The voice of labor. (Cumberland, Md.) 1938-1942, 1940-02-15

WASHINGTON, feb. ~ - Inc
text Of the speech Of John l.
Lewis TO the American Youth
Congress follows:
Mr.. Chairman. member OF the
Youth Institute and the Youth
Congress: / am happy to come
here today to address you. DC
not want to deal either in gener-
alities or platitudes or statistics
am one OF those who believes
that Americans cannot live on
statistics.
| believe that there are ten OF
twelve million Americans. includ-
ing 100000 young people with
out job opportunity. that II does
no good to quote statistics. These
average incomes and these aver
age figures remind me OF the
track walker on the New YORK
Central. He was asked what his
annual income was. He said that
he didn't like TO talk in terms OF
tine actual income nc preferred
to talk In terms OF the average
annual income. Asked what II
was. he said il was s25.250 year.
Asked how nc reached that con-
cluSion. he said that the president
Of the road got $4,000 year
and nc got $500. and that the
average was s25 $50 for the both
OF them.
come here today. as the rep
resentative Of the Congress Of In
dustrial ORGANIZATIONS and as
chairman OF Labor'S NOnpartisan
League here in this country. 10
express our pride and satisfaction
that tho young people OF our
country were organizing and be-
coming articulaic. and were max
ing themselves felt as force in
OH country. The labor move
mcni and America needs the
energy. needs tho force. needs
the imagination Of its Younger
citizens. And VIC do not believe
that the sum total of all which
is done lies in those. who happen
10 be born in a generation pre-
Ceding your own.
ASK JOBS
II that was true. America today
would have no problems such as
Il now faces. We must remem-
Der that America went into an
economic tailspin with all of the
social and political questions that
have followed it. with all Of the
heartburningS and agony that
have come TO tile American people
in the last ten years. that came
about before most of YOU were
old enough TO take the blame for
expressing inexpert opinions.
You stood this morning for a
half hour In the rain daughter
on the white House lawn listen
ir" TO tho President Of tho United
States. Your spokesman. in pre-
Scnting YOU to the President Of
The United States. said that YOU
would like to have some aSs,ir-
anccs on tho question of Jobs.
on the question Of peace and on
Tho question Of civil liberties
What did you get? The President
said substantially that under Ger.
tain conditions and certain forms
of government you would not
have the opportunity OF standing
on the lawn in the rain 10 ask
for Jobs laughter. Well. I think
YOU ought 10 be glad 0! that priv
ilcge laughter. He said also
b. implication. that perhaps there
Is too much Juror being raised
about jobs for young people. be-
cause ten. twenty and thirty years
ago young people also wanted
jobs. Some anSweri
How much docs that mean 10
one OF you who needs job? Ho@
much did that mean TO one OF you
who has job for which you are
not trained. and when you can't
get Job for which YOU arc
trained? How much does that
mean TO those OF sou who have
plans TO get married and live the
normal life OF Americans? You
know that. after all. there is no
great question OF Jobs. and that in
the fullness OF time perhaps con-
ditions will get better?
MINERS IN SYMPATHY
How many years. how many
wears can you stand TO be with
nut job? And how many years
Of interruptions TO your normal
plans will you enjoy? How many
wears can you defer your pro-
iected imagination? How many
years must you wander and hopa
that you will have an opportunity
here in your native land to live
the normal life OF normal citi-
zen?
Again you were told this morn
ing that you shouldn't adopt reso-
buttons daughter on questions or
which you are not expert and
that your resolution on Finland
was 'twaddle." Well. that state
ment comes to a head on clash
with my concept OF the principle;
OF Democracy.
have been taught TO believe
that. here in a country under this
flag. that our free forums arc q
natural adjunct to the great
forum of public opinion in tho
United States. that American
ideas and American principles
and American policies were cyrs-
talized in the crucible Of public
OPINION III tIllS COufnTy-Wy years
thrown into the crucible of the
articulate group of citizens.
And when the President OF the
United States calmly suggests to.
day that the American YOUTH
Congress has no right TO say what
II thinks about the Finnish ques-
ton. or the Russian question. OF
the European question, or the
peace question. or any other ques.
ton. I wonder where we are
drifting.
He says go back and sin nc
more. II might interest this au.
dience and the President 10 know
that the recent convention OF the
United Mine Workers Of America
with 2.400 delegates In a delibera-
tive convention In Columbus. rep.
resenting q membership OF 500. 00t
members and more than 5000 .00f
members Of dependent families ci
Round" on the endorsement Of