Valdez Daily Prospector

TO HELL WITH THE FLAG CRIES A LABOR LEADER

The words "To hell with the Stars and Stripes" were cheered when Jas. H. Maurer, President of the Pennsylvania State Federation of Labor, interjected them into a speech at the Labor Forum in Washington Irving High School at New York city. The subject for discussion was the proposed State Constabulary. Maurer has written a book on the Pennsylvania State Constabulary, whom he last night called "American Cossacks."

At the beginning of his speech Maurer digressed from his announced subject to refer to believers in adequate preparedness for this country as "preparedness freaks." That was greeted with prolonged cheers.

"Here in this part of the country, which we might call the wild and crazy East, where you hear so much about patriotism and these great Stars and Stripes which they keep rubbing under your nose, we are continually being called upon to say that we are ready to defend the country. And yet," continued Maurer, emotion pitching his voice higher and higher, "and yet, while there is this great war going on here in our midst between the classes, I say down with the Stars and Stripes."

A few minutes later, when another outburst of cheers which had greeted his words had subsided, Maurer characterized the advocates of preparedness and the members of the capitalized press as "a bunch of parasites who are looting our nation."

"I will never shed a drop of my blood," he cried, "nor will I counsel the representatives of labor to shed theirs, unless I am certain that by so doing they are shedding their blood in the battles of their own class."

Then he shouted, "To hell with the Stars and Stripes!"