The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-02-18
CAPTAIN EDDIE RICKENBACKER

CAPTAIN EDDIE ERlCkENBACkER is hero
~ of two world wars. His exploits have won
for him undying fame. But his recent speeches
have raised host of disturbing questions.
Fresh from his ordeal on the Pacific Ricken-
backer toured a number of plants. He was
cheered to the echo by the workers when he
demanded they give their utmost in production
to back up our fighting men.
Labor has also applauded Rickenbackers at
tacks on absenteeiSm, which the unions are do
ing their best to fight
But Rickenbacker's latest speeches have
been largely anti-labor TRADES, little distin-
guishable from the union-busting propaganda
of the National Association of Manufacturers.
On production and absenteeism he has lam
basted the workers without saying a word
against employer practices responsible for most
hold-ups in production, or exposing the chief
causes Of absenteeSm over which the workers
have no control.
Even such unfairness might not be too hard
to take from u man who, IN civilian llfe has
been manufacturer and big business executive.
But Rickenbacker has gone further. Claim
ing to speak for the men in the armed forces,
he has demanded anti-union legislation so they
may return to work under Open-Shop conditions.
He has spoken as if there were conflict of
interests between serVlcemen and labor union
lists.
He has attacked New Deal social legislation,
claiming the government has spent billions OF
dollars TO destroy self-reliance, initiative, i'm
aginaton and individuality"
He has asserted that our fighting men will
return as rugged individuasts,' opposed to
any planned economy"
Rickenbacker is q war hero certainly. But
how far do his recent anti-labOr outburSts
represent the viewpoint Of other war heroes,
or of the ranli-and-dle Of our fighting men?
Untold thousands of this wars heroes are
union men. In fact, three Of the men who shared
Rickenbacker'S long ordeal on that raft in the
Pacific were labor unloniStS.
LaborS heroes include many who have won
high honorS, and many more who are just good
soldiers bravely enduring all the hell of mod
ern warfare.
They include the union workers of the mer-
chant marine, whose casualty lists have so far
been nearly four times greater proportionately
than those Of the armed forces.
Have these union heroes delegated to any
one the right to make union-busting propaganda
ON their behalf, or to say they want the open
ship rugged ndividualism" of lIoovers days
And does not that phrase stir bitter mem
orieS Of the bonus marches of ragged and
hungry cX-ScrVcemen under rugged indi-
viduasm before the New Deal spent those
"bons Of dollars" of which Rickenbacker
complains, TO give our forgotten men a better
chance in life?
Labor is the first to demand real job oppor-
tunitos for eX-serviccmen. 1t is the unions that
have been fighting for their seniority rights,
often against strong employer opposition.
Labor also fights for expanded social secur-
ity, to give full protection to our soldiers upon
their retuln-SO they may not be reduced to the
ragged indiVidualism Of selling apples on street
corners in an unpanned economy.
DO the men at The front want union bust
ing legislation and opcn-shop conditions? Or do
they not rather want to return to decent union
conditions, and look to the unions to save them
from coming back to a hell of open-shoppery,
low wages and exploitation?
Let US hope that Rickenbacker will speedily
repudiatc the American FascSts and union
busting bosses who tainiSh his glowing fame
by their applause. let US hope he will avoid the
pitfalls into which that other air hero, Lind
bergh fell. And let US hope he will give more
thought to the real interests Of fighting
men, so closely bound with those Of labor and
all the common people, before he makes another
speech.