The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-07-15
AFL Leaders Open
Arms ToJohnLe Lewis
Head Of Teunsters In Edi-
toriul Worms Of Labor
Divided By Politics

The return of John l.. Lewis United
Mine Workers to the fold of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor moved step
forward when Daniel j. TObin, preSi-
dent of the international brotherhood
of Transfers, declared that he fav-
ored affirmative action on the miners
application for reatfiliation.
Mr.. TObin is chairman of a commit
tee of three appointed by the eXecu-
tive council of the AF'L to confer with
Mr. Lewis. Action of the executive
council on the application will be de-
termined by the report to be presented
by the committee when the council
meets in Chicago in August.
Concurring with Mr.. TObin's view
that the United Mine Workers should
be taken back into the AFL was
Matthew Vol, AFL vice president and
Il member of Mr.. Tobin'S committee.
The third member is George Nj. Harri-
son. president of the Brotherhood of
Railway Clerks. Mr.. Harrison, who
is understood to hold view similar
to that expressed by his two colleagues
on the committees, thus far has re-
Trained from expressing his opinion.
Views Given in Editorial
Mr.. Tobin's views was expressed in
an editorial under his signature APP
pearing in the July issue of The Inter
national Teanster, official organ of
his organization.
81 am strongly In favor of unifying
the labor movement and to that end
will do all | can to bring the miners
back into the federation," Mr.. Tobin
declared. anyone who insinuates
that there is any political maneuver-
ing ON either side of this question
doesn't understand the case. Unions
within the federation have free po-
litical choice, barring Communists,
The federation cannot force anyone to-
vote other than in accordance with his
conscience.
IF political office holders interfered
in any way in the cementing of the
labor movement | know that the men
of labor would rebuke that political
party or political office holder"
Asserting that certain political
groupings will use one labor group
against another as long as labor re-
mains divided, Mr.. Tobin added:
THAT is the reason that as one
member of the committee having to
do with the bringing back Of the mine
workers, | shall do my best to bring
back the mine workers or the CIO
into the family of labor, in accord
ance with the laws of labor, to the
end that we may be able to protect
our hardwon advantages which we
gained over the bloody years of the
past.
After the ending of this world con-
tlict labor will he crucified and
slaughtered if it remains divided.
II favor strongly speedy and fayora-
bic action on the miners application
for reaftilation with the American
Federation of Labor. Such reaffilia
ton would be a big step forward to
that all-incluSive unity of labor which
an us true lIltfluS ueSlTc. lie uutS-
tion is not one of this or that labor
leader but OF the interests of all labor.
This alone should be our guide. Con-
tinued division in labor's ranks can
be of service only to its enemies and
false friends"
The next step on the miners appli-
cation Is up 10 Mr.. Tobin, who has
been vested with the authority to call
IA conference of his committee with
Mr.. Lewis. Mr.. Tobin has given no
indication as to when he would call
the conference
In circles close to the United Mine
Workers, reports that Mr.. Lewis was
getting impatient with Mr.. Tobins al
legged delay to call the conference and
that the miners leader was planning,
in reprisal, to withdraw the miners
application for reaffiliation with the
y. +. of l.. We're denied.