The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-06-20
COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS


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back up the armed forces of the nation
to the utmost by intensive war pro-
duction was reflected at specific con-
ference of trade union executive coun-
ellis called by the general council of
the Trades Union Congress. More than
1000 delegates attended.
Reports just received in this country
show that the conference faced the
facts, unpleasant as they must have
been and courageously resolved to
"carry on" no matter what the cost.
William Holmes, who presided as
chairman of the Trades Union Con-
gress minced no words, telling the
delegates the country was in "posi-
tion of deadly danger"
War had never drawn so close to the
British Isles, the narrow sea, the liv-
ing bodies of the fighting men and the
might of the British navy only sep
arating the people at home from the
conflict, Holmes declared. Leaders Of
British labor owed to the fighting
forces more than a tribute of words:
they owed a solemn pledge to them,
to be redeemed by instant action, that
the workers at home would support
their sacrificial effort by a commen-
surate effort and sacrifice, he added.
X X 4
Holmes went on to say that in the
workshops and factories, in the fields
and mines, the workers had to work
as they had never worked before. He
was followed by Sir Walter Citrine,
general secretary of the Trades Union
Congress, who emphasized the gravity
of the situation and explained that it
had determined the general council in
supporting the far reaching powers
given the new British government.
They were powers, he said, which
under normal conditions they would
have been extremely reluctant to as
sent to, but the general council had
shouldered it's responsibility as he was
confident the special conference also
would in the hour of national danger.
The conference bore out the expecta-
ton of Sir Water by adopting with
practical unanimity resolution which
expressed it's confidence in the general
council and said:
"The conference endorses the action
of the general council in giving its
full support to the necessary meas
ures that must be taken to protect
our people against these dangers by
organizing the entire resources of the
country and striving to the utmost to
defeat the forces of aggression"
X X 4
The resolution took note of the de-
termination Of ORGANIZED labor "to pre-
serve the powers and functions of the
trade unions and insure the mainten-
ance of the hardwon liberties of the
workers."
Delegates undoubtedly realized, how
ever, that in the very nature of events,
labor standards and liberties would be
surrendered, temporarily at least. But
they knew there was nothing else to
do, as defeat by the totalitarian pow
ers would mean the complete de-
struction of everything gained by more
than hundred years of labor effort.
So they backed the drastic and sweep
ing power given the government to
control every resource of the nation.
Labor's determination to place
everything it has at the disposal of
the nation was pictured at the close of
the conference by Ernest Bevin, trade
union leader and new Minister of La
Dor and National Service. Speaking
on a worldwide broadcast, he emphas-
lied that the entire British people have
put everything aside to defeat Hitler
ism.