The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-12-25
The Cherry Tree
Where We Hdtched Out
The Truth
CIVILIAN DEFENSE SERIOUS
a PATRIOTIC JOB
BE ALERT
sORGANIZED LABOR'S SHARE

Peaceful streets, except perhaps for
new sharpening of gait.
But men and women going here and
there, safely. No bombs falling.
Take a good look at the scenes OF
peacefulness. You may want to re-
member them.
But behind the scenes something
new to America is going on.
Civilian defense means something
now. A month ago lot of folks were
looking with something like humorous
smiles at those who talked civilian de-
fense. There were even some sneers.
Folks trying to grab the limelight.
But not any more.
| Civilian defense today is serious
thing and it calls for a lot of hard
work to be done in hurry.
Men and women are giving time,.
free, regularly, doing job for all of
US. Thank them for it.
| X x x
But how little they can do, as COM
pared to what should be possible.
Where are there air raid shelters?
Where are the gas masks?
They do not exist and they cannot
be built with speed, in quantity.
When the blasts come, civilians will
have to stand and take it, mostly.
There won't be much else to do.
So, the main job of civilian defense
is to organize for putting out fires
caused by incendiary bombs, for pre-
venting panic, for rescue and emer-
gency treatment of the buried and the
hurt.
And to prepare against enemy
action in creating havoc in or before
air attacks. For this job and for
others, thousands of auxiliary police
are being sworn in and trained. They
will be unpaid, and their organizers
and trainers likewise will be unpaid.
1t is a patriotic job.
| X X X
Since we couldn't have foresight, it
is good that we are working so fast
now that the hellish attack has come
to US.
Every civilian, going about his civil
ian defense job, can remember Pearl
Harbor. That phrase - Remember
Pearl marlborough to go on every
badge and shield and commission for
civilian defense service.
When American cities are hit, they
will be hit with the same effort to
blast sleeping, unwarned, defenseless
civilians. We shall find Pearl Harbor
tactics ruling the conduct of the
enemy.
1t doesn't do to say "My city will
not be hit" Nobody can know what
city will be hit, or how
Blows can come from sources other
than the sky.
The one safe rule is, everywhere,
be alert.
Don't go crazy, but don't get
caught off guard. Be alert, and
trained.
1t seems to me that unions can per-
form great service in civilian de-
Tense, because they are organized
bodies, with a good deal of discipline
Organization and discipline mean
lot. That's why armies fight better
than mobs.
Every union can and should take
stock of its opportunities and give the
best it has in service for civilian de-
Tense. In many places organized labor
mquestionably can take. the leader
ship and do the best job.
Also, every union member has an
Identification card on him-his union
card. It's like regimental identif-
cation. Also, in this critical time, when
you see a man wearing a union but
ton, you know that his dependability
is away better than average. Never
did union membership mean more or
offer greater opportunity to serve
the cause of human freedom.
Garry that opportunity to it's
} forthest lengths. Make it count-for
organized labor and freedom can live
only in victory over Dictatorship
; CMW.