The New York herald., 1922-02-20
GOMPERS SEES PLOT
IN IMPORTING ACTOR
Warns Equity Members That
Managers Hope to Weaken
Resistance.
PLEDGES AID OF A. f. L..
Sending of Delegation to Eng
land to Weld Stage Union
Is Urged.
PLEDGES AID OF A. f. l..

The Actors Equity Association has
sensed what it believes to be plot Of
the Producing Managers Association to
flood the American theatrical market
with non-union actors and actresses as
means of breaking down the morale of
the association and incidentally its
strength when a new contract is to be
bargained for a year hence. This al
legged plot was the topic of discussion
yesterday at meeting of the association
in the Republic Theater, at which Sam
uel Gompers, president of the American
Federation of Labor. and John Emerson,
president of the association, were the
principal speakers.
Mr.. Gompers pledged the support Of
the American Federation of Labor to
Equity and urged the association to send
a delegation to England to make more
solid the union with the British Actors
Association as a means of forestalling
the plot against Equity. Mr.. Gompers
referred directly to his remarks to AL
bert de Courville, the English producer,
who brought "Pins and Needles and
other productions to this country. The
labor leader had long talk on Saturday
with Mr. de Courville, the members of
whose companies have refused to be-
come affiliated with Equity on the
ground that they did not intend to stay
in the United States.
Says Beware OF FIankers.
IF the managers nave a plot on foot
to provoke you into trouble so that at
the expiration of your contract they will
fight" Mr.. Gompers said. "you should
not let them get. the flank movement on
you. I am confident that the actors of
England will respond to your cause.
More than likely the movement begun at
this time would be the reviving spirit of
the British Actors Association
"I only hope you will be able to get
away without a strike. I know you
won't like it, but we will like the result
better than the other side (the man.
agers). Come what may, I want the
Il.
even should you err / am with the Ac-
tors Equity Association. l know you
will make no mistake.
THE American Federation of Labor
was instituted to be of service to the
great mass of the people of the country
Of our time, and the time will never
come when the American Federation OF
Labor will prove faithless to its plighted
word"
Mr.. Gompers expressed a dislike for
the controversy between the church and
the theater.
DepIorcs Theater-Church Fight
mo one who tries to think straight or
act straight has any quarrel with the
church he said. "Why this scriptural
attack on the theater? 1t would be q
great pity il the success of the church
depended on the failure of the theater
1t is a grave mistake TO try to array one
against the other"
Speaking of labor generally. Mr.. Com
pers said it no longer is typified by the
man with the hoe, nor by the man with
the bent back, "but by the man who
stands erect and insists upon equal
rights and will be content with nothing
less.
Men who are intrenched with power
princes Of wealth and managers" he
added. II want to tell them that all the
Bolsheviki are not confined TO the ranks
of labor. What the actors association
wants can be summed up in just one
word, justice. 1t can be summed in the
name Of your association, Equity"
Speaking of his talk with Mr.. de
Courville Mr., Gompers said:
II had most interesting discussion
with Mr.. de Courville and / don't think
you are going to have any more trouble
from him. ] don't believe Mr.. de Cour-
vile will bring another company to the
United States. And / don't think he
will encourage any other companies
coming"
Trying 20 Split Labor's Ranks.
Reports that the managers have been
trying to drive wedge between Equity
and the American Federation OF Labor
have been brought to Mr.. Gompers.
II want to say now to the managers
who desire to make discord between
Equity and the American Federation Of
Labor" he said. that the American
Federation of Labor can withstand
more combined antagonism than the
managers can offer in fifty years"
Mr.. Emerson termed as renegades the
non-union English actors and actresses
coming to the United States. He denied
that the American actor wished to bar
his English brethren.
I'VE have no such desire" he said
"In fact, the visits Of foreign stage folk
to our shores proves an artistic stimu-
liant. We welcome the English actors
and actresses. but we viii not welcome
a bunch OF renegades. We do not know
whether an attempt has been made to
import renegade actors from Europe.
but if there had been it has proved a
failure. and if It Is tried again we will
take care of it,
There were more than 900 actors and
actresses in the theater. Mr.. Emerson
said after the meeting that the sugges-
tion of Mr.. Gompers would receive inn
mediate consideration by the associa-
ton.