The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-11-10

Resentment was expressed yes terday by executive officers oi Chase Local 565, c. I. O. Mine, Mill & Shelter Workers union, at the alleged attack of on Union Presi- dent Reid Robinson, and the or ganizing staff of the Chase local by Rev. Joseph F, Donnelly of St. Thomas church.
 By attacking the union that is showing the way to win the war, says statement issued by Chase officers, this clergyman attacks the war program to which the union is devoted"
 In a bitter lad hominem" argu- ment directed at the priest, the of tlcers charge, This (attack is simply Q continuation of the Amer lea First appeasement activities of Father Donnelly. Apparently Pearl Harbor has had no significance for him."
 The statement was issued by the following union officers; William Stanton, president; Stanley Barnes, vice. president; Francis Maxwell, re- cording secretary; and Antonio Napoli financial secretary.
 In separate statement, Max well and Napoli, presumably speak ing in behalf of Catholic employees, said:
 "As active members of the Catho- lie community, and as officers Of the Chase C1O, we resent the at tacks made upon our union by a member of the Catholic clergy Statements like that issued yester- day by Rev. Joseph Donnelly,. can only harm the welfare of the large numbers of Catholic workers who belong to our unions and for whom the Chase union is the collective bargaining representative. For Fa- ther Donnelly to attack our union during the course of contract ne- gotiations is an act we, as Catho. lies, resent deeply, As the spiritual advisor of many of our members Father Donnelly has the duty oi supporting their efforts to bette, their conditions of work and life as we'll as their organized efforts to aid the war program of our na- tion Ills attacks on our union movement and It's leaders serve te harm and endanger those efforts and not to help them"
 The statement issued by the or ficers o1 the Chase Local follows
 The attacks upon our interna. tional union and upon Pres. Reio Robinson, made yesterday by Rev J. F. Donnelly and which appeared in the Waterbury press, could not have been better timed If they had been planned by professionaI publicity man in the employ of the huge brass companies of the area. TWO great unions, including oui own. are now engaged in attempt. ing 70 secure contracts which Will bring untold new benefits to thous- ands of working men and women of Waterbury. Father Donnelly has chosen to make the second oi his malicious attacks upon oui union at q time like this. whef unity of oil workers is an absolute necessity. It is not only necessary for their own protection, but TOT the winning of this war.
 At many times in the past we have pointed to the public state ments of high government officials In these statements our union has been constantly praised for the ex- cellent Job 1t Is doing in this war effort. Yet, in the face of this praise from leaders of our war effort, Fa- ther Donnelly continues his cam paign of vilifying our union. We can only conclude that the op- poses the things for which our union stands - and, according to these government officials, our union stands for the winning Of this war, There can be no other con- clusion. By attacking the union that Is showing the way to win
 le war, this clergyman at- lppeasement activities of Father Donnelly. Apparently Pearl Harbor has had no significance for him! "Why Do You Echo Berlin Radio?' You are wrong, Father Donnelly! You oppose our union and It's presi- dent, when that union and that leader have won such high praise for their patriotic efforts. Why don't you rally Waterbury's workers against the real enemies of their unions-the Nazis, the Fascists, and the Japanese2 Why, instead, do you echo the Berlin radio in your proclamation that "the Communist menace is the great danger, and not Fascism?