Evening star., 1942-03-26
Green, Murray
yLabor Curb
May Start Strife
Cont Afford to Fight
War Among Ourselves.
House Unit Is Told
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
William Green, president Of the
American Federation of Labor,
and Philip Murray. C. I. o. chief,
jointly advised Congress today
against passing labor legislation
which might start an "unde-
clared war among ourselves" and
divide the Nation into groups
fighting one another.
In statements prepared for pres
entation before the House Naval
Affairs Committee, they assailed a
bill to suspend the closed shop and
extra pay for overtime In war plants
and said it was dictated by labor's
enemies.
II charge that the sponsors and
supporters of this bill are now wag-
ing an undeclared war against
President Roosevelt and against the
workers of America who believe in
the policies of his administration"
Mr.. Green said in his statement.
Mr. Murray declared the Naval
Affairs Committee had the RESPONSE
bility of correcting misinformation
that has been sponsored and fos-
tered by anti-labor groups
and of rebuking once and for all
those in public life and in private
life who are attempting to disrupt
and divide our Nation into groups"
Can't Afford Internal Fight.
The A. F. L. president told the
committee that I'VE cannot afford
in the Nations crisis to take time
out to fight another and undeclared
war among ourselves here in
America
Mr. Murray said:
This is not the time for any
patriotic American citizen to malign
or spread misinformation about
labor or to divide this Nation into
groups fighting each other instead Of
our common Axis enemies"
Both Mr.. Green and Mr.. Murray
asserted that present Federal stat
utes provided no restrictions against
more than 40 hours a week, and
that. in fact, American labor now
was working much in excess of that
limit
With their backs bent over their
machines. their hearts and minds
devoted to increased production"
Mr. Murray cried. the workers now
look over their shoulders and find
behind them with knife upraised,
groups who would at this time re-
new old attacks upon the working
man and his organization
Calls Bill a Masquerade.
He contended that the measure.
introduced by Representative Smith.
Democrat, OF Virginia, ''masquer-
AIDES as means of expediting the
war effort"
Mr.. Green told the committee that
the administration and leaders of
the Nations production effort were
agreed unanimously" that the
measure would accomplish nothing
in stimulating war production and
were agreed also that the bill can
do a great deal Of harm to Amer
ica's war effort"
To sum up he said, "Our men
and women are on the job. They
are doing the work that must be
done for victory. They are setting
production records They are beat
ing schedules every day. They are
proving themselves real soldiers of
production on the home 'front.'
Mr.. Murray contended that at
time when the American working
man was confronted with spiraling
living costs, the Smith measure
would reduce his income and would
result in benefits only to those same
employers whose high profit levels
are indicated by every report ap-
pearing in the financial pages of our
newspapers"
Labor Starts Campaign.
Before the hearing began, several
Senators indicated that organized
labor has started its own wire-your-
Congressman campaign to counter
the flood of mail and kilograms for
suspension of the 40-hour week.
Chairman Van Nuys of the Sem
ate Judiciary Committee, before
which several labor bills are pend
ing. told reporters he received so
kilograms from c. 1. o. unions in
his State in one day. All urged him
to vote against any changes in
present labor laws, he said
Senator Van Nuys said he was
determined, nevertheless, to obtain
action by the judiciary group on a
measure by Senator Reed, Republi-
can. of Kansas which would outlaw
the closed shop in war industries.
Taft Receives Communications.
Senator Taft, Republican. of
Ohio. who has opposed suspension
of the 4O-hour week law. said he
also was beginning to receive many
communications from union men,
bers against legislation pending in
both House and Senate.
Chairman Thomas of the Senate
Continued on Page All, Column s.