The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-11-06
Focing The Foc+s
With PHILIP PEARL


abundantly clear that he does not be-
lieve America is menaced by Hitler.
He has been outspoken to the effect
that President Roosevelt is a "war-
monger" and has engineered "fake
war scare" Other isolationists have
uttered the same sentiments and have
let it go at that. But Lewis is now
trying to prove his point by deliber-
ately sabotaging the national defense
program.
No other Interpretation can be
placed upon his arbitrary action in
calling a strike of the miners in cap
tive coal mines despite the earnest
pleas of President Roosevelt.
There was no immediate urgency
for this strike. The only issue in
volved is the closed shop. The miners
have been getting along for years
without the closed shop in these
mines. There is no question that
Lewis is trying to take advantage of
the national emergency is now de-
manding it. But we have no desire to
quarrel with his objective or his tim
ing. The principle involved here is
much more basic and vital.
In this case the President of the
United States has given solemn warn
ing that such strike would seriously
endanger defense production. He
called upon this union leader to hold
the strike in abeyance pending con-
ferences to settle the closed shop is
sue Lewis thrice refused. The strike
went into effect. That is not only a
betrayal of America, it is not only a
betrayal of the workers involved, but
it is dastardly and indefensible be-
trayal Of the best interests Of all labor
in America.
All Labor Will Suffer
For what are to be the effects of
this headstrong and insane leader
ship? Already we have the answer.
A tidal wave of anti-labor sentiment
again is sweeping the country. 1t is
engulfing the friends of labor in Con-
gress. True, public and Congressional
resentment is chiefly directed at
Lewis. But unless this wave is
checked he will not be the only vic
tim. All of labor will suffer. Lewis is
gambling not only with the rights of
his own miners but with the freedom
of the whole labor movement.
Again organized labor will be
forced to face and fight renewed at
tempts to impose anti-strike legisla
,,yn,,l
ganized labor will be compelled to
exert every resource to escape legis-
lative straitjackets. Again crisis
confronts the decent, sane and pa
triotc majority of American workers
because of the eycesses of labor
dictator.
1t is indeed tragic that the single
arbitrary act oflrrNa man can obscure
the resplendent record of effective
service given by American labor and
American labor unions in the national
defense program. The selfdiscipline,
the sweat and the struggle of millions
of workers, their sacrifices and their
patriotism, may be besmirched by the
ungovernable actions Of this man
Lewis.
If ever there was time when ali
of labor-ClO as well as ALL
should unite in reputation of false
leadership, this is the moment. We
call on all loyal trade unonists to
join with US in a public declaration
that John l.. Lewis speaks only for
himself.
Same Story in Currier Case
TO those Senate investigators who
are probing into the circumstances C
the rejection of the bid of the Currier
Lumber Company on defense hous-
ing project in Detroit, the present
eruption of John l.. Lewis should
prove Illuminating.
TO anyone familiar with the facts
of the situation, the bid of this COM
pany, coming on the heels of back
stairs agreement with the ClO con-
struction workers union, was appar-
entity nothing more than device to
obstruct the national defense pro-
gram. TO those in the know, it was
an obvious scheme to drive a wedge
into the solid basis of cooperation be-
tween the AFL building trades unions
and the Federal defense agencies.
The ClO construction workers
union was created-on paper-for the
sole purpose Of raiding, harassing and
demoralizing the well-organized and
long established building trades
unions of the American Federation of
Labor Recognizing the reasons for
its origin, many of the responsible
leaders of the ClO itself rejected this
paper union and refused to give it aid.
If any confirmation were necessary,
the practices of this union and it's
leader, Denny Lewis, Johns kid
brother and stooge, provided it. It's
first move was to approach AFL con-
tractors and offer to cut wages and
lengthen hours. Who ever heard of
a legitimate union which would de-
scend to such depths? In the present
case, the Denny Lewis union went
even further and signed contract
with a firm whose notorious anti-union
record is a stencil in the nostrils of
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