Evening star., 1940-09-12
Mr.. Tobin, members of the con-

Mr.. Tobin, members OF the con-
venticn:
7 am in sort of quandry tonight.
I don't know whether this is a polit-
ical speech or not. I don't know be-
cause in these days, if at a certain
period of the year, you refer to any
thing that happened in George
Washington's time, or Abraham Lin
coins. or at any period in the past,
including the past seven years, it's
a great question as to whether you
are talking American history or pol
itIcs. And so throw myself on your
Indulgence, and on the indulgence
of the radio companies (who in the
one case would be paid and in the
other would not be paid)-and on
the indulgence of the American
public. I don't know
During the past weeks, in several
sections of the East, I have been
inspecting the progress of our ma
tional defense. I have gone through
navy yards and private yards to
watch the building of destroyers,
submarines and aircraft carriers;
I have visited aviation units to see
our modern fighting planes; have
been in our great gun factories
where I have seen the most modern
guns Of all types, swiftly being
nodded into shape: I have visited
camps where young Americans are
receiving training and instruction in
the tactics of the warfare and the
broader tactics of life of today
Through it all there was the i'm
pressive conviction that America is
rising to meet the ever-growing
need for an adequate physical armed
defense of the country.
Tonight in very real sense, l
feel as I stand here that I am visit
ing another type of national de-
fense. equally important in its own
way in meeting the needs OF the
times. Enduring strength to nation
and staying power in an emergency
definitely call for an efficient and
determined labor force carrying on
the processes of industry and trade.
And when I speak of labor force"
very definitely include those who
toll in their fields as well as those
who toll in industry. TeamsterS
will be the first to assert that
farmers labor too.
It is one of the characteristics of
free and democratic modern
nation that it have free and inde-
pendent labor unions. In country
after country in other lands, labor
unions have disappeared as the
iron hand of the dictator has taken
command. Only In free lands have
free labor unions survived. When
union workers can assemble with
freedom and independence in con-
ventions like this, it is proof that
American democracy has remained
unimpaired-and it is symbolic of
our determination to keep it free.
Yours is now one of the great in
ternational labor unions of America.
You can remember, however, other
days-days when labor unions were
considered almost un-American by
some individuals in our land. You
can remember when 1t was rare
indeed for an employer even to
consider collective bargaining with
his workers; when it was the COM
mon practice to discharge any
worker who joined union. You
can remember when employers
sought to meet threatened strikes
by demanding that their Govern
ment-Federal or State-call out
armed troops. You can remember
when many large employers re-
sorted to the un-American prac-
tice-still unfortunately followed in
some sections of the country-of
hiring labor spies and setting up
private arsenals to ferret out mem
bers OF a union.