The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-09-25
Focing The Fac+s
With PHILIP PEARL

mlnlSCereQ an extremely wholesome
if bitter, pill to the enemies of labor
when it overwhelmingly eliminated
the anti-labor provisions Of the May
Bill.
This was a test vote. The reaction
ary group in Congress had maneuv-
cred for months in an attempt to find
a favorable opportunity to strike a
blow at the labor movement. They
kept up running fire of accusations
against labor leaders and jumped
upon every strike as pretext for
smearing labor unions. Ignoring the
truth, they charged labor with failing
to cooperate with the defense pro-
gram. Ignoring the huge profits
reaped by corporations, they attacked
labor mercilessly for seeking wage in
creases. Ignoring the fact that the
great majority of the men drafted for
service in the armed forces are union
members or the sons or brothers of
union members, they even tried the
low dodge of contrasting the $21
monthly pay Of soldiers with union
wages.
Having laid down this barrage, the
Tory bloc tried one feint after an
other to get the vicious Vinson Bill
considered but were blocked at every
turn and forced to sidetrack the meas
ure. Finally, they rallied all their
forces behind the May Bill in an all
out effort to smash organized labor.
Bill Threatened Democracy
Consider for moment the duplicity
of this bill. It's avowed purpose-in
fact, its only legitimate purpose-was
to reduce the draft age limit to 2S
years. But somehow, while the meas
IRE was being considered by the
House Military Affairs Committee, a
whole flock of new provisions were
inserted in the bill and every one of
them was directed against the
workers.
If the bill had been adopted as re-
ported by the committee strikes would
have been virtually outlawed and COM
pulsory labor would have been as
much fact in this country as in Nazi
Germany. And this in the name of ra-
tional defense!
But the American Federation of
Labor promptly and effectively ex-
posed the fraud. President William
Green sent a letter to each member of
Congress carefully analyzing the dan
gerous nature of the bill's provisions
and presenting them in their true
light. Legislative representatives of
the American Federation of Labor
canvassed the members of the House
and quietly but effectively pointed out
to them why this bill threatened the
future Of democracy in America.
The results were apparent in the
vote. 1t was almost a matter of
course that the liberal Congressman
and those whose loyalty to organized
labor was unqueStinaed would line up
solidly against the Objectionable sec
tions of the May Bill But the vote
disclosed that even large number of
conservative Congressman turne d
thumbs down on it, too. 1t was too
raw a deal for them to approve.
A. +. of l.. Did the Real job
But the future results of the sting
ing defeat suffered by labor's enemies
will be even more constructive. The
Tories will think twice now before
launching any more vicious onslaughts
against labor. Anyone who gets kicked
in the teeth once doesn't relish going
through the same experience again.
And labor probably will not soon be
embarrassed by another blitzkrieg of
destructive legislation. It's no fun for
a Congressman to bump his head
against a stone wall. When he intro
duces a piece of legislation, he eX-
poets at least fighting chance of
getting it adopted-that is unless he
has sold out entirely to special in
terests and is engaging merely in
propaganda. But the House of Rep
rescntativcs has now served notice
by humping majorities that it will
have no truck with anti-labor legisla-
tion and that, we guess, will discour-
age even the most optimistic labor
haterS.
OF course, the C1O sought to claim
credit for this significant Legislative
victory but they could scarcely do
that with a straight face. 1t was the
undisciplined and unpatriotic conduct
of Communist dominated CIO unions
which provoked the Legislative threats
to labor in the first place. And, in the
second place, their high-pressure lob
hying methods almost upset the ap-
.plccart. No Sef-respecting member of
Congress will take orders from any
organization under threats but the
great majority of Congressman are
willing to listen to reason. The ClO
effort to club congressman into line
almost proved a boomerang. The
American Federation of Labor did the
real job and the workers of the ma,
tion will reap the benefits.
:. :. Z. =. =. = =