Evening star., 1940-10-21
Fair Deal
For Labor
In Defense
Fotol Disunity Seen
Unless Workers
Receive Consideration
BY JAY FRANKLIN.

Chiefly from those supporting the
candidacy Of Mr. Willkie, the idea is
being advanced that there is an
inherent incompatability between
labor and defense-that protection
OF the rights of labor would endanger
defense-that maintenance of those
rights is downright unpatriotic.
This raises the question of what
we are defending. My assumption is
that 1t Is the American people them
selves-as a whole, without distinc-
ton OF economic class or social align
ment-who are to be defended. Their
nVes. ther fortunes and their sacred
honor are what is at stake in this
world crisis. That. and our hopes
Tor better future for our children.
more secure and just system of
opportunity and fulfllment, are
what imagine ourselves to be con-
sidering when we submit to conscrip-
ton and defense taxes.
Now the owners Of industrial
property are very considerable part
OF our population. Through stock
certificates, and other forms of in
vestment, I should imagine that as
many as 10000 900 Americans are
directly concerned with the profitable
operation of large scale enterprise
under private ownership. / doubt,
however, that more than 100000
of our citizens derive their chief
form Of income from this type OF
property, 2
Labor Large Factor.
! Under the guarantees of the Con-
stltutlon nobody proposes to deprive
them Of their Nvelihoods and it IS
certain that the physical properties
involved, irrespective Of ownership,
are major concern in national de-
fense. If we're going to need gun
powder We don't want any more
Hercules explosions and We would
most certainly resist any attempt
TO blitz-bomb the Pittsburgh steel
area.
On the other hand, labor EMPLOYED
IN industry is a very considerable
part of our total population. Pos
sibly 100000 men and women de-
rive not part but all of their income
from wages in industry. Whatever
the precise figures may be. it's fair
guess that Industrial workers and
their families constitute far larger
proportion of our total population
than those who are supported by the
income of their investments. 1t
would seem equally clear that labor's
lives, fortunes and sacred honor are
an important part of what we are
defending. since labor is a substan-
tial fraction of the American peo-
pie, where capital is represented BY
far less numerous group.
/ This is not to say that. therefore
We should ignore the property rights
OF the investors, but that we shoulc
/ also consider the economic equitie.
OF labor in defense industries as ar
essential part of our human stake
in national defense.
Production Essential.
/ Obviously, in this emergency, pro.
/ duction is the chief consideration,
but there is nothing which could
stymie production so completely a,
a strike in defense industries. Ac-
cordlngly, a concern with a bad
record in labor relations or concern
which is already indicted by tbs
agencies OF Government charged
with the duty of maintaining orderly
/ labor relations, is a firm which is
bad risk for a munitions contract
In the interest of continuous efA
flclent production the Government
Is entitled to demand that all firms
engaged in the production of de-
tense equipment set their labor re.
latlons in order. Lest this seem far
fetched, 1t should be remembered
| that during the crisis Of the World
War, 19l4-1918, the war effort of
the great German Empire was Grip
pied by a strike in the munitions
industries.
NO one Is wise enough to foresee
the sacrifices which may be asked
OF both investors and industrial
employees before we Surmount this
crisis. Hours may well be length
ened, union membership restrictions
set aside, profits sharply limited.
P4OPSAty SOAiiiIidllOccIcu, LII HQOl-
tion to possible loss Of life and
damage to plant by enemy action.
No one can guarantee in advance
that every one will be satisfied at
all times.
Fair Treatment Needed.
Yet it stands to reason that the
men who do the work in industry
tn rrrIoN
they are being treated fairly, that
their legitimate and natural inter-
ests are being taken into account
that they are working for the de-
fense Of the Nation as a whole rather
than for the profit of an industrial
enterprise which is essential to de-
fense. For labor is defense and de-
fense is labor and only men who
believe that they are receiving Just
treatment will believe in the Justice
of our cause.
For this reason it would be an
invitation to fatal disunity to allow
it to be believed that fair and con-
siderate conditions for labor, under
national authority, are anything but
the essence of national defense,
anything but the key to efficient
and uninterrupted production Of
what we need to defend an America
which has made itself worth de-
Tending.
Released nv Copsolidateos N.us r.a