The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-06-12
THE PACKARD STRIKE

gan Chronicle exposed the fascist hand of the ku
Klux Khan and the native fascists at work in this
area. We began a relentless and unremittlng cam
paign to rout the industrial fifth column in Detrots
war industry and appealed to the labor leadership
as well as to the Federal government to make a
sweeping investigation of Klan penetration among
the workers. Last month we implored Attorney
General Francis Biddle to take immediate steps to
ferret out the rats who were gnaWng away at the
very foundation of this vast arsenal that is Detroit
The Attorney General replied that he would act
when he received enough evidence to warrant action.
The Packard strike last week which resulted in
wanton waste of precious man-hours of vital war
production and provided DR.. Goebbels with vicious
propaganda material that is already being ed
against the democraces should certainly be evidence
enough for Mr.. Bddle and all others who were re-
luctant to believe that our war effort here in
jeopardy
Thomas E. Groehn in the Detroit News stated
Saturday that ITO the public it would seem from
reading the bare facts about the Packard strike that
the great majority of white workers rose as one in
mass protest against the up-grading of Negro work
ers with seniority rating over white workers.
This is not, in fact, true.
"The truth is that the great mass Of Packard
workers were agitated into striking by relatively
small minority at the plant, according to every union
source that Will talk about It.
THAT minority group has been apparently doing
systematic job Of fomentng racial disturbances in
the plant over the last year"
Mr. Groehn did not 60 far enough, however,
and point out another truth, that this minority
which was at the bottom of the whole conspiracy
to foment racial strife was supported and abetted
by several antidemocratic and anti-Negro represen
tatives of the company, particularly the vice presi-
denk In charge Of personnel who told the strikers
TIT they did not have to work with Negroes if they
chose not to do So
At long last, we have an open and shut case
against the enemies Of democracy the conspirators
against the war effort, who doing the job that
Hitler wants done by whipping up the racial preju
dices of workers and attacking national unity. Pres
dent R. J. Thomas of the UAW-CIO and the entire
labor leadership have unequivocally stated their
position against these stoOges Of the Axis who are
determined to wreak havoc in our war industry.
The brazen injustice Of the strikers action against
Negro workers has at last alarmed the general public
and thousands of whites who were unfamiliar with
the seditious forces at work in industry have come
to see how infinitely important it is to strike at the
roots of this racism now and to promote unity among
all people in our country.
It has been said that it takes vast program
of education to influence white workers to accept
Negroes as equal partners in this common enter
prise of war production While we agree that educa
ton is needed, we insist that there are two kinds
of education, direct and indirect. Today with our
country imperiled and the lives of whole American
generation under fire, we need to apply measures
of direct education This kind of education well
illustrated in the recent hate strike at U. S. Rubber
The union leadership seized the ringleaders of that
hate strike and kicked them out of U. S. Rubber
and refused to appease any Of those who sought to
compromise on this dangerous issue. We are sure
that similar educational measures will be taken at
the Packard plant.
Finally, while the rank and file white workers
must be educated, we must make that the fifth
columnists who are on the side of management and
who WELD enormous power by virtue of their posi-
ton are brought to the bar of justice. AS long as
anti-Negro groups among the workers know that
they will be supported by their fascist Bosses they
will continue to agitate and sow the seeds of dis
unity. If the leaders Of the company join hands
with the leaders of labor in sincere effort to rout
the industrial fifth column these hate strikes which
have plagued our war industry will be forever
abolished.
There can be no compromise Of our democratic