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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters

Aug. 30 1918. 

SIMS

OPNAV 696

          The President request the following message to be quoted for your information:

          The President. The following was adopted by the New York State Federation of Labor now in session at Rochester New York.

          Where as the New York State Federation of Labor is now assembled in its fifty-fifth annual meeting in the City of Rochester on this day, Tuesday August 27th 1918 and awaits the transaction of its first item of business, be it RESOLVED That solemnly realizing that the first and chief business to occupy the attention and energies of the American people in the war we are engaged in to uphold and extend the heritage of liberty achieved for us by our God-fearing forefathers and thus prove our right to that inheritance we the delegates of the trade and labor unions of the Empire State gathered here in their name and to do their will do herewith declare that the first business of this convention is to dedicate its work to the winning of the war for freedom and to give voice again to the explicit trust we have in the leadership of our supreme civil executive and military commander in chief PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON and be it further resolved that as a pledge of our purpose to devote ourselves and the work of this convention to the promotion of the speedy winning of the war and the security of international justice and peace this minute of our proceedings be forwarded forthwith to the President of the United States at Washington with out respectful request that he authorize its transmission to General Pershing1 of the American Army in France and to Admiral Sims in command of the American Naval Forces in European continental waters period Signed Edward A. Bates Secretary New York State Federation of Labor unquote 696.

 BENSON.      

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B.

Footnote 1: Gen. John J. Pershing, Commander, American Expeditionary Force.

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