The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-10-12

considered and hereinbefore reported
| upon.
Lewis Requests Adjournment of
Conferences
"It was at this stage of the nego-
tiations that the conference adjourned
to meet the following day unless
Chairman Lewis of the c. l. O. found
it impossible to do so on account of
negotiations then going on between
the United Mine Workers and the
coal operators.
"On the following morning, April
5, Chairman Lewis Of the C. l. o. call
ed Vice President Woll, a member of
the American Federation of Labor
committee, and advised him it would
be impossible for the c. I. o. commit
tee to meet within the next few days
as originally planned. 1t was then
suggested that future meetings of the
committees be postponed until such
time as Vice President Woll might
hear from Chairman Lewis, when a
date would be fixed which would be
mutually satisfactory for the holding
of another meeting. The committee
has not heard from Mr.. Lewis since
April 5.
Lewis Declares Peace Negotiations
Are Ended
"In view of these developments, the
officers of the American Federation
of Labor and the committee repre-
senting the American Federation of
Labor were surprised when they read
in press reports an interview in which
Chairman Lewis of the G. l. O. had
declared that it was impossible to
make peace with the Federation,
(meaning the American Federation of
Labor) because that organization was
in the hands of small group of lead
ers. firmly intrenched and reactionary
in their attitude on public. questions,
who are tolerant of many evil condi-
tions existing in the A. F. of l.. He
further stated that the c. l. o. peace
committee of which he, Sidney Hill
man and Philip Murray were members,
had reported on the recent peace con-
ference to the Executive Board of the
C. l. o., and that the Board was
unanimous in the belief that the A.
F. of l.. leaders were following a rule
or ruin policy The press story stated
that so far as he was concerned Mr..
Lewis indicated clearly that it was a
fight to the finish from now on
"In addition to the declarations
made by Chairman Lewis of the c. J..
0. which justify the Interpretation
placed thereon that peace negotia
tions were ended, a quotation from an
official letter which Chairman Lewis
sent to a correspondent on June %
confirms the position he assumed.
This quotation reads as follows:
"'The Executive Board of the Con-
gress of Industrial Organizations held
it's regular bi-annual Board Meeting
in Washington, ID. c., June 13, 1889.
At this meeting reports were had from
ternational unions of the C. |. O. and
it's Executive Officers on the state Of
our union.
"'Among the many problems dis
cussed at length was the question of
unity and it has been clearly demon
strated that peace with the A. F. of
L.. is impossible, except upon their
terms and conditions. This would mean
the stripping of many of our new
unions and the abandonment of organ
izing the unorganized in industrial
unions. This, the C. |. o. will not do.
We must go forward! We must eX-
pand our movement! By doing so, we
will build an instrumentality that will
be most effective in guaranteeing
peace in the labor movement
'ln the light of transpiring events,
the Interpretation placed upon the
press statement made by Chairman
Lewis of the c. |. 0. on June Ia, seems
fully justifable."
WOll Condemns Lewis For Blocking
Peace Efforts
The Executive Council included in
their report an Interpretation of Mr..
Lewis's statement by Matthew Woll,
member of the A. +. of l.. com
mittee.
Mr.. Woll declared that Mr. Lewis's
SIalclicilt, DldSllilS al nope Ol peace
and unity in the labor movement,
came as a shock to all who had hoped
that the negotiations initiated by
President Roosevelt would lead to
positive conclusion" and marked "an
abrupt termination Of the negotia-
tions."
"This is the second time," Mr.. Woll
added, che Uewis) has deliberately
wrecked efforts to restore peace in the
family of labor. The first occasion
was in December, 1887, when commit
tees representing the A. +. of l.. and
c. |. 0. had reached a unanimous
agreement, which was vetoed at the
last moment, by Mr.. Lewis. At that
time, too, efforts were made to be-
cloud the issue and msrepresent the
agreement that had been reached.
Nevertheless, subsequent events had
actually been reached.
"Mr. Lewis now repeats his per-
formance Of December, 1887, in blast
ing the present negotiations. He has