The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-08-29
Fdcing the Facts
With PHILIP PEARL

| - ~A 6>, AuilS SluiPPSo olHiy III
the United States, as part of the
strongest possible national defense
machine, does not carry threat of
dictatorship in this country. But it
does carry a threat to relationships
in other countries. That threat is:
Hands off the Americas"
The American Federation of Labor
favors the mobilization of as great
and powerful an American army as is
necessary for total defense. The Amer
lean Federation of Labor does not
want to be identified with the isola-
tionists, obstructions, cranks and Com
munists who are frantically trying to
block the defense program.
In opposing the Burke Wadsworth
conscription bill, President William
Green made it perfectly clear that the
American Federation of Labor is
ready and willing to support con-
scription the moment the President of
the United States declares that vol
untary enlistment is inadequate and
that the drafting of men for military
training is essential to the national
welfare.
Until the President declares such an
emergency exists and until he states
what the man-power needs of the ma
ton are, the American Federation Of
Labor believes that the voluntary en-
listment method should be given a
fair trial.
One MOtive-Patriotism
We believe this policy represents
the view of the American workers.
We do not believe there is the slight
est justification for newspaper COM
ments that the American Federation
of Labor has "joined" the CIO in op-
posing conscription. 1t has done moth
ing of the kind. The CIO opposition
to conscription is not sincere or pa
triotic. The CIO has made it plain
that it is playing the Communist
Party game in fighting conscription
or any other defense move. When
John l.. Lewis declares on the public
platform that the purpose of conscrip-
ton is to give the President so large
an army that he can establish die
tatorship in this country, Mr.. Lewis
is stating charges that the American
Federation of Labor considers treason
Gus.
Let us make this clear. The Amer
lean Federation of Labor is shaped
according to the wishes of the five
million workers it represents and is
guided by one paramount motive
patriotism.
Let US all realize that the people of
the United States are no longer i'm
mune to what is happenings in Eu-
rope AS long as dictatorship reigns
over Europe, the freedom of America
is not secure. 1t cannot be. AS long
as Hitler remaiGs powerful, he is a
threat to this country. Let no one
doubt that
Another fact must be faced by the
American people. We cannot afford
to let Great Britain be crushed by the
Nazi war machine. At this moment.
England and her fleet are all that
stand between Hitler and the shores
of America.
! No FIghtlng IN Europe
Under these circumstances, common
sense should tell us that it is vital
part of our national defense to rem
der every assistance possible to Great
Britain, short of entry into the war,
in her hour of need. Even if we want
ed to enter the war, we could not be-
cause we are not prepared for war
and because there is no possibility of
Americans ever again fighting in Eu-
rope.
But England needs planes. She needs
ships. We have them, planes and
ships that will be outmoded by the
time the defense construction pro
gram begins to produce new and more
modern ones Possibly what little help
we can afford may turn the tide OF
battle. But even if it serves only to
delay Hitler's onward march until we
are ready to match his force with
greater force, it seems utterly prac-
tical and reasonable for us to extend
all the assistance we can to England
now.
This policy is assailed in certain
quarters of our country and by certain
interests as "war-mongering." 1t is
nothing of the sort. 1t is, rather, "in'
surance" against war.
When Ambassador Bullitt frankly
stated in a recent radio speech that
war is headed our way if Hitler con
quers Britain, and when he urged i'm
mediate aid to Britain for that reason
certain Senator Immediately hurled
accusations of treason" against Mr.
Bullitt.
We do not question the patriotism
of this Senator any more than we
doubt Mr. Bullitt's patriotic motives
But we do think the Senator stand:
self-confessed az a stupid obstruction
iSt