The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-01-23
A.. Legislative
Program For l94l
Urges Prompt Construction
Of Invincible National
Defense
BY N. b. of O. P. Delegates to the
A. +, of l., Convention

BY N. B. of O. P. Delegates to the
A. F. of l.. Convention
Following is the text of the legis-
lative recommendation for l941 spon-
sored by the American Federation of
Labor:
National Defense
America is at peace. We believe with
President Roosevelt that the best
guarantee Of Americas future peace
is the prompt construction of an in
vincible national defense together
with the extension of every aid short
of war to those democratic nations
which have been attacked by agrees
or totalitarian governments. We are
opposed to totalitarianism in any
fornl-whether it be Nazi, Fascist or
Communist. We are convinced that
the present and future security of
American democracy is menaced by
the totalitarian nations.
For these reasons we support the
Administrations total defense pro-
gram and urge Congress to authorize
promptly and without hesitation the
expenditure Of the large outlays for
defense asked by the President in his
budget message.
National Defense Labor Policies
America is a democracy. 1t must
remain democratic. 1t would be suici-
dal for US, in our haste to build an
invulnerable military defense of our
country, to abandon democracy in the
process.
Therefore the American Federation
Of Labor will oppose with every ounce
Of its power and influence any at
tempt to abrogate, curtail or suppress
the Constitutional guarantee of free
dom enjoyed by the American people.
These guarantees include labor's
right to strike. The American Fed
Grafton of Labor serves notice upon
those members of Congress who have
publicly advocated Legislative infringe
ment of this right that labor will not
act upon compulsion. The American
Federation of Labor will act-and
has already extraordinarily, as a
matter of patriotic policy, to avoid
and abjure strikes in order not to i'm
pede defense production.
This policy was formulated by the
Goth annual convention Of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor. 1t was
enunciated in unmistakable terms by
the President of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor on December 16 when
he said in radio address that eve
commit ourselves to avoid strikes, not
only for trivial reasons but for
scarcely any cause, unless particular
conditions become unbearable." Since
then, this policy has been translated
into action by the Metal Trades De-
partment and the Building and Con-
struction Trades Department of the
American Federation of Labor, rep
resenting more than 100000 key
workers in defense industries. These
embracing twenty-five
unions, have voluntarily
strikes on defense projects
and have offered industry and the
Government practical plan for vol
untary arbitration of industrial dis
putes.
We believe that the policy of the
Federation of Labor and
the action taken by it's affiliated
unions in accordance with this policy
make Congressional or Governmental
measures to interfere with the right
to strike entirely unnecessary and
Furthermore, we believe that the
of labor relations in de-
fense industries can best be achieved
Continued on Page Two)