The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-11-23

OF all kinds of representative opin-
ion in your community as to how the
British labor movement stands. have
been informed of their anxiety as to
the lack of publicity. | had already
sensed this myself from reading your
newspapers, and have taken steps to
try and get this remedied.
81 would, however, urge you to re-
member the great difference between
publicity and propaganda. / hope
that my country will never descend
to the latter, whilst it may improve
the form of the first.
cat the same time you may have
greater publicity and a lack Of vital
information. This | have noticed,
too. Your country cannot obtain
true reflex of the position in Great
Britain without a, clear understand
ing of the policy of our labor and
trade union movement. In this re-
| spect your newspapers can render
first class service to the cause of de-
mocracy by publishing what l may
have to say and hope that | will be
able to enlighten your great move
ment through you, its delegates, Of
our position. At this juncture certain
factors need to be emphasized.
Upholds Policy of Collective Security
"Firstly, the British trade union
movement is behind the British Gov
ernment because the latter has
changed its policy.
"The great war of 1914 to 1913
made a profound impression upon
Great Britain, particularly in two di-
rections:
"(a) A school of thought was de-
veloped that in future we should stand
aloof from future European entangle-
ments. Great Britain was outside Of
Europe, and if European countries
cared to destroy one another, that was
their business.
"The leading exponent of this
school was Mr.. Chamberlain, the
Prime Minister, and in fairness to him
it must be said that he was sincere
in his deliberate policy to keep Great
Britain out of any European war. But
the way to disaster is often paved
with good intentions.
"The object of this school was to
destroy the effectiveness Of the
League Covenant. 1t has succeeded.
The method adopted was either not
to oppose or to appease the aggres
sor. This has failed. We warned the
Prime Minister that he might post
pone but that he could not prevent
war by attempting the impossible.
Bullies are never appeased.
"(b) This school of thought was
countered by another, policy. The
great war revealed that no nation,
however great, could live unto her
self. We are members one of another.
An ideal state of society cannot be Sc
cured by materialistic conception of
life. Cooperation must be the law of
life, not individualism.
"The British trade union movement
has always been the advocate of this
principle. Hence it has wholeheart
edly supported the League Covenant
as the great instrument of world
peace. Because of this it has un-
hesitatingly condemned the succeeding
gross betrayals Of the principles of
the covenant, which betrayals it con-
tends are largely responsible for the
present state of world affairs.
"Events have completely justified
the contention Of our movement, and
as the present British Government
has turned from it's policy of isola-
ton in European affairs and has
adopted, it is true only in part, the
policy of collective security, by stand
ing up to the aggressor nation, we
are behind the government.
81 should, however, be failing in
my duty to you if / did not make it
clear that there is a section Of the
movement which does not agree with
the large majority view already eX-
pressed by me. 1t holds that because
Of the Governments policy in the past
we should not attempt in the slight
est degree to assist the Government,
but this is relatively small minor
ity view.
Labor Is Not Represented In British
Cabinet
'The second factor to emphasize is
| CllaC as a movement we nave ueilD-
erately and definitely refused to ac-
cept the invitation TO the Government
to be represented in the Cabinet.
There are two reasons for this:
81. We have learned our lesson Of
the great war. We entered the Gov
ernment then and found ourselves
handicapped in our criticism of the
Government in relation to its policy.
Our representatives in fact were hos
tages. We are not going to have the
same experience again.
"2. Today we are the only alterna
tive Government to the present Gov
ernment, which we were not in 1914
to 1918. We are, therefore, not only
going to hold ourselves free to criti-
else the Government, but if need be
shall lead an attack upon the Gov
ernment if, in our opinion, its policy
at any time is not in the interest of