The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-11-28
COMMENT ON WORLD
J EVENTS
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organized labor under a government
tending to totalitarianism is being
given in France, where the Nazi-domin-
ated Petain government has just abol-
ished labor unions, employer organiza-
tions and steel and coal trusts. Marshal
Petain's action is something for union
lists and employers in America to
think about.
Marshal Petain called his DEGREES
abolishing the various organizations
"co-ordination by the government of
private interests" "breaking the
forces of the trusts and their power
of corruption" and freeing individual
liberty of it's shackles by subordinat-
ing it to the national interest"
The Confederation Generate du
Travail, Frances principal labor or
ganization and the employers associa-
tion were accused Of entering into pol
itics. Properties of labor and employ
er organizations will be temporarily
managed by the government.
X X K
Translate the Petain action into
terms of American unions and corpo-
rations and draw your own conclu-
sions. 1t may or may not agree with
a body of opinion in the United States
that holds organized labor and organ
lied industry are inextricably involved
as part of our democratic system and
national economy and that they must
find a way of working out their prob
lens together in order to avoid the
fruits in the United States of the Eu-
ropean totalitarian systems.
Previous to announcement of Pc
tain's ban on the unions, nothing had
come from France about the French
labor movement, in the months since
the surrender to the Nazis. The bulle-
tin of the International Transport
Workers. Federation explains the
silence by saying that the German
authorities and puppets of Vichy were
anxious to suppress the truth, which
is embarrassing to them"
x X X
The bulletin goes on to report that
the French workers have refused to
support the Petain regime, and have
stood firmly against the Nazis. 1t
says:
"The Nazis- backed Petain govern
ment provided itself with a show
horse in Rene Belin, (neXt to JouhauX,
the most outstanding personality Of
the French labor movement.) After
the surrender Belin made common
cause with the Vichy government and
placed himself in their service as Min
lister of Labor 1t was thought to show
by this that the French workers had
changed their opinions.
Information now available shows
that the principal leaders of the
French trade unions have turned
against Belin. In the first half of
August meeting took place in Tou-
louise of representative of fifty Of the
unions affiliated to the C. G. r. This
meeting very distinctly dissociated it
self from Belin.
x X X
"Since his entry into the authori-
tartan government, Belin has sought
to persuade the trade unions to CO.
operate with the Petain authorities,
but met with blunt refusal from the
great majority of the movement. At
Toulouse, far from declaring them
selves prepared to cooperate, the
trade unions sharply condemned as
weaklings those who in the confusion
Of the national disaster has answered
the call of the turncoat who has ac-
cepted office as Minister, and who
was unanimously ignored by the
meeting.
"The Toulouse meeting confirmed
that Belin does not represent the or
ganized workers of France, who de-
sire freedom, in spite of Hitler, Mus
solin and Petain, and in spite of
Belin.'
!.