
official resolution Of the I.j3h ra-
public" made public at the openin1 ~
the convention. the following ttle-
gram from Frank P. Walsh, Counsel
for the Irish Republic:
In Touch With Bolana.-
Still in hospital at Baltimore. hut
IN SohSIdne teiepnone communication
with Harry Boland (secretary to
Eamona Fam no es de valera l provisional presi-
dent OF the Irish republic) at New
York. We are in thorough agreement
that the only effective help that Ia bor
can give Ireland at this moment was
the strongest boycott resolution.
The statement that any Of us are
debating or demanding anything Of
the convention is utterly false. but
we do make earnest appeal to the
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