Evening star., 1942-09-18
Calls for Elimination
Of Pressure Politics
Bishop Urges Lows to Control
Groups Mokine Use Of War
For Selfish Purposes
To the Editor of The Star

domination of cruel merciless brute force
which, in its mad lust, is trying to rule
the world by crushing out freedom of
speech, the press, religion and individual
action. For over two years our country
shamefully- stood on the sidelines while
the horrible, unprecedented persecution
of innocent, helpless people was being
carried on. Because of "the little Ameri-
cans" the isolationists and the peace
at-any-price pacifists, the cowardly
neutrality law and the "cash and carry"
law were enacted. In May, 1910, many
outstanding leaders, including church.
men, foresaw that participation in the
war by our country was inevitable, but
not until Pearl Harbor did our country,
under compulsion, meet her RESPONSE
bility and declare war
Today the United States is joined
with other Nations in the war with the
Axis powers. The vital matter is to win
this war. Nothing must be allowed to
interfere with this objective. The Con-
scription Act is calling, and will con-
tinue to call, millions of our sons into
the armed forces The Government
determines their food, their uniform,
their work, their pay, and when and
where they shall fight. Everything is
made to bend to the one great objective
of winning the war
1t is obvious and distressing, however,
that there are certain groups which are
more concerned to take advantage of the
war situation to secure personal bene-
fits and advantages regardless of the
effect upon vital war aims, than they
are in winning the war. The labor and
capital question has faced the country,
and faces 1t daily with its conflict for
higher profits and higher wages. The
first great objective with many capital
lists (not alb and many organized labor
groups Cnot alb is money. Other men
must give up social and business life to
fight and to die, to protect the freedom
and the homes of these selfish and coyet-
Gus business and labor traitors. Several
months ago the writer insisted that the
time had come to conscript all capital
and labor necessary to help the Govern
ment win the war. Legislation to give
fair return to capital and management,
and how many hours, and for what fair
wages they should work should have
been passed months ago.
Men in the armed forces cannot strike.
nor should men in the war industries
be permitted to strike, but since Pearl
Harbor, beginning with 20 strikes in Jan
uary, there were about $50 strikes in
June. about 400 In July-altogether for
the first seven months about 1900
strikes. Virtually all these strikes in
volved members of organized labor
unions, and were called in violation of
union labor's mo strike" pledge made
after Pearl Harbor. DR.. George Gallup
IN Liberty tissue of September 12) de-
clares: THE series of strikes throughout
1910 and 1941 caused mounting public
anger, particularly against union leaders
of the more militant type = The
inevitable result was that the public
began to think that some of the big
unions were putting their own interests
ahead of national defense. If
nothing is done, there is certain to be an
ever-increasing public demand for anti
union legislation. More than
three in every four voters are in favor
of legislation to outlaw strikes in the
defense industries"
Why this difference in the treatment
OF men IN labor unions and our armed
| forces? Is the difference political.
because the labor unions are organized.
and can be used as q political voting
bloc? In the New York Times of Sep
tember IL dispatch from Blackpool,
| England, states that Joseph Padway.
| general counsel of the AFI., as a visiting
speaker, told the English Congress of
Labor that American workers would de-
mand the nomination of President Roose-
| velt for fourth term" Does this ex-
| plain the special tenderness shown to-
| ward labor, and contrawise does this
| special tenderness explain the arrogant
demands Of labor?
Has not the time come when the rank
and file OF American citizens should de-
mand in no uncertain terms that Con-
gress and the President shall outlaw all
strikes in defense industries and fix
| hours, wages and profits in all such
| industries?
The farm bloc politicians, who have
claimed, without full warrant to repre-
| sent all the farmers, likewise have taken
advantage of the war situation, and have
been clamoring and fighting for increased
| prices for the necessities of life, regard
less OF the fact that the rank and file
| OF the consuming population have not
| received any such increase in wages, as
have the members of labor unions. A
| fair ceiling and floor should be promptly
set upon farm products, taking that
question entirely and permanently out of
| politics during the war.
Some radical Negro organizations are
also attempting to take advantage of the
| war situation to demand immediate
changes which will secure to Negroes
additional rights and privileges, such as
would not be possible of attainment in
normally progressive advance. However.
it Is worthy of note that some very wise
Negro leaders fear the effect upon race
relations OF such aggressive efforts to
take advantage of war conditions to
push for changes too rapidly. The Negro
weekly, the Norfolk journal and Guide
considering this effort as untimely, de-
clares: "The time has come for the
100000 Negroes of America to throw
all that they have into this war The
time has come when we must fight
desperately to save what we have gained
during the past rs years."
In an address to the youth of the
uuor1d DrociIoyt D1ocoyal%