Samuel Gompers to Woodrow Wilson

Title

Samuel Gompers to Woodrow Wilson

Creator

Gompers, Samuel, 1850-1924

Identifier

WWP25558

Date

1918 November 27

Description

American Federation of Labor concerned about after war planning.

Source

Library of Congress, Woodrow Wilson Papers

Publisher

Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum

Subject

World War, 1914-1918--United States
United States. Council of National Defense

Contributor

Danna Faulds

Language

English

Provenance

Document scan was taken from Library of Congress microfilm reel of the Wilson Papers. WWPL volunteers transcribed the text.

Text

Sir:

There are many matters of importance pressing upon my mind for submission to you, and which I should like to embody in this letter, but realizing how precious are the moments before your departure from our shores to the other side, I must content myself in presenting one particular matter which in my judgment requires your consideration and action before you leave.

I have reference to the fact that after our people have spent terrific energy to the successful prosecution of the war, and after the sacrifice of life and limb, wealth, position, home comfort, they are turning back into normal channels their activities to peace time pursuits,- the problem of readjustment.

These after-war problems are complex and grave. They may be even more difficult of solution unless the same patriotic fervor and enthusiastic response mark our return to normal activities and peace relations, as was manifested in the will of our people to defend the principles of democracy, and safeguard and extend the ideals of our republic.

I confess this problem has given deep concern. With the world seething in unrest, and with the peoples of Europe left to new and untried leadership, there is greater need than ever that our period of readjustment shall not only avoid the pitfalls and dangers of untried experiments of Government and new relations, but that our Nation’s ideals, attitudes, and activities in solving these problems shall also prove a source of inspiration and of knowledge and help guide the leadership of distressed nations in the mastering of the inevitable after-the-war situations.

Insofar as the American Federation of Labor is concerned, the need for intelligent, straight-forward, sound and right thinking and action has not been overlooked. The success, or failure, of our plans, however, relate to and in a large degree are dependent upon the attitudes, plans and activities our National Government will adopt, and which will encourage our several States to follow.

No doubt many splendid thoughts have been expressed on this subject, and attractive plans and programs submitted. Men of different schools of thought, prompted by motives pure and unselfish, yet conflicting, inspired by a patriotic zeal to be helpful, are meeting almost every day in conference discussing how best to solve these pressing questions which the ending of the war has forced to our attention, how best to study these inspirations,- the hopes and ideals, the plans and program of all our people engaged in different spheres of life and activity, to approve and adopt that which is good and lay aside that which is bad, is a procedure worthy of commendation.

MAY I NOT BE SO BOLD AS TO SUGGEST that the COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE, with its advisory Commission and its number of vast organizations, with the co-operation of the American labor movement, is the one agency in our Government that is eminently well qualified and fitted to counsel, advise, and coordinate the work of the several departments of Government, and to find an intelligent answer to these problems and indicate approved methods for their solution?

The COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE, with its splendid subordinate bodies of similar kind throughout our land, high in the esteem of all our people, surrounded with capable, intelligent, loyal men of different shades of thought and stations of life, political, social and industrial, can undertake this work as can no other single agency in our Government.

Since my return I have received many letters from men who have faithfully, loyally and on every call or emergency, volunteered the best within them to win the war as members of the several committees under my direction, who are willing, aye anxious to continue serving our Government in this great period of readjustment. It would indeed be regretful to lose the services of the organizations of the COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE, its Advisory Commission, at a period when all the best minds are needed to deal with the problems of the day. It is perhaps the only agency of the Federal Government which brings the thought of the people to Washington in that it is the only organization which has the machinery to do so.

It is not proposed that the Council of National Defense shall exercise any executive duties, but that it act in an advisory capacity and renew again its invaluable function as a clearing house of problems and actions to the end that the activities of the several departments of the Government may best coordinate their respective functions and avoid confusion and uncertainty. I am fully in accord with your publicly announced attitude that it does not seem necessary that a new agency or commission should be created for this purpose. Then, too, there is no other agency so high in the esteem of all our people and which can so readily, effectively and efficiently maintain that patriotic fervor and enthusiasm, as essential now as in time of war. Indeed it is my best thought that there is a need for the COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE, not only to deal with the problems of readjustment but for a time thereafter.

Briefly, some of the leading reasons for urging the suggestion that the COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE shall continue and be entrusted with the work herein indicated are as follows:

  1. The Council can be made a central point for the examination and clearing of national matters not specifically vested in the executive departments.
  2. The Council can be constituted a central point for maintaining closer and more effective relations between the executive departments, particularly with regard to matters of national defense.
  3. The Council as a central point will hold together a peace-time organization for mobilizing over again the forces of industry, labor, science and engineering in all future eventualities of whatever kind.
  4. The Council is a recognized federated body created by Congress in which organized labor and industry have a voice.
  5. The Council can most efficiently function as a clearing house for information and action as to reconstruction problems and measures and act as an advisory body, particularly with regard to labor matters on the same problems.
  6. The Council should continue as a distributing point through its Field Division for federal measures and policies. The Field Division, in turn, sending its messages through the Council of Defense system - composed of the state, county, municipal and community defense organizations. The work of the whole being guided by the Field Division.

For these and many other reasons of almost equal importance I venture to solicit your consideration of the suggestion that the COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE be entrusted with this work of readjustment and of counseling, advising and intelligently co-ordinating the activities of the several departments of our Government, of initiating such measures as will prove helpful in this work and of solidifying and unifying our people in thought and action in the solving of these grave, vexing and important problems now demanding our attention.

Respectfully,

Saml. Gompers.

Chairman, Committee on Labor.

Council of National Defense.

Advisory Commission.


Honorable Woodrow Wilson,

President of the United States,

The White House, Washington, DC

Original Format

Letter

To

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924

Files

http://resources.presidentwilson.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/WWI1467.pdf

Collection

Citation

Gompers, Samuel, 1850-1924, “Samuel Gompers to Woodrow Wilson,” 1918 November 27, WWP25558, World War I Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.