The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-04-04
COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS

One British labor group is protest
ing the conduct of the present war,
branding it as "imperialistic." While
disavowing the Communist philosophy
and scoring Joseph Stain for his un-
justified aggression on Finland, the
Independent Labor Party, meeting
at Nottingham, declared against the
present truce in politics in Great
Britain, and together with the leaders
of the cooperative movement, de-
clared that it felt free to contest elec-
tion seats.
Rising prices of the necessities Of
life are also bringing forth demands
for corresponding wage increases in
Great Britain. Some of the unions are
voicing their demands for some def
milton of the war aims of the Cham
berlain administration.
While it must be said that Neville
Chamberlain is holding a tight rein
on the political situation in Britain, in
his capacity as the leader of the Tory
crowd, at the same time it is not pos
sible to imagine any such protests
arising in German or Russian labor
ranks-for the simple reason that in
those countries the free labor organ
izations have been forcefully abolish
ed.
Contrary to the German radio
broadcasters statements, to the effect
that there are no social welfare SER
vices and scarcely any unemployment
relief in Great Britain, there was a
recent increase in the unemployment
relief rates. Complaints are made
that they are inadequate, which only
emphasizes the freedom of speech Of
the English workers, which is most
conspicuous by it's absent in Germany.
Some of the British workers organ
izations, in criticizing the increases as
inadequate, complain that the unem-
ployed are no better off than in 1886
and 1887, despite the industrial up
turn caused by war work. This leads
the International Federation of Trade
Unions press service to ask:
"Supposing the German wireless
made similar comparison for Ger
many"
Russian denials that Red aviators
purposely bombed Finnish hospitals
are given a black eye by the report
made by British labor delegation
which visited Finland during the Fin
nish-Russian war.
| TLo. Iolo~,+,o,, 1,,oc 1,ooIoI b1r Civ
Walter Citrine, president of the In
ternational Federation of Trade
Unions and general-secretary of the
British Trade Union Congress.
Reporting to the AngloFrench
Trade Union Council, composed of
representatives of the British and
French labor movements. Citrine en-
phasized in particular the ruthlessness
of the Russian air bombardment. Hos
pitals in Finland were no longer mark
ed with the red cross, because omis-
sion of the red cross was held to be
less dangerous, he said.
Extensive use of incendiary bombs,
which were only of slight use against
military detectives and mainly caused
damage to houses, ETC., was a proof
that the Russians were not shrinking
from any action in order to attack and
terrorize the civilian population. Cit
rine declared.
The report of the British labor men,
made as the result of personal obser-
vation, goes long way to confirm
charges that Red Russia set out on
a deliberate, carefully considered plan
of terrorization of the Finnish civilian
population, with the object of break
ing the morale of the "home front. "
Fortunately for liberty and civiliza-
ton, the plan didn't work.