The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-02-01

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Nh #z Hollywood Bowl
III meeting of 10000
S@.%Z3# Z for Moral Re-
HOLME Armament: "1n
the name of the Minneapolis Central
Labor Union we send greetings. We
are glad for the lead given by Brit
ish and Scandinavian labor, and we
feel that Moral Re-Armament is the
way in which the ideals of all Of US
can with peace be realized in a new
spirit of cooperation and national
responsibility"
c. I. o. workers in steel plant
in Pennsylvania were among the
first in America to take up MIRA.
One of their leaders, John Anderson,
went as their representative to the
first World Assembly for Moral Re-
Armament. Anderson found this new
spirit first in his home. There used
to be some question who ran things
in his family of five, but they get
along better since all decided to let
God be the "boss." Squabbles went
out the window, and a new security
came in.
Johns wife is now real partner
in his work with the men Says she:
1T have sent John back to work and
to his tasks of leadership time and
again with a new courage when he
feared losing his job or his position
There were times when he would
come home from work full of fear
for the security Of his family be-
cause of his keenness in the labor
movement. But, you see, I haven't
any fear since MIRA came into our
home. have come to realize that I
can not only be behind John, back
ing him and supporting him in his
work that I, too, have a responsible
ity for changing a nation by bring
ing Moral Armament to the
homes of the workers.
Rival Unions Cooperate
Anderson was chairing union
meeting one night when an oppo-
sition faction threatened to make
things tough. He thought for a
moment how to apply MIRA to the
situation, and then quickly appoin-
ted four bouncers from the unruly
faction to keep order. Another of the
workers got up and read passage
from the bible. A new tone came
into the meeting and the business
in hand was dealt with peacefully
and comparatively.
In that city through the new spirit
Anderson has brought two rival
union leaders closer together. Con-
flicts which had held back progress
of the labor movement were healed.
Speaking in Washington, Ander-
son said: II saw in MIRA new type
of cooperation between people who
don't see eye to eye on questions OF
policy and action. met fellow mem
bers of the G. I. o. together with
members of the A. F. L. and leaders
of industry and business, all on n
basis of common responsibility for
the security of ALL
1T was a challenge to me to build
in our plant an industrial pattern
for the whole nation, pattern that
can be made the key to peace
throughout the world"
A friend of John Anderson and
his family is Bill Rowell, the East
London Sandhog who won his way
to representing London's 100000
unemployed as trade union execu-
tive, and who is over in America
working for the MIRA spirit in labor,
Ever since one of his children died
of starvation in his wife's arms,
Bill has been a fighter for a new
social order. AS much as $4,000
worth of plate glass used to go IN
a night of riots when Bill and his
men went "over the top" He fought
the police behind barricades. ANY,
thing went. Potatoes with razor
blades stuck in them were a favorite
weapon. One day they successfully
routed charge of mounted police
by rolling half million stolen mar
bles down the street.
Then Bill found in the fight for
MIRA the constructive way to get
that new social order. Thru him
and the veteran labor organizer, Tod
Sloan, Matchmaker by trade and
agitator by nature" 600 dockland
homes have become radiating cen
tiers for this new spirit. These two
and their comrades have brought it
to their own and As other London
borough councils.
Bill got a national executive of
the British coal industry to come
down to his East London home and
talk over conditions in the industry.
This has since led to change Of
spirit and method in that employers
dealings with the men, and to new
willingness in the coal industry to
adopt progressive methods in labor
relations.
Bill Rowell's conviction is that
Labor must give to society as much
as labor demands from society, and
management must give to labor as
much as management demands
from labor. An honest apology from
both sides will open the door for a
constructive peace for all"
Labor Leaders Support
Tod, gnarled, white-haired Cock
ney, in his new love for all human
ity, puts his philosophy in "An Open
Letter to the Entire Human Race
Dear Everyone" he writes, II used
to fight for my class. Now I am
fighting for better conditions for all
classes. If everyone cares enough
and everyone shares enough, won't
everyone have enough. This is GER
tainly the answer to unemployment
and to the millions living on the
borderline of real want. We must
restore God to leadership. This will
bring into being new thinking, a
new social order. This is the only
revolution that matters"
Such pioneering work and pro-
grassive philosophy naturally has
the backing Of the heads of British
labor. The present chairman of the
Trades Union congress and three
past chairmen, together with Is
trades union and labor executives,
issued manifesto In the press soon
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