Mediation Commission, World War I

Mediation Commission, World War I

United States 1917-1918

Synopsis

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, it faced a mobilization crisis. Throughout the country, labor unrest was rampant and threatened the wartime supply of goods. In response, President Woodrow Wilson formed a Mediation Commission that he charged with traveling to the areas troubled by labor disputes and offering its services to help bring about settlements. The commission was formed to deal with the disputes in the Arizona copper mines and the timber industry of the Northwest, but it expanded to handle disputes in the telephone, transit, and meatpacking industries. The commission's efforts were generally successful, although it experienced failure with the meatpackers and in the timber industry. Usually, the grievances were similar and included such issues as the eight-hour workday, higher wages, collective bargaining, and a closed shop.

Timeline

• 1897: Zionist movement is established under the leadership of Theodor Herzl.
• 1902: Second Anglo-Boer War ends in victory for Great Britain. It is a costly victory, however, resulting in the loss of more British lives (5,774) than any conflict between 1815 and 1914. The war also sees the introduction of concentration camps, used by the British to incarcerate Boer civilians.
• 1905:

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