Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1919 — WILSON PLEDGES HELP TO LABOR [ARTICLE]

WILSON PLEDGES HELP TO LABOR

President Opens Conference of Governors and Mayors at White House. GLAD TO GET SUGGESTIONS Says He Hopes Means Will Be Found to Restore Labor Conditions to Normal as Soon as " Possible. Washington, March 4. —Opening the White House conference of governors on peace-time business and labor problems. President Wilson promised that the federal government would consider itself the servant of the states, municipalities and counties in solving readjustment problems, and would perforin its duty guided by suggestions of the conference. The president said he hoped the conference discussion would assume a wide range, including means of restoring labor conditions to a normal basis as soon as possible, “and to effecting such fresh allocations of labor nnd industry as the circumstances may make necessary.” Touching upon the peace conference he said the* conferees at Paris regarded themselves only as servants of about 700,000,000 people of the world and not as their masters. • President’s Address. The president said: “I wish that I could promise myself the pleasure and the profit of taking part in your deliberations. I find that nothing deliberate is permitted me since my return. I have been trying, under the guidance of my secretary, Mr. Tumulty, to do a month’s work in a week, and I am hoping that not all of It has been done badly, but Inasmuch as there Is a necessary pressure upon my time, I know that you will excuse me from taking a part in your conference, much as I should be profited by doing so. ‘‘My pleasant duty Is to bid you a hearty welcome and to express my gratification that so many executives of cities and of states have found the time and the inclination to come together on the very important matter we have to discuss. United States Servant of States. “The primary duty of caring for our people in the intimate matters that we want to discuss here, of course, falls upon the states and upon the municipalities, and the function of the federal government Is to do what It is trying to do in a conference of this sort —draw the executive minds of the country together so that they may profit by each other’s suggestions and plans, and so that we may offer our services to co-ordinate their efforts in any way that they may deem it wise to co-ordinate. In other words, it Is the privilege of the federal governin matters of this sort to be the servants of the executives of the states and municipalities and counties, and we shall perform that duty with the greatest pleasure if you will guide us wltlj your suggestions.” Secretary Wilson presided at the morning session. In opening the conference he urged a program of cooperation between states and municipalities, aided by’the federal government, that would lead toward stabilization of labor.

Drive Out Disloyal Aliens. America has no place for the disloyal alien. The conference unanimously adopted a resolution indorsing a statement by Secretary of Labor Wilson that It was the secretary’s duty to deport all persons advocating the overthrow of government by force. A copy of the resolution was sent to the Central Federated union of New York, which had sent a telegram of Protest against alleged deportation oi aliens for strike activities. Previous to the adoption of this resolutiori Secretary Wilson told the conference that the recent strikes nl Seattle, Butte, Lawrence and othei places were not industrial, economic disputes in their origin, but were results of an organized attempt at a social and political movement to es tablish soviet governments in the United States.' “No one,” he Said, “is being deported because of his 'union affiliations and strike activities. It is the duty ol the secretary of labor to deport all who advocate the overthrow of government by force, but no one will be deported because he Is a radical. Ad vocates of overthrowing government by force must be considered an invad ing enemy. When such are found guilty the department will deport them.”