The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-10-19
Facing the Facts
With PHILIP PEARL

When Labor speaks, America speaks.
This week in Cincinnati, organized
labor lifted up it's voice for peace.
The representatives of more than five
million American workers, meeting in
Cincinnati for the 59th annual conven-
ton Of the American Federation Of
Labor, cheered as one man when Pres
ident William Green sounded a ring
ing keynote Of peace and neutrality.
Let us picture the scene for those
Of you who were not fortunate enough
to he present at this stirring occasion.
Thronged in the sparkling and flag
draped Hall of Mirrors at the Neither
land Plaza Hotel in Cincinnati were
more than 500 delegates to the con-
vention, seated at long tables stretch
ing from the rostrum to the doors.
Along the sides and in the galleries
were crowded hundreds of visitors,
men and women eagerly intent on the
proceedings. On the platform .were
the Mayor of the city, the Governor
of the State and all the high officials
Of the American Federation of Labor.
Before this impressive audience.
President Green arose and spoke. With
calmness and restraint he reviewed the
problems affecting America that have
arisen from the European conflict. And
then he said:
81 am confident that when this great
congress of labor expresses itself it
will be in opposition to European en-
tanglements and to any involvement
in a European war. 1t will be for the
preservation of our peaceful, demo-
cratic form of Government in the
United States Of America"
The resounding cheer that greeted
his words gave convincing proof that
the delegates enthusiastically agreed.
The Past and Future
After summing up the achievements
Of the past year-the gains in men,
bership, in political, legislative and
economic power President Green
came to the one subject which perhaps
most deeply concerned the labor lead
ers present. We mean, of course, the
problem Of reuniting labor in America.
He told the story of the peace nego-
tiations to date, he outlined the A. F..
of l.. position for the future and there
was not one murmur of dissent.
"Some in our movement" Mr.. Green
remarked, "have asked why we don't
settle our differences. Well, they
might as we'll ask Mr.. Chamberlain
and Mr.. Daladier, representing the
democratic nations of England and
France, why they don't settle with
Mr.. Hitler
That same evening, in radio ad-
dress broadcast to the entire nation,
President Green drew the parallel even
closer. He pointedaSt that Hitler had
responded to frantic pleas for peace
by invading Poland; that John l..
Lewis had responded to President
Roosevelt's plea for labor peace by in
vading the building trades unions.
Mr.. Green asked the public to recall
that Hitler had said that he would be
ready to make peace after he had
grabbed what he wanted; and that
Lewis had said that he would be ready
for labor peace once he had seized
what he wanted and would be in po-
sition to dictate the peace terms.
Hitler was the worlds outstanding
foe of Communism; Lewis was at one
time labor's foremost opponent of
Communism. Now Hitler has entered
into partnership with the Reds; and
Lewis has too, as many of his G. l..
o. unions and the membership of the
C. l. o. executive board disclose.
We Want the World to Know
But despite these conditions, Mr..
Green made it perfectly clear that the
American Federation Of Labor is still
ready and willing to meet and nego-
tiate with representatives OF those
who seeded in order to bring about
reunion.
On the second day of the conven-
tion a new appeal for peace was re-
ceved from President Roosevelt and
read to the convention. President
Green promptly responded by quoting
the closing paragraph of the compell-
ing section of the Executive Councils
report dealing with the c. |. O. prob
lem. We will quote it again here:
"Our committee still stands, clothed
with authority to function, ready to
resume negotiations when it is accord
ed an opportunity to do so. We have
opened the door of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor wide and COM
pletely. We have invited those who
left the American Federation Of
Labor to return. We have urged
them to come back home and set
tie differences within the family of
labor in sensible, honest and fair
way. In doing thus we have been in
spired by a genuine desire to estab-
lish here in America a solid, united
labor movement through which the
economic, social and industrial inter
ests Of the workers Of the nation can
be fully and completely served"
That position is unassailable. What
will the G. |. 0. say when it receives
similar message. from President
Roosevelt? There are only two courses
Of action before it. First, the c. |. 0.
convention next week can respond as
the American Federation of Labor has