DEATH OF I.L.O. DELEGATE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25249, 30 July 1947, Page 7

DEATH OF I.L.O. DELEGATE

“HEATED ARGUMENTS” AT CONFERENCE (Rec. 9.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 28. Associates of Mr Robert J. Watt, an American delegate to tne recent International Labour Conference at Geneva, who died at sea on July 24 on his way home from the conference, said on their arrival at New York today that bitter wrangles with the Australian, Argentine, and Czechoslovak delegates had weakened Mr Watt so much that his death was not unexpected. Heated arguments arose over American foreign policy, which Mr Watt and other leaders of the American Federation of Labour had strongly defended. Mr Bernard Mullady, a co-delegate of Mr Watt, said that a Communist element in the International Labour Office had “rigged” schemes fdr the election of Mr Frantizek Vavricka, of Czechoslovakia, as workers’ vice-president of the conference, but that Mr Watt had defeated the proposal and had been elected instead. Mr Mullady said that the Australian and Argentine delegates then attacked what they called “imperialism,” and demanded that aid to nations should be f given “with no strings attached.” He added that Mr Watt had engaged them in a spirited debate. When the conference ended Mr Watt was worn out and had to be carried aboard his ship on a stretcher.