The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-11-27
Facing The Foc+s
With PHILIP PEARL

nv WIlCiiS iapOi 'S
fighting with its back to the wall in
Congress to prevent the passage of
drastic anti-labor legislation. All sorts
of viciously restrictive proposals are
being pushed by the lawmakers. Most
of them would subject labor to Gov
ernment regulation and control and
destroy the freedom of the labor
movement.
Who is responsible for this new
wave of anti-labor measures? Who
has started the tide of anti-labor SEN
timent in this country? None other
than John l.. Lewis.
Lewis today is the most cordially
hated man in America. His scornful
refusal to consider the best interests
of the nation, his deliberate attempts
to embarrass the national defense
program, his bitter feud with Presi-
dent Roosevelt, his insulting arro-
gance are more than the American
people can stomach.
In Congress, in the press and
throughout the nation there is but one
cry-"let's get that guys scalp"
Now we wouldn't think of interfer-
ing with so laudable an objective if it
weren't for the fact that in the pro-
cess Of decapitating Lewis all of labor
may be lynched.
An Appeal to Reason
Of course, number of Congress
men now leading the outcry against
Lewis would like nothing better than
to cripple the entire labor movement
in the same process. The Coxes and
the Hoffmans and others of the same
ilk see in the present situation an op-
portunity to accomplish that very
thing and they are overjoyed at the
prospect.
But we appeal to the reasonable,
fair and level-headed majority in Con-
gress not to allow themselves to be
led into a fatal mistake by such labor
| haters.
After all, the objective that all who
are interested in the national welfare
want to see attained is the promotion
of the national defense program. We
submit that it would be tragic error
to punish and antagonize the great
majority of loyal and cooperative
American workers just to get even
with one alleged labor leader.
More than 80 per cent Of the men,
bers of the American Federation Of
! Labor have refrained from striking
FOR any cause in defense industries.
Even in the CIO, the great majority
of the membership has likewise main
tanned discipline and given service to
the nation. Why punish these work
ers? Why provoke their anger and
distrust
If Congress can devise legislation
which would prevent Lewis from con-
tinuing to embarrass the defense pro-
gram without Handwriting the rest of
the labor movement, we say "Amen.'
But to crack down on organized labor
as a whole just because of the ex-
cesses of this one individual would be
unjust, impractical and dangerous.
Fear and Courage
Of all the phoney shows of soil
darity ever attempted to deceive the
public, the act put over at the CIO
convention, when it adopted resolu-
ton endorsing the captive coal mine
strike, was the most ridiculous.
Every delegate present knew in his
heart and soul that this was the most
wickedly dangerous strike in labor
history. Every delegate dreaded and
feared the consequences Of that strike.
| Perhaps nine out of ten at the con-
vention was entirely out of sympathy
with Lewis and would have been over
joyed if the CIO could get rid of him.
Yet they voted like sheep to follow
his false leadership.
To make up for this lack of cour-
age, the delegates yelled and cheered
at insults vented upon the two AFL
alternates on the National Defense
Mediation Board who voted with the
majority against giving Lewis a
closed shop.
We would like to say a word here
in defense Of these gentlemen
George Lynch and William Calvin
although they need none. In the first
place, their votes did not affect the
decision of the Board. If they had
sided with Lewis the vote would have
been 7 to A instead Of 9 to 2, but just
as conclusive. 1t would have been the
easy way out for them.
But George Lynch has the courage
of his convictions and be made his
convictions clear long before the vote
was taken in an editorial in the Pat
ternmakers' Journal. In that state
ment he declared he was against Gov
ernment imposition of the closed shop
on the sound ground that what the
Government gives it can also take
away He voted his convictions.
Bill Calvin at first was inclined to
vote for Lewis. But after listening to
the case made by both sides, he was
convinced that it would be a mistake
for the Board to grant Lewis de-
mands. So he, too, voted his convic-
tions. We take off our hats to both of
them.