The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-11-04
COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS

How Hitler wrecked Czechoslovak
trade unions is told concisely by the
National Labor Division of Citizens for
Victory, New York The account says ::
Czechoslovallia was a country of
social progress. 1t was its ambition to
grant the demands of the workers and
of all the economically weak classes
of the population for safeguards
against exploitation and for security in
their old age. a well-organized labor
movement assisted at the birth of the
independent Czechoslovak Republic; it
was one of the bases upon which the
state was founded.
The trade union system was able to
develop freely in the democratic state.
About two million peOple-almost 10
per cent of the total pOpulatiOn-Were
organized in the different trade unions.
Czechoslovakia had several trade union
centers-varying according to the polit-
ical beliefs of their members.
There has been no free trade union
movement since the day the German
Army first marched through the streets
of Prague AS a result of German pres
sure, all unions were amalgamated into
IA single body-a parallel process TO
the unification of all political parties
in a single Czech party. The Nazis
thought that this would be just as com
plant an instrument as the Deutsche
Arbeitsfront in Germany.
They soon saw that the unified trade
union was, in fact, Il center of resist
ance. one of the most important cen
ters, indeed, because of its many polit-
ically minded members. In it the men
who had been trade union officials in
the days of the republic united for
common action with new, previously
unknown, revolutionary elements. The
Nazis realized clearly how dangerous
it would be to take measures against
the trade union or dissolve it. They at
tempted, therefore, to deal with it by
forcing the appointment not only of 4
German Government Commissioner, but
one of the few Czech renegades who
have been found in the labor move
ment.
Although the Nazis imprisoned
workers, tortured them in cOncentra-
ton camps, and murdered many Of
them without any trial, they have fail
ed to win over a single one of the
former working-claSS leaders. Many
well-known and lesSer-knOwn officials
of the labor movement have paid with
their lives for their loyalty to the
ideals of national and social liberation.
The Nazis are determined to rob the
Czech workers of all their rights and
political situation has compelled them
to make certain compromises. The more
the Royal Air Force hammers German
war production in the Rhineland and
Ruhr, the more important to the Reich
are the heavy industries of Bohemia
and Moravia, and especially the arma-
ments and chemical industries.
Nazi policy toward the Czech work
CrS veerS between the desire to hold
the workers down and the fear that
they might extend sabotage and pas
Sive resistance into open rebellion. 1t
demands from them the closest possible
collaboration in the war economy and
tries at the same time TO corrupt them
by small concessions or social dema-
gogy. 1t is prodigal Of concessions
and crumbs of charity which prove on
closer observation, to be nothing but
bluff.
Whether the NaZiS flatter the Czech
workers or wether they put them III
front of firing squads-as happened i'll
hundreds of cases, especially on Hey
drichS arrival in Prague and after his
deatl-they make no headWay. leSler-
day the Czech workers We're the most
loyal pillars Of the republic and of
democracy. Today they are in the fore