autumn of 1917, Gompers headed an American labor mission to
Europe and visited England, Belgium, France, and Italy. His
frequent public utterances in numerous cities received particular
attention in the leading European newspapers and were eagerly
read in the allied countries. The pacifist group of the British
Labour Party did not relish his outspokenness on the necessity of
completely defeating the Teutons before peace overtures could be
made. On the other hand, some of the ultraconservative papers
misconstrued his sentiments on the terms which should be exacted
from the enemy when victory was assured. This misunderstanding
led to an acrid international newspaper controversy, to which
Gompers finally replied: "I uttered no sentence or word which by
the wildest imagination could be interpreted as advocating the
formula 'no annexations, and no indemnities.' On the contrary, I
have declared, both in the United States and in conferences and
public meetings while abroad, that the German forces must be
driven back from the invaded territory before even peace terms
could be discussed, that Alsace-Lorraine should be returned to
France, that the 'Irredente' should be returned to Italy, and
that the imperialistic militarist machine which has so outraged
the conscience of the world must be made to feel the indignation
and righteous wrath of all liberty and peace loving peoples."
This mission had a deep effect in uniting the labor populations
of the allied countries and especially in cheering the
over-wrought workers of Britain and France, and it succeeded in
laying the foundation for a more lasting international labor
solidarity.

This considerable achievement was recognized when the Peace
Conference at Paris formed a Commission on International Labor