The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-10-26
UNITED STATES MUST NOT ENTER
WAR IN EUROPE, A. F. l. DECLARES
Intervention Would Take an
lncdlculdble Toll Of
American Lives
LIBERTY WOULD GO
Labor Would Be Regiment
ed; Perhaps Deprived Of
Adequate Voice

|
BY President James NJ. Duffy, First
Vice President Z. L. Wheatley and
John O'Malley.
| Complete opposition to the United
States becoming involved in European
war was unanimously expressed by the
delegates attending the annual con-
vention of the American Federation Of
Labor at Cincinnati, Ohio.
The subject came before the conven-
tion in the report Of the Committee
on Resolutions on the report of the
Executive Council on the Conflict Be-
tween European Nations. The resolu-
tions Committee report approved the
position taken by the Executive Coun-
Gil that the United States must not
enter the European war and added
further recommendations designed to
prevent sending American soldiers to
European battlefelds.
The committee report declared that
war would mean the death Of thous-
ands and thousands of Americans,
that many of our fundamental liber-
ties would be lost, that labor would
be reduced to the slavery of regimen
tation, and that the burden of tax
alton during and following the war
would place a heavy burden upon
working men and women. The text of
the Resolutions Committee report,
which the convention adopted, follows:
| ''In it's report on the Conflict be-
tween European Nations, the Execu-
tive Council predicated its consider
alton of all that is involved in so far
as the United States is concerned, in
these words:
"'We are unalterably opposed to
our own nation becoming involved in
European conflict. We favor the exer-
else of neighborly and mediatorial in
fuence by our government in all ef-
forts to promote peace and to compose
differences between nations. But, in
doing this, we insist that our govern
ment shall pursue a judicious policy,
exercising care and caution and firm
determination to avoid investment in
European conflicts OF in European
wars
"It was with this far-sighted and
cogent statement by the Executive
Council in mind, that your Committee
prepared its report.
"Unquestionably the continuation
and expansion Of parliamentary gov
ernment in Europe is involved in the
present war. The right of men to en-
joy liberty, free political institutions.
freedom of association, and freedom
Of expression, is equally involved.
"No such war as. the present one
can be brought to a conclusion with
out affecting our national welfare and
national opportunities as a citizenship
accustomed to the exercise of liberty
and free institutions under a govern
ment created and controlled by the
people. Because this is so, we cannot
avoid personal interests and sympa-
thies. But we cannot, and we must
not, permit these to color or influence
our judgments, or lead US to again
become involved in an European con-
fict with the unavoidable participa-
tion afterwards in Europe's internal
problems.
Totalitarian Dictators Created BY
Versailles Peace Treaty
"There remains fresh in our memo
ries the reasons which led our coun-
try to participate in the World War.
We were convinced that our partici-
patton would make the world safe for
democracy Since that war we have
been painfully disillusioned, for the
European world at least was SEEM
ingly made safe for relationships. 1t
was these totalitarian states arising
from conditions following the sign
ing of the Versailles Treaty which
gave to dictators, with their ruthless
destruction of democratic institutions,
their opportunity.
War Would Kill Hundreds of
Thousands
"We are opposed to participation in
the present war for many valid
reasons; one, which we must not over
look, being the fact that we would
be but one of several nations con-
tending against the totalitarian pow
ers.
"We would not have the deciding
voice in the method of conducting the
war.
"We would not have the deciding
voice in determining the terms Of
peace.
"We would not have the deciding
voice in apportioning the costs in HUI
man lives and in wealth.
1--WE would be called upon to ap-
prove a war program which would
take an incalculable toll of American
lives on foreign soil and which would
leave hundreds of thousands of our