Evening star., 1940-10-26
n l. Lewis Speech Supporting Wike for the Presidency

Tert OF the radio speech delir-
cred last night By John L. Le1OiS,
head of the Congress of Indus
trial Organizations, is as tollo,US.
I address all Americans. Our
country is at one of the cross
roads of its political destiny.
The issues run deep and will in
evitably affect the wellbeing and
lives of every American. They
will also affect the population
of every other civilized country,
and may well determine the sta
bility or instability of all the
free institutions of our present.
day culture,
T am conscious of the degree
Of responsibility which attaches
TO my words. l am a qualified
representative of many organl-
zations of labor, and other groups
of citizens. 1t is not necessary to
enumerate them. since my
listeners are familiar with their
identity. Suffice it to say that the
direct and affiliated membership
of these several organizations
amounts to substantially ten MIL
lion men and women. Adding TO
this number the numerical
strength of their dependent
families, there is achieved a sum-
total of human beings amount
ing to approximately one-tourth
Of the total population of our
Nation. Abandoning my right to
speak officially for this great
segment of our population, 1
choose to speak tonight only in
the role of a citizen and an
American. 1 do so in all the
pride of my heritage, and with
a desire to protect and preserve
that heritage, and likewise the
heritage of my peers. Accord
ingly, tonight, l do not speak for
labor, but on the contrary, l
speak to labor and to all my
countrymen.
do not control the vote OF any
one man or woman. l have no
power and no influence. except
insofar as those who believe in
me may accept my recommen-
dations.
Recalls Address in 1899,
Deploring National Drift.
On September 4, 1889 IN a
public radio address, l said; The
Nation cannot forever continue
It's appalling drift-thoughtless
and sadly executed experimental
ton will not always suffice to
beguile a suffering people. The
internal national debt has al
ready reached such proportions
that it may never be llQuidated
by orthodox methods. In the
face Of the economic dcb2Cle III
America. many of our statesmen
(
over the political quarrels in
Europe. War has always been
the device of the politically de-
spairing and intellectually sterile
statesmen. It provides employ
ment in the gun factories and
begets enormous profits for those
already rich It kills off the Wig
orous males who. if permitted to
live. might question the financial
exploitation of the race. Above
all, war perpetuates in lmperlSh-
able letters on the scroll of fame
and history. the names of its pO-
Ltical creators and managers"
The foregoing statement con-
stitutes the first basis Of my per-
sonal opposition to the re-slec-
ton of President Roosevelt for a
third term as Chief Executive of
the republic. Those who hear
these words, and who have
studied the public addresses Of
the President, from his Chicago
Quarantine speech to his Char
lottesville stab in the back ad-
dress, and thence to Dayton and
Philadelphia. will understand his
motivation and his objective. 1t
is war. His every act leads one
to this inescapable conclusion.
The President has said that he
hates war and Will work for
peace, but his acts do not match
his words. I am opposed to any
involvement of our country in
foreign wars. I believe that
every thoughtful and normal cit
izen is similarly opposed. They
are willing, as I am willing to
contribute everything for any
necessary defense Of our geo.
graphical integrity, our families,
our possessions, our liberties and