New Britain herald., 1924-12-13
REGARDED AS
 GREATEST LEADER
(Contlnued From First Paee)

 existence there were 5o,000 mcm- hers. In 1917 there were 5000, ,O0n.
 In this time the cight-hour day had become prevalent and was in fair way 10 become universal, the condition of the working man had been raised in standard more than 100 per cent. The cause of labor had come to be looked upon as a righteous guard against tntolera blc conditions rather than the wild rantings Of anarchists.
 Because Of his genius for lcadcr- ship and Of his tremendous innu- ence for the bettcrmcnt of the con- dition of the workingmcn, capita lis- tic interests are said 10 have tried mary times to buy Gompers off. If is matter of record that certain financial institution offered him life job al s45,o0 ypar--twenty timo his salary at that timc.
 II Eas not until 1917 that Com pers spranc into world prominence. America entered the war. Gnmpcrs had been paCifstIc up to the hogin- ming Of that year. The federation reflected his attitude, There were strongly pro-German and anti-war international urions within the or ganization-unors which, f they had exerted their strength, might have crippled America's war aotiNi- ties.
 Wins support For War Tn q conference room in WasllrE- ton, in March. 1917, GompNrs won one of the greatest battles Of his life. Tn a secret meeting Of chiefs of the great unions Gompors put the pro- position of supporting the country in the war. already inevitable, up 10 his colleagues. He put the situation spuare1y: Either they wou'd pledge their support 10 the gov'rnment or their failure to do so would be con- strucd as open opposition.
 The rank and file Of America $ worIdnCmen wore deeply patriotic and the recalcitrant lcad"rs knew i' They signed the pledge on Inc dotted line.
 When America entered thn war 3 few weeks later Gompcrs 'o'd th" president that 'ahor preserved T united front and would ro the limt to help win t1r war. Thus through his foresight and energy much Of the labor difficulties, such as ""ro experienced in Europe. wrre ayertcd. Iahor'~ spokesman
 The personal result of this trl- urph was 'o place Gomprrs in 'he rcsition of Inc rccoruizrd spokcs- man for labor then a0d after the war. Hr vas in a |arce measure responsible for hrn"hr.al lsEjslatlon and regu'a'io0 in hehl5f Of tho la boring man.
 When victory camr labor looked to Gompers 10 utn for tt position of greater power in reward for the part it had 'plsye1 'n wrn0lnE the war. ] The government looked t0 Gompers 10 speak for labor
 Tn 19Ia Compers represen'o4 labor at the peace conference at Versailles Here he served with distirction as president of the International Com mission on Labor LfEisla'ion The same year hc represented American labor al the international conven- ton. He was member Of inc first industrial conference. of Ifardng's unemployment conference and Of the advisory disarmament commission. He became president of the Pan American Federation of Labor.
 pOSt-War Fight
 Ii was in the years following inc war, when he was long past the age when mosi men retire. that Com pers fought many of his greatest battles, Do0a'ioo and consequent reduction CT wages 'od to great dis content among 'he workers RaIi- ] ca alism, bred of dlscontent, swept through organized labor. Efforts