The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-02-26
Focing The Facts
With PHILIP PEARL

lbeSt labor news III many long
moon is the announcement that PreS-
dent Roosevelt will sit down around
the table in the White House with a
Labor war cabinet" to work out ways
possible labor participation in Amer
ica'S war drive.
This is something the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor has been asking for
ever since America launched its ma
tional defense program. 1t was i'm
pOrtant then. 1t is vital now because
we are in the war ourselves.
Most disappointing labor news of
the week is the outright CIO refusal
TO get together with the AFL and work
out permanent peace and unity in the
American labor movement.
The CIO. of course. was on n spot
1t had John l.. Lewis to contend with
Lewis had dumped II peace proposal
in its lap. Phil Murray had reason to
believe this proposal was Il 'phony.
He had not been consulted about it in
advance. He feared that it might be
'n' ljiSt Slti) bN LtNlS 10 Stl|e toli
troll of a unified labor movement.
So Murray, in his desperation, not
only got the CIO Executive Board to
kick the Lewis plan out the window
but also closed the door to any peace
negotiations with the AFL.
Peace VS.. Truce
OrganiZational unity, Murray said
Is not the pressing need of the moment
We disagree with him there. 1t is
the fundamental labor need of this
moment and of every moment to wipe
out rivalry, dualiSm and division i'm
the ranks of labor; To see to it that
workers will regard their fellow work
erS as brothers, not enemies; and to
unity labor's might and power behind
the single goal of democratic progress.
Instead of organization unity, Mr..
Murray envisions functional unity be-
tween the CIO and AFL. He says this
can be accomplished quicker and would
work out better than actual peace and
anna gamation.
In other words Murray is proposing
labor truce for the duration of the
war. And as II vehicle toward this end
he suggests the new war labor cabi-
net" created by the President.
Now we can see why Murray Is
making this proposition. It's good sales
manShip. He had 10 have some talking
point 30 convince the CIO Executive
Ronrd 10 bar he way TO organiZationa
unity. So he grabbed ai the straw OF
the Presidents proposal for Il "wal
labor cabinet" A drowning man vii
grab at straws. And make no mistake
about it-Murray was in sore strait.
when ne faced his Executive Board ant
called upon it not only TO break witt
Lewis but to reject repeated At'L peace
proposals.
The CIO followed the Murray line
II abolished its standing peace com
mittec, of which Lewis was chairman
the "War labor cabinet" would act II
its stead.
Not an Alternative
The trouble Is that the President :
proposal was NOT an alternative 10 the
Lewis peace plan or 10 the repeated
AFI invitations To the CID To Spttl,
all differences.
Read the Presidents letter to Pres
ident William Green and see whether
there is the slightest hint-let alon,
direct moution-of labor, peace or ;
truce contained therein. Even Shcrlocl
Holmes couldn't find any such thing.
Another vital factor Is that the AFI
members of the war labor cabinet
are not authorized or empowered I,
talk peace with the tIO. That Is tn,
sole function of the AFI. Peace Com
miltrc, which has been authorized b,
continuous AFI. conventions To do this
Job. And no one can or viii take away
that authority from the committee
Finally. il Is absurd 10 think thai
this war labor cabinet" would hay,