The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-12-21

the official documents which comprise
the program, the Industrial Mobiliza-
ton Plan, the National Defense Act,
and four bills, now before Congress.
What, then, is the immediate stu
alton which confronts American labor
and the civilian population generally?
We know that there exists in Wash
ington plan known as the Industrial
Mobilization Plan under which the
nation will be controlled and regulated
in time Of war or in an emergency due
to the imminence of war. We know
that the President has already de-
clared a state of emergency to exist
and that he has already invoked GER
tain emergency powers. We know that
the Plan in question has been approved
jointly by the Acting Secretary of
War and the Acting Secretary Of the
Navy, and we are justified in believ-
ing that the Plan is familiar to the
President, if not approved by him. We
have seen that whereas the Plan vital
ly affects the rights of labor and even
the every day lives Of every work
ing mans family, labor has been ac-
corded practically no representation
on the regulatory boards envisaged in
the Plan. We have seen that whereas
the Plan has not yet been put in mo-
ton, eternal vigilance and indepen-
dence on the part Of Congress is es-
sential lest the necessary validating
acts be rushed through under cover Of
an emergency.
Congress Should Act Now
Believing, as we must, that if the
Industrial Mobilization Plan is put in
to effect it will spell the doom of or
ganized labor in America and destroy
the liberties Of our people which here
tofore have been inviolable, our course
of action is clear. We must insist
through our duly elected representa-
tives that full discussion on the
floors of Congress be held on those
provisions and details of the Indus
trial Mobilization Plan which affect
the civilian population. If after full
discussion it be found necessary in the
minds of the elected representatives
Of the people that an Industrial Mob
ilization Plan is essential to the Sc
curity of the nation in time of war,
we must insist that the rights of forty
million workingmen and women in the
United States be fully represented on
the several boards, bureaus and COM
missions envisaged in the plan; that
the rights of collective bargaining by
trade unions be held inviolate and that
labor laws designed to protect and
benefit and advance the rights and in
terests of working men, women and
the children of our land shall not be
abrogated or nullified under any pre-
text.
Current events in the old world
have raised the grave and serious
questions of what shall be the conduct
of our people in these turbulent and
trying days and how best may we
continue the peace and freedom Of our
people and make secure the institu-
tions of our land.
American labor believes in progress
and in cooperating with the rest of
the world, but we refuse to gamble
with the liberty and security of a
hundred and thirty million people that
could easily vanish during a time of
chaos and economic confusion. De-
velopments in the old world clearly in
dicate how easily a ruthless minority
can enslave all entire people. Expert
ences demonstrate that having once
ventured on the road of dictatorship