The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-07-18
LILO. And Trade
Union Federation
Suffer From War
International Labor Organ
izution Has Lost Eighteen
Member Nations

with it's International Labor Office;
the other is the international Fedora
tion of Trade Unions.
The first of these was set up by the
Versailles treaty Of peace after the
World War and it's principal architect
was Samuel Gompers, the late presi-
dent of the American Federation Of
Labor. The second was a voluntary
federation Of national labor move
ments, broken during that same war
and reconstructed after it was over.
Today the International Labor Or
ganization, popularity called the ILO,
has about As of it's original 63 men,
ber nations.
That whole vast surface of the earth
that has come under the sway of Rus
sia, Germany and Italy is out. Also
out is Japan and the area it controls.
Remaining are, principally, the
United States and the British Com
monwealth of Nations, together with
few European states and the great
er part of South America. But the
blow is severe, even with as remain
ing members, because South America
has not been financially strong and
the British Commonwealth is being
pounded with all of the vast demands
of total war.
Still FunctiOning
However, as of today, the lilo con-
tinues to function. John G.. Winant
remains in Geneva at the world head
quarters; James Wilson, American
Labor Department representative, re-
mains on his job In Geneva all think
ing is in terms of what can be done
after the war in terms of rehabilita-
tion and the maintenance of unity and
progress among whatever nations may
then remain free.
1t is considered probable that most
nations which were members before
the present war was launched had
paid their 1910 assessments before the
outbreak of war, so that this years
work will be financed, but the war area
certainly greatly restricts activity, ex-
cept for studies against the uncertain
future.
Whatever may be the optimism re-
garding the 45 remaining nations, it
must be clear that the LILO has been
dealt terrific blow by the war. The
Hitler onslaught has wiped out some
of the strongest and most progressive
member nations. Little remains of
the once stalwart and progressive
Scandinavia, and Central Europe is
missing from the picture almost SOL
idly. If any remains it is of little use
in any current cause Of labor progress.
Those nations that have fallen within
either the Nazi, Soviet or Fascist
orbits have fallen just as surely as
have those nations that have been con-
quered by invasion of armed forces.
However, it must be clear that now
more than in normal times the lilo
needs all the support the remaining
free nations can give it. 1t can be a
great engine for labor good and even
for national sanity after the war,
among those free nations that survive.
Least of all should the United States
waver.
AS for the International Federation
of Trade Unions, it is, as of now, dead.
1t was brought together again after
the World War with difficulty. For
years demand for "free access to
raw materials" stood in the way of
American affiliation. And that demand
may arise again to plague the United
States.
Prior to 1917 the German voice in
the IFTU was strong, because Ger
many then had strong men. But after
the war the German voice was weak,
in Germany itself weak and waver-
ing in wait for the Nazo onslaught.
The British movement came to the
fore. Scandinavia and the Lowlands
added to Britain to form the IFTU
strength in Europe.
There were battles over the soviets
anl latterly battles over admission OF
the CTM of Mexico, resulting in SOW
lets and CTM alike being kept out
Little of value now remains except the
British and American affiliates, plus
a few small and none-too-stable ma
tions, including Finland, Sweden and
Switzerland. To all intents and pur.
poses, the IFTU is at least in state
of coma, waiting the fortunes of war
Ernest Bevin, the British labor leader
and new Minister of Labor, makes this
clear in statement he has just issued
and in which he says, with sad note
of despair:
"There was the solatium which
came out of the Treaty Of Versailles
which we hoped would prevent the
worst happening in this respect, anc
that was the setting up of the Inter
national Labor Office. Great hopes
were raised and, indeed, the LILO ac
complished great success. But the po
liticians, diplomats and statesmen
never appreciated that if peace was tt
be realized in this new. world these
new labor factors must become a pri
mary concern instead of the poor or
phan. There was complete failure
to grasp the essential fact that yol
could not regulate price levels or main
tain international stability in trade
by monethary means or by any of thu