The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-04-28
The ALL. and the
War Machine
By LABOR RESEARCH ASSN.

What is the American Federation of Labors
w attitude toward the war machine that is now
being prepared for the attack on the Soviet
Union?
Workers who ask his question will be interested
in the following quotations from articles and
speeches of high officials of the A. F. of L.
Matthew Vol, vice-president of the A. F. Of
L. and president Of the most active and best
financed anti-Soviet agency in the United States
the National Civic Federation-Inade a conf
Dental address called Labor in War" to the
Army War College at the Washington Barracks
two years ago. In it he told the officers that
american organized labor is q patriotic, loyal
and nationalistic institution" and pledged the
full support of labor to carry on the next war
80 aggresSive1y that it may be terminated speed
lily and VIGOROUSLY" In the same address Vol
referred to "the great regard organized labor has
for the military forces of our government, the
great respect in which it holds those in charge Of
the military division of our nation" He added
that, American labor has always looked in
most kindly and friendly way upon the military
arm Of cur government. 1t has always demon
strated its willingness to cooperate with that
branch of the government in every way possible.
. The American Federation of Labor has
only words of kindness for the Army 1t is ever
willing to cooperate with it in any way it cam
Labor Fact Book, .. 1881
William Green was likewise represented before
the Army War College in a speech made by his
agent, John B. ColpoyS, a Washington Demo-
cratic politician and editor of the Trades Union
iSt." Colpoys, representing Green in an address
made to the War College last fall took for his
subject, Labor in War: Measures to Insure It's
Most Effective Employment" He urged the army
officers to establish proper contacts with the
organization that speaks for the hopes and as
pirations of the working people of this country
the American Federation of Labor, and if our
country should be embroiled in war you will find
that labor will do its full duty with no consid-
Grafton for slackers. They (the labor leaders,
viii lend their whole hearted, loyal and patri-
otto assistance to their country to the end that
every skilled craftsmen within their member
ship will make any sacrifice necessary for the
success the honor and the perpetuity of the
institutions of our country"
And by the institutions of our country" Col
poys meant, as explained by Green in many of
his other speeches, "thc right Of private owner
ship and the right Of private property" in other
words capitalism.
In the same address Colpoys continued: 81 will
state that the most insuring results for success
Gin the next war; will be best achieved through
the proper cooperation of our military forces
working in close harmony with the representa-
tives of the working class through the American
Federation of Labor"
In 1929 the A. F.. of L. went on record in favor
Of bigger pay for army officers and Peter j.
Brady, president of the Federation Bank and
prominent democratic politician, also active in
the anti-Soviet work of the National Civic Fed
Grafton stated that this move demonstrates the
warm and friendly feeling of labor toward the
defensive forces of the nation"
In the Same wear Green and five wire r0raci.
dents of the A. F. of L. were given a special
review and all military honors at West Point
the governments military school In his speech
on that occasion Green stated that 1--WE believe
1t is uncomfortable that our country should ever
engage in an aggressive war" (He never heard
Of course of the Mexican War; the Spanish War
the conquest of the Philippines, or the wars on
the masses Of Nicaragua, Haiti, Colombia or
Santo Domingo not to mention intervention
against the Russian Revolution in 1879 He
supported enthusiastically the Citizens Military
Training Camps, saying that labor would con-
tinue ito give this patriotic movement full
measure of support"
Some years before at Plattsburg N. Y, the
whole Executive Council of the A. F. of L. was
royalty entertained and gave it's blessing to the
military training camps and urged F. Of L.
members to attend them
In the last war scores of labor officials par
ticipated in swivel chair and other jobs. The
A. F. of L. bureaucrats, at that time, sold liberty
bonds, sat on draft boards, speeded up produc-
tion acted as spies on militant workers and
otherwise demonstrated their abject loyalty to
Imperialism Since the war every convention
of the A. F. of L. has been addressed by War
Department chiefs, and army officers all ex-
pressing their love for the labor leaders who are
to act as recruiting sergeants in the next world
slaughter,