The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1935-07-19
United States Must Take
Leadership in Economic
Freedom, Lewis Declares
Mine Workers Head Tells Public Affairs Institute That
American Labor Will Never Accept Fascism
Communism.
BY A. F. of L. News Service.

BY A. F. of L. News Service.
University, Va.-The United States
must give new declaration of eco
nomic freedom to the world and in the
movement mobilizing public opinion
for this objective the American labor
movement must take the leadership,
declared John L. Lewis, president Of
the United Mine Workers of America,
in an address prepared for the Insti-
tute Of Public Affairs at the Univer-
sity Of Virginia.
Mr.. Lewis made this statement in
discussing the significance to labor of
American membership in the Interna-
tional Labor Organization.
Claiming that there is now under
way in the United States "social and
economic revolution which funda-
mentally Consists of a fight to over
throw the financial and industrial au-
tocracy, or dictatorship, which is re-
sponsible for the present deplorable
conditions of wage earners, farmers
and all other groups of people who
work by hand or BRAIN" Mr.. Lewis
said, ''it is recognized that unless this
economic autocracy is subordnated to
the public interest the future of our
country will hold forth no real hope
for labor or humanity
"The revolution which is now in
progress in America" he went on, "is
also the hope of labor movements in
other countries. They do not want
Fascism or communism. Neither will
the organized labor movement in this
country longer accept domination and
exploitation by a financial Dictator
ship"
Gompers and the /. l.. O.
Mr.. Lewis reviewed at length the
developments in industry and finance
which have affected organized la
Dor in the United States and abroad
since the World War He traced the
growth of the International Labor Or
ganization from the time it was ere
ated in 1919 by special commission
Of the Peace Conference, presided over
by the late Samuel Gompers, presi-
dent of the American Federation of
Labor, until the United States joined
it last year.
He pointed out that under the in
fuence of the American labor move
ment the commission incorporated in
the constitution of the |. l.. 0. the
guiding principle already enunciated
in the Clayton act that labor should
not be regarded merely as commod-
ity or article Of commerce. and to this
fundamental added the further guar
antee Of industrial freedom and citi-
zenship, that labor should have the
right to organize and bargain col
ectively with employers through cho-
sen representatives"
Fascism and Communism Banned
"The American organized labor
movement will never accept Fascisn
or communism" Mr.. Lewis said
"There is no reason, however, why
European relationships Of the present
dav shonld not fall before the ideals
Of i ,dustrial democracy which tht
American labor movement represents
It is the belief of organized labor tha
America will again give to the worlC
system of industrial democrac!
which will supercede existing dicta
torships and constitute an acceptable
supplement to our proclamation O.
political democracy in 1776. Tn
forces in our country today whicl
are behind such movement are fun
damental and inexorable.
American Labor Resumes Leadership
"The real significance of our en-
trance into the international Labo
Organization may" he pointed out
.'be said to be that the American la