Imperial Valley press., 1937-04-06
News Behind the News
Tuo Sides of the Question ;. Taking
the Radicals to Reach the Middle =.
Which VieIc is Right? -.

WASHINGTON-Perhap it is impossible for
anyone to be entirely unprejudiced as to sitdown
strikes and the defiance by workers OF a court
order demanding their withdrawal from the
Chrysler automobile plants in Detroit.
Yet it is possible to be violently prejudced
on either side and it may be that the best way
of reaching a reasonably detached attitude is
TO read side by side the extreme views, in opposi-
ton to each other of those who have shown
themselves most steamed up over the issue.
Anyone who wants to study the issue from all
angles might do worse than to begin by looking
at: l. Teegraphic protest to the Senate by
President Emeritus A. Lawrence Lowell of
Harvard an dother Boston citizens. 2. Letter
by chairmen of the Chryser sitdown strikers to
Governor Murphy.
Armed insurrection of law, order and duly
elected authority is spreading like wildfire, says
the Lowell group 1T is rapidly growing beyond
control What determined action by the gov
ernor of Michigan several weeks ago. or few
words of counsel by the President would have
ended Summarily now challenges the Supre-
macy of government itself.
mo question of the right of labor to liberal
wage and healthful working conditions is involv-
ed. This is universally conceded. The issue is
far more vital 1t dWarfs any other issue now
agitating the public mind; it attacks and un-
dermines the very foundation of our political
and social structure. If minority groups can
seize premises illegally, hold them indefinitely
refuse admttance to owners or managers re-
sist by violence and bloodshed all attempts to
dislodge them, intimdate properly constituted
authority to the point of impotence, then free
dom and liberty are at an end, government be-
comes mockery superseded by anarchy, mob
rule and ruthless dictatorship
Now listen to the Chrysler strikers as they
expressed themselves prior to the agreement for
evacuating the plants:
Our employers have refused to recognize
the principles of collective bargaining, SO we
have resorted to the only weapon we have to
make them abide by the law.
we have suffered for years in these plants
of the Chrysler Corporation. We haven't been
paid wages enough 10 support our families in
decency and health
I'VE have seen each year an increase in the
speed of the line And still the foreman and
the gang leaders stand over us and demand
more and more production
Last summer hundreds of US fell like flies on
the job because the heat and speed of work were
more than we could stand. And it wasn't until
we threatened to strike that the management
slowed down the line.
Last fall thousands of us were discharged
in violation OF our seniority standing. We had
to threaten to strike then to get rehired.
while we were exercising our right to organ
ize We were opposed by of the most vicious
and unspeakable SPY systems ever established
in industry The Chryser Corporation retained
an agency that hired criminals and eX-convicts
to do their filthy work This is a matter of
public record We we're subject TO intimidation.
by foremen and petty bosses. Our members
were fired for other reason than that they
had joined the union. These things that they
did to US were lawless
Then when we had built our union, in spite
of these obstacles, the Chryser Corporation re-
fused to recognize us. And this refusal was
laWes5 act"