Evening star., 1923-02-02
MEDIATION BY U. S.
IN RUHR INVASION
ASKED BY GOMPERS

NV MUM IfVASIOii
ASKED BY GOMPERS
Continued from First Page.)
worker. Not only arc the German
and European economic systems des-
troyed, but unemployment for mil
lions Of Germans is threatened. The
workers re-affirr that because OF
and justice shall prevail, they sub
stituted democracy for autocracy,
submitted to complete disarmament.
and gave unqualified expression of
their desire TO work for peace and in
ternational reconciliation"
The message asserts that the appeal
is not IAN attempt to induce the
United States to take an attitude i'll
favor OF one or the other of the OPP
rosing parties" It is signed by the
chairnen Of the executive boards OF
the General Federation OF Trade
Unions, the Federation of Christian u
Labor Unions. the League Of clerictl
Employees and the Independent Fed
Grafton OF Liberal Trade Unions.
OficixI Action Avoided.
1--WE decided TO go straight 10 the
official representatives Of the Ameri-
can people with our appeal and pre-
ferred to dispense with official or dip
lomatic Intervention" Paul Grass
mann. vice chairman of the general
federation's executive board. inform :
ed the Associated Press. THE mes
sage was drafted at a joint session
Of the executive heads of the four
declarations. and 1t represenlS nc s
already is contemplating the sttua-
tion after three weeks Of the Runr
occupancy. There Is something more
than the fate Of the Ruhr basin al
stake. II Germany is stili a iand OF
only because the dozen cooi-heaced q
men in charge OF organized labor s
ranks have prevented the workers IN
all lines from becoming dangerously
restive The situation, however, no"
threatens to go beyond control
! Herr Grassfnann believes that labor
radfcalfsm Is not unlike tEphus, IN
that II terminates and thriTeS Wher-
/ ever there Is economic hitn ana POI
. luton" He believes that ii Is dls-
| ease OF the brain 6rougne on os con !
ditions which the humbiest hand and
tha best trained head worker grad
ually find intoierable
| WAGE Scales F'Iuctunte.
| Labor wage scales, he points out,
which were formerly fixed for periods
of from one to five years, are now
being upset and revised every four
teen days, a condition which auto
! r,attcally results from the effects or
fluctuations in German money as re-
| fected in the current dollar rate OF
40 900 marks and over.
! The men who signed the appeal TO
! e-oopress admit that they are not
| acnuainted with American parlia- =
! mentary procedure. and even confess
| to a degree of tinidity over their
nndertaking, which appears to have
heen INSPIRED by perfunctory reports
of the Senate debates on the Euro
Epean situation printed in the L rnan
one Of the federation leaders de
possible violation OF parliamentary
| etiquette will not prevent us from
letting your senators and representa-
tfyes know that the eyes or mllllons
| OF men and women workers IN Ger
many are turned toward America.
Text of Message.
The message is as follows:
"To the United States Senate and
House of Representatives: The un-
dersigned federations Of labor unions
represent!ng twelve million members,
who with their families constitute
more than half Germany's population,
again affirm that because of Amer
ica's positive promise that right and
Justice shall prevail. they substituted
democracy for autCcracy. submitted
to complete disarmament and gave
an unqualified expression Of their de-
, sire to work for peace and interna-
tional reconciliation.
"The German loves the pursuit of
peaceful professions. but he is equally
opposed to being made slave in
definitely or to having the coming
! Committed to a system of economic
bondage. The Ruhr occupation and
the Versailles. treaty, however. make
such a condition of servitude inevi-
table They permanently destroy Ger
man and European economies and
i threaten unemployment for millions
Of German workers.
"An impartial, but authoritative
survey of the situation will readily
| establish this fact and will, In addi-
J tion, be able to confirm that in the
midst OF peace, men and women
| young and old-are forcibly being
| evicted from their homes and deport-
1 ed merely because they have refused
! to become traitors to their country.
I'VE have been reduced to a ma
ton which is chronically hungry; our
| infants are wrapped in paper. instead
! of swaddling clothes. while our wom-
en- and children are succumbing to
| physical misery.
This appeal is not at attempt to
induce the United States to take an
| attitude In favor Of one or the other
| opposing parties; It Is an appeal to
| the traditional American honor and
appreciation of fair play. America,
we are sure, did not enter the war for
| the purpose OF annihilating the Ger,
man people. American honor assert
| ed at this time can save Europe and
| the world from inevitable disaster.
THREE CHILDREN PERISH