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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 1918)
. .. ! '-: 4" THS BEE: OMAHA, MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1918. HIGH SPOTS OF : CAR STRIKERS' MASS MEETING Extracts From Stenographic Report Taken at Session at Labor Temple Sunday. (Continued from Pe On.) ;iie same old five-cent fare basis of 20 years ago, while we have more ' than doubled the pay of the men and more than doubled the expense 1 of the company during that time." He reviewed recent financial af : fairs of the company and stated that there is no more prospect ot ae " clarine dividends than there is of the V kaiser getting to heaven, unless re lief is given. - , ''It is all right to raise waees," . he added, "and I am glad to see .. them raised, but it is wrong to tell an employer that he can not sell his product for one cent more than be ,'; fore the war." ' Conciliator Speaks. Conciliator Smith of the United States Department of Labor urged the men to recognize the national war labor board. Verbatim extracts from his address follow: "I want to say at the outset -that I want you to take what I am about to say in the same kind of spirit ; as it is meant and coming from me. V I am here as a representative of the Department of Labor at Washing JMn, D. C. The national war labor board has more power in dealing '."with questions of labor than all ' other boards now in existence they are the choice of the president of the United . States, and all things that they have taken up and done up to , date have the sanction of the presi dent. .V "I arrived in this city Friday aft v ernoon and immediately looked up Mr. Reynolds, the president of your State Federation of Labor. Let us all be willing to play our cards right on the table face up. I am a trade unionist. I have just as good a card as any man sitting in the room, and I carry it in my pocket, but that doesn't interfere with me in dealing squarely on all matters that are pre sented to me as a mediator and con ciliator. I am not here representing "' the trade union movement, I am rep- ' resenting the Department of Labor it Washington, D. C. Labor Helps War. ."Labor has done its part in this great. war. There is no question about that now. There is no man of any intelligence whatsoever that will . hesitate to get up before any kind of an audience but must truthfully say . that labor did its part. The men of labor are loyal. " I know nothing of this contro versy and what efforts have been ; put forth in. connection with this or ganization, but I heard someone here before thfe meeting started, say V cnwetlung apout turning aown me r ii.ttrnal war lahnr . hoard. I sav. ..boys, that is wrong. Don't make such an assertion as that. When yon:thake:;that kind of an assertion ' you" are' as much as 'saying you are . turnirig"down the government of the ; United States, and I don't think there is a one of you would want that stigma placed against you, that he was going to turn down the gov ernment of the United States that has 'kept our flag flying in honor throughout this country and throughout the entire civilized world. , , Represents Government. '"Boys, I say I am standing here as a representative of the United States and not as a representative of the lab6r board. I know nothing about what kind of a decision' they . made in this controversy. I know nothing of it at all. I am under no ' instructions here but am just simply " here to mediate and conciliate and try to get both sides together and to try to keep down vany contro versy that may have existed during '.he life of this war. "It is true, as the president of this company has said, that the war is not over yet. The .armistice has ..' been signed, but what does that mean? The war is not over until peac is declared and the president of tne United. States issue his proclamation to the people. I am ,glad that the nationalwar labor board is going to stay on the job. And I want to see all the other boards the shipping board, and all the other boards keep intact so we ' can vhave someone to appeal to in case these controversies come up. ; "Now, men, it is right and proper that you take this vote now. I am opposed, as a trade unionist, to a standing vote on any proposition like that. I think a secret vote should be taken. Be fair. I was the one that suggested that the "; president of this company come ,down here and meet the men this afternoon. , He made the proposi tion to President Short suggesting and requesting him to call a meet ing of the men and in an effort to make known his sentiments to the men. Wanted Wattles to Know. "I had another object in view. I . heard Mr. Wattles say himself Sat- 1 urday at the conference, I think, in the mayor's office, that there was : a large per cent of the men in his employ who were not agreeable to " this situation as it now. appears and , that there weren't as maay in the organization who thought this way as they tried to make it appear here was. Well, I wanted him to come here and see for himself. If they are here then he knows just exactly wl.o is here and who was in it. (Ap plause.) ,v "And now I hope and trust, men, that when you make your decision . in" this proposition, y0u will do it - openly and above board as to your own conviction of what you think is best in the matter. : "Now, with, those few words, God speed to you men.' I am going i to stay here and if nothing comes of this effort this afternoon, we will . meet again tomorrow, trying to get your board and Mr. Wattles to-, gether, and whoever else j-e can get . in the two cities that we can bring ; in to 'bring pressure to bear to settle this proposition. ., , . ''Now, I told you a few things that labor has done in the war, but labor : it" not entitled to any particular credit for what they did ia this war, Farewell View of President Wilson's Ship Taken by Seaplane -60 Miles Out ' -.y t. a :.:'.' S S. GKQli36 WASHiMGToM" At, SA Ert. A farewell photograph of the George Washington, aboard which President Wilson and his party are en route to the peace conference. The photograph was taken 60 miles at sea from a seaplane. Part of the plane is visible on the right. and, by God, labor isn't asking for any particular credit from anybody. Had Son in Battle. '"Don't get i. into your heads, men, that you have made any sacrifices in this war. You haven't any more than I have. I have got two sons over there, and you also probably have sons there. One of them has been invalided back; he is now in Ontario, New York. He was brought back after the armistice was signed, but he is alive to teli it, and he said to me the other day, "I sure fought some in that battle. (Applause.) "Now, then, I advise you to stand by your organization. You have that right. The national war labor board has given you that right and the president of the United States has given you that right, and there can be no employer discriminate against any man on account of his affiliations with labor organizations. Now that right has been given to you by the national war labor board and by the presidetn of the United States. "So, boys, God speed to you, and do the best you can to settle the controversy." (Applause.) Knows All About Strike. T. P. Reynolds, president of the Nebraska Federation of Labor, be gan his talk to the strikers by as serting that he knew as much about this strike controversy as any man in Omaha. When he declared that the matter was brought before the war labor board "a week or ten days before the mayor of Omaha woke up," the 'crowd laughed. He ex plained that he was not trying to discredit the mayor; that he would even assist the mayor in any way to adjust the strike difficulties. He reviewed the events of last spring when the mayor intervened and then he said: "I don't know that the war labor board has been absolutely correct in all of its decisions, but I do be ileve that the board, before they hand down a decision, gives con sideration to every question, and I do believe that when they do hand it down, it is a fair award. "I am not going to advise .you in any way, and all I am going to do is to ask you to be fair and to vote the way you think and vote as,every other union man votes when he knows he is right." Not Given an Inch, am not familiar With the pro visions of this award in its entirety, nor am I familiar with the agree ment reached in Kansas City, but I have attended the meetings of your executive board and the company during the last few days and I want to congratulate your organization on having a fair committee. They have stood on every contended point which you have asked them to do. They have not given an inch on any of the questions that you instructed them to go after. "I want to advise you men that la bor is fair and labor is right. We will have to admit that sometimes we might make mistakes and some times the street car company makes mistakes." 1 Shamp Started Union. iC. Li Shamp, organizer for the American Federation of Labof. went into details of the organization of th' carmen s union, which he said he started on request of some of the men who went to Labor temple. 'Didn't I do it?" he asked, where upon there was laughter and ap plause. "I am the only" organizer,"' he added. He added that he came to Omaha in 1880 and lives in Twenty-fourth street and no one has told him to leave. "Then," he continued, "when you went down to see Mr. Wattles he told you he couldn't raise your wages until he got six or seven cent fare. Somebody must have told a lie, because you are getting more money and he hasn't got the 7-cent fare yet." He charged Mr. Wattles for hav ng been responsible for the organ ization of the union of street railway company's .employes.' Mr. Shamp denied that'there had been "outside interference" in forming the union; that the men were told that it would be up to them o join if they wished, and that if they did not wish, "there was the door." Knows When to Run. "Nobody tried to make' these fel lows form this organization," he in sisted. "I will say to Mr. Wattles that the only successful street car corporation is the one that is a union line; that is, the only one that knows when they are going to run. (Ap plause.) The corporation, boys, that makes an agreement with a trade union is the only one that does business nowadays. Mr. Wattles knows this, that the agreement that we presented to him first, if he had consented, he wouldn't be paying those men the money he is pacing today. Isn't that so?" A voice: "Yes." "Because we had agreed to work for Mr. Wattles for less wages than the government gave us. Isn't that so?" A voice: "Yes." "Well, then Somebody is making him pay all of this money and sweat all of this blood, for by God, it isn't you, it is him. . . Now, I don't want to hear Mr. Wattles or any other Chamber of Commerce man in this town here, say that We forced the street car company to pay us this money, because it is a damn lie and we didn't do it." To Prove War is Over. J. F. McMillian, ofthe executive committee of the union, was the last speaker. "If this organization or any other labor organization waits until the soldiers, return from Europe, we won't live to see the day," he said. "Futhermore, to prove to you that this war is over, such great men as McAdoo and other men would not have resigned if the war was not over. And if this bunch of men re turns to work now, this local may exist for a short time, but there would be another strike and the question might just as well be set tled now." A voice: "Now or never." "I want to tell you that there are two kinds of contracts which labor works under; one is the closed shop and the other is the open shop. It means that one is a union contract and the other is a scab contract." A voice: "Give tis the union." "It doesn't make any difference to me whether it is lost or won; I will have a better job than ever with Mr. Wattles' company. It has been offered to me. But when the strike is over, and I am getting better job than ever, I would feel disap pointed if 800 men of this organization-' would walk in at this time." U S. Promise to Aid Russia Broken Charges Lebedeff Washington, Dec. 8. Col V..L. Lebedeff, who was minister of mar ine under the Kerensky government of Russia, and who came to Amer ica with Prince Lvoff, has filed with Chairman Hitchcock of the senate foreign relations committee, a state ment protesting that the allied gov ernments and particularly the United States have failed to fulfill promises to supply munitions, food and cloth ing to the Russians who are com bating the bolsheviki. Senator Hitchcock has brought the state ment to the attention of the State department. ' President Calls on" Every American to Join Red Cross Washington, Dec. 8. President Wilson, in a proclamation made pub lic today, calls qn every American to join the Ameriacn Red Cross dur ing Christmas roll call week, De cember 16 to 23, "and thus send forth to the whole human family the Christmas greeting for which it waits and for which it stands in greatest need." The proclamation, prepared before the president de parted for Europe,-follows: "To the American people: "One year ago 22,000,000 Amer icans, by enrolling as members of the Red Cross at Christmas time, sent to the men who were fighting our battles overseas a stimulating message of cheer and good will. They made it clear that our people were of their own free choice, unit ed with their government in the de termination not only to wage war with the instruments of destruction, but also by every means in their power to repay the ravages of the invader and sustain and renew the very spirit of ihe army and of the hopies which they represented. The friends of the American Red Cross in Italy, Belgium and France have told and will tell again the story of how the Red Cross workers re stored morale in the hospitals, in the camps and at the cantonments, and we ought to be very proud that we have been permitted to be of ser vice to those whose sufferings and whose glory are the heritage of humanity. "Now, by God' grace, the Red Cross Christmas message' of 1918 is to be a message of peace as well as a message of good will. But peace does not mean that we can fold our hands. It means further sacrifice. We must prove conclusively to an attentive world that America is per manently aroused to the needs of the new era, our old indifference gone forever. "The exact natur of the future service of the Red Cross will de pend upon the program of the asso ciated governments, but there is im mediate need today for every heart ening word and for every helpful service. We" must not forget that our soldiers and our sailors are still under orders and still have duties to perform -of the highest conse quence and that the Red Cross Christmas . membership means a great deal to them. The people of the saddened lands, moreover, re turning home today where the're are no homes, must have the assurance that the hearts of our people are with them, in the dark and doubtful days ahead. Let us. so far as we can, help them back to faith in mercy and in future happiness. "As president of the Red Cross, conscious in this great hour of the value of such a message from the American people, I should be glad if every man would join the Red Cross for 1919, and thus send forth to the whole human family, the Christmas greeting for which it v.aits and for which it stands in greatest need." ' 180 KILLED AND INJURED IN RIOT (Continued from Ptg One.) diers and workmen's council, the soldiers apparently laboring under the misapprehension that their offi cer had been ordered by the govern ment to make the arrest. This occurred at the same hour as the clash between the government troops and the Spartacus insurgents. The executive committee was hold ing a meeting in the former Prus sian house of deputies. The cham ber was invaded by the armed forces and a demand made for the sur render of the council of 28 in the name of the Ebert-Haase govern ment. People's Commissioner Barth, who also is a member of the com mittee, faced the invaders with a challenge for their authority. Meanwhile, inquiry was made at government headquarters and result ed in the detention of the leaders of the insurgent forces, who were arm ed with hand weapons and flame throwers, for the purpose of estab lishing responsibility for the at tempted revolution. It developed that the men had been invited by unattached officers to meet at a given hour at the Brandenburg gate for the purpose of raiding and pverthrowing the soldiers and work men's committee, as such action, they were told, was demanded in the interest of the Ebert-Haase govern ment and furthermore that it was certain to meet with public approv al. Ovation Given Ebert. The raid proved a complete fiasco as did also a similar attempt an hour later, which apparently Was planned by Dr. Liebknecht's followers, as it was announced at their meetings. Yesterday evening Berlin foot guards and sailors marched to the former chancellor's house and called out Premier Ebert. who made a speech urging the men to keep their military units intact for the pur pose of responding to hurry calls. Premier Ebert was cheered as the coming president of the German republic. He modestly declined seri ously to consider the proposition, urging that the cabinet for the pres ent was concerned in problems of immediate urgency, such as the food situation and demobilization. The streets tonight are deserted; the university is closed, as its build ings on the Unter den Linden have been requisitioned for the troops there. Mob Storms Munich Newspapers. Munich, Dec. 8. A crowd of armed soldiers last night went to the residence of the minister of the interior and after forcing an en trance demanded the minister's resignation, which he conceded. Revolutionists also stormed all newspaper offices except one. They withdrew several hours later at the earnest request of the Bavarian pre mier, Kurt Eisner, who hurried to the scene. Herr Auer, the minister whose resignation was demanded, was given two minutes, to decide at the point of a revolver. He was then forced to put his resignation into writing and dictate a statement that the resignation was voluntary. The crowd was led by the former editor, Erich Meuhsfin. They proceeded from a communist meeting to the office of the Bavarian Courier and appointed a woman as editor of that newspaper. The Neueste Nachrichtea was the only Munich paper able to appear this morning. M'KENNA Mn. James, died at hr hom, Ell Souttl Fortieth street. She leaves a husband, James McKenna, and a daughter, Mn. William E. Martin. Funeral services will be held Tuesday morning at S:30 at the home.. Some people learn of xhe harmful effects of coffee by read ing. Others find it out -throurfh experience. In either case it is a good idea io adopt : INSTANT P0STUM A delicious drink made : from -the finest cereals, harm jess and nour ishing. Made in ihe cup, instant ly. Saves sugar and fuel. : ALLIES MUST GO TO RUSSIA AND OUST BOLSHEVIK So Declares Peter Jansen of Beatrice, "Whose Home Formerly Was in War Torn Country. "Russia will never get on her feet until the allies have gone into that country and absolutely suppressed the bolshevik forces," said Peter Jansen of Beatrice, Neb., recently, in speaking of the Russian situation. Mr. Jansen was born in Russia and lived there until he was 21 years of age, and he has been back to that country hvice since becoming an American citizen. He is the father-in-law of C. J. Claassen, secretary of the Peters Trust company of Omaha. "I know conditions in Russia," he said, "and I am convinced that she can be saved from utter ruin only by the complete destruction of the bolshevik movement. A month ago I received a letter from Russia, by way of Switzerland, which inform ed me that five of my schoolmates, had been lined up against a wall and shot. Their lands and proper ties wtre confiscated. Their only offense was that they owned these estates. "I know Trotzky and his friends. I met Trptzky in Canada six years and and had a long talk with him. He and the others are simply tak ing advantage of the ignorance of their followers, 75 to 80 per cer.t of whom can neither read nor write. There will be great trade possibilities in -Russia for America, once the country is quited down and a real government established. The country has a great future. Her natural resources are, hardly scratched. When she begins to go into them she will need a great deal of machinery from America. One of the first things to be done will be the double tracking of the Siberian railway." Mr. Jansen, who is one of the - pu'-hcan lexers 0f Nebraska, is of the belief t':at his state has gone mto the rt;ublican columns for a long time t ) come. He predicts a s. eeping republican victory at the next presid. -ial election. He'also is of the op on that the Nonparti san Farmers league is through. He branded it a a scheme to get a $16 members'. ip fee from the farmer. . Mr. Jansen has been active in re publican polices since 1873. He was a delegate to three republican con ventions, helping to nominate Mc Kinley and Taft. President Mc Kmley appointed him a delegate to the Paris exposition. ' Incidentally Mr. Jansen favors Taft for the next republican candi date for president. "Gen. Pershing is a great man,, but his political qualifications are an uncertainty," he said. "Roose. it won't da because of his action in splitting the party. But there's Mr. Taft! He made a good president be fore and I think he would make a good one again." Nebraska's corn crop will not be over 50 per cent, but she is going in strong tor winter wheat, he declar ed. "And you can rest assured that the old state will return a substan tial republican majority in 1920," said Mr. Jansen. "Our people are tired of democratic rule. They had eight years( of it. President Wil son's appeal for a democratic con gress cinched our victory." New Drying Process Keeps Meat Long Time New York, Dec. 8. A new dry ing process by which meats and fish can be kept indefinitely and then restored to their former state of freshness by the application of water and which, it is believed, will increase the world's meat shipping capacity more than 12 times by doing away with the need of refrig eration has been perfected in the rfhemical engineering laboratories at Columbia university, it was an nounced tonight. By the process, it was asserted, all bone, waste fat and connective tissue are removed from the meat or fish to be treated, leaving 100 per cent food. The meat is then cut into cubes or, in the case of beef, into steaks, placed in a vacuum and subjected to a period of drying at a relatively low temperature. No other treatment is necessary. Reports of Pogroms ' Spread by Germans to Calumniate Poland Geneva, Dec. 8. The central Pol ish bureau of Lausanne has received a telegram from Berlin to the ef fect that there have been no pog roms against the Jews in Poland. Reports that pogroms have been carried on were spread especially by the German press, which since the armistice has begun an anti-Polish propaganda, the dispatch adds, in order to calumniate the new Poland before the eyes of the allies in the peace conference. , Washington, Dec. 8. Announce ment that a joint' Polish and Jewish committee will go to Poland to in vestigate the stories of Jewish pog roms recently published was made today by John F. Smulski, of Chicago, president of the National Polish department. The commit tee will sail within 10 days. Petitions Circulated to Buy Street Railway While the street railway employes were holding their meeting with President Wattles Sunday after noon, a laborer of another union was busy circulating among the members of the allied trades who were waiting outside, securing sig natures to the two petitions pro posed by the Central Labor union Friday night; one petition to ini tiate an ordinance giving the city power to purchase the street rail way property, and the other calling for the actual purchase under the right of eminent domain through condemnation proceedings. Several who were solicited refused to sign, saying they would be wast ing thehir time, taking the stand that the property of the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street 'Railway com pany is an interstate affair, and they did not see how the city of Omaha could purchase by condemnation proceedings or operate property in the state of Iowa, rolling stock which is commonly used in inter state traffic, or an interstate bridge. Try a Bee Want Ad for a business booster. They are winners and al ways bring results. SQUALLS DELAY WILSON'S SHIP AND ITS CONVOY At Present Rate of Speed President Will Land at Brest Friday and Reach Paris Saturday. On Board the U. S. S. Gjorge Washington, Dec. 8. (By W relesi to the Associated Press. At the present rate of speed President Wil son will not land at Brest before Friday. He probably will reach Paris Saturday. His conferences with the French statesmen are ex pected to begin promptly Tuesday aftet an exchange of official visits. It was expected the Azorei would be passed today but the George Washington and its convoy of warships have been plowing through one squall after another, which are heavy for the southern course. As a consequence the Azores will not be reached before Tuesday. The Pennsylvania is steaming more than a mile ahead of the presi dent's ship. The destroyeds which make up the remainder of the con voy of ten are hidden from sight in , the valleys between the great roll ers which are washing them so fre quently that the crews scarcely can cling to the decks. The group, however, is keeping comparatively steady course in the heavy sea and none of the official party has been seasick thus far. President Wilson attended relig ious services this morning with the enlisted men of the American forces on board the George Washington. The services were held in the quar ters of the men some distance be low decks. The president joined in ' the signing and the prayers and. in the recital of the services. Later the president took his usual walk on deck and then rested. He did not work during the day. The George Washington today is , running through smoother seas and encountering warmer weather. 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