Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1941-03-20
i Might Be
|Wrong--BUT'
by P. G. StrOmberg=

The greatest immediate threat
to our future in America is the
notwithstanding series OF
strikes in our important defense
industries. First one and then
another, and each time the aver
age and normal citizen hopes
that it will be the last. And
each one costs dearly in time
and production.
Just why steps have not been
taken to outlaw such tactics in
dealing with our national we'll
being is hard to understand.
Those of US who know intimately
and personally many intelligent
men in the ranks of what we
call labor know that there is
not the slightest difference in
their attitude toward the coun-
try,s program than in the minds
of professional and business
men. They live under the same
laws and economic conditions;
they have the same desires and
ambitions for their families and
have the same individual appe-
tites and they have just as
much patriotic fervor as can be
found elsewhere.
Whence then comes all the
labor agitation2 Is it fomented
entirely by paid propagandists
of foreign powers? 1t can't be
that labor is not given a square
deal, because the entire pro-
gram of social legislation of the
past 20 years has tended to give
the laboring man and his fam
ily a better way of life. And
if the increasing number OF
strikes can be traced to subver-
sive influences then, in Heavens
name, why are we so lax as not
to clean out the ranks of those
in powerful positions in orga-
nized labor? Are we drifting,
as France did, into a false
position of comfort and security?
I know it to be a fact that
many men who have been both
in and out of organized labor
look upon these strikes as a
laundering mess, not only on the
part of labor leaders but es-
pecially on the part OF our
Government.
The time for soft words has
passed. 1t might soon come to
pass that harsh words direct
ing fair and constructive criti-
cism will be tabooed. Then will
come the time when labor in
general will feel the effects OF
the blunders of 1910 and 1941.
And the sad part of it will be
that ninety-five per cent of our
laboring people have no part in
pulling the roof in. Still, they
will be the ones to suffer.
It's time that the Government
stepped in to settle all disputes
between industry and labor and
between labor and labor. To
witness a strike in an all-im-
portant Government contract the
only reason for which is that
the A. F. of L refuses to work
on a job where members of the
C. /. o. are also employed or
where the reverse is true is
indeed a sad commentary on our
intelligence.
In his talk before the White
House correspondents last Sat
urday night the President limited
that action looking toward stop
ping both strikes and profteer-
ing is contemplated in the
immediate future. While his
entire talk was enthusiastically
received no part Of it stirred the
reaction that this statement did.
He has since appointed a board
for the purpose Of handling
labor troubles. II the President
gives this board his full sup
port we will likely see a much
different defense program. If
not we will likely witness a con-
tinuation Of these disgraceful
delays in the defense program
toward which we are all paying