The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1919-11-08
ENTITLED TO TRUTH.

ENTITLED TO TRUTH.
But a few months have passed
since American newspapers were all
but unanimous in their praise of
American trades-unionism.
A movement that was worthy Of
the highest esteem in the greatest
crisis the nation has known must
have about it character Of high type.
Such movement is entitled to
truth in American newspapers, not
only in war time, but at all times.
Much that is not truth is being
printed today.
Much of untruth has been printed
about the steel strike. Much of un-
truth already has been printed about
the coal miners.
The New York Evening World
makes the statement that, The ele-
ment responsible for this colossal
menace (the coal strike) is the same
element that has been trying to seize
the leadership Of organized labor in
other Industries preparatory to seiz-
ing the industries themselves.
That statement, vague though it
Is conveys a meaning utterly at va
rance with the tact. The Evening
World continues:
1T is the same element that per-
suaded foreign-born steel workers to
precipitate the steel strike.''
Further on:
call them 'Bolsheviks,' I. W.
VS., Reds, 'Radicals'-the forces
that are reaching for the control of
organized labor in the United States
are everywhere essentially the same.
Disappointed of success in the steel
strike. they strive to score in the
coal fields a victory which may react
to their immediate advantage not
only in the steel industry but in
Others
And, we are editorial]y informed:
"t'or months such forces have
been at work among the coal miners
unions 100 particularly among the
alien miners--preaching soviet gov
eminent of the mines, preaching re-
pudiation of the contract entered
into by the United Mine Workers of
America with the Fuel Administra-
ton, by which the present wage
agreement was to remain in force
tor the continuance of the war, but
not beyond April /, $780,"
1t may be interesting to know that
the president of the United Mine
Workers is native born American.
1t may be interesting to know that
the secretary of the United Mine
Workers is native. born, a former
member of the Ohio state legislature.
and one of the American Federation
OF Labor mission that went to Paris
10 help draft the treaty Of peace. II
the miners union is in the condition
represented by the Evening World
these officials doubtless would like
to know about it. Their American
ism is not something they wear on
parade.
The Miners Union case is entitled
to presentation. 1t has not heon
presented by the daily press of Amer
lea. The Evening World editorial
here cited-and cited not because #
Is especially noteworthy, but because
IT is samples not built upon
something that is imaginative.
Editorials of that kind constitute
Splendid propaganda for the yerv
Kind Of unsettled mind and turbu-
lence of spirit that the American
labor movement is doing it's best to
overcome.
The coal miners of America dug
the coal that ran every American
engine through the war, on land and
on sea, at full speed. They added
ls5'o0o,ooo tons to the yearly total
production so that America might
win the war. They were not "aliens."
or reds" when they were doing that.
1t Is not the intention to argue
the strike case here. But the min
ers OF America are entitled to the
truth about their conduct in the col
umns of American newspapers.
It's about time we deported that
chief 2gaitafor ooo;,.4 , =.