The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-18
UAW -FEP HEAD
ANALYzES new
line OF COP
BY GEORGE CROCKETT

poSt-election plea, Let's all get
together and bury the Ratchet"
l frankly doubt the sincerity Of
anyone who makes that plea.
doubt il because l think, first. the
American people always have been
together on the two issues for
which unity is now so urgently
requested. namely. winning the
war and securing a peace that will
preclude future wars. / doubt II
secondly, because on the remaining
basic issues we were not together
before the election. certainly not
during the election. and. unless the
election itself has worked radical
changes in the thinking and acting
Of some groups in this country, we
are not going to be together for
long time TO come.
Two examples will illustrate
what ! mean.
Just Impossible
II will take hell OF a lot OF
unity pleas-and some temporary
blindness also-to make me think
and act in harmony with the Bill
hos. the Russels. the Rankins and
the other southern poll tax Demo-
Gratis on our common social prob
lens. Their training and my train
ing and the environment under
which we grew and developed just
has not conditioned us for unity
on such basic social and economic
issues as discrimination and segre-
CATION. Federal aid 10 education,
and the nlace ~ organized labor
In our national life.
And what is true as between me
and these other products Of a segre-
rated social 'ifc. applies with equal
force 10 millions of other Ameri-
cans
Got 10 Fight
In short. you Just cannot Get
national unity on these issues by
pleading for II, We have got 10
night for it-and not with high
sounding words and lofty phrases
elther-we have got 10 have action.
IL the heads and congressional
leaders OF our two major politics!
parties think they can get FAIR
Practices Act, an anti-poll tax law
or a Federal anti-lynching statute
adopted by simply pleading for
unity on these matters. they are
mistaken. and the sooner decent
Americans let them know this the
sooner We VIII have real unity
Carey McWlllIams in his recent
fighting speech 10 Deiro!ters was
cmlncntly correct IN observing
that We have been pleading and
'cduca;ing" for eighty years and
are not much removed from where
NC were al the beginning
Take second example: does any
thinking person seriously believe
that all OF these post election pleas
for unity which we read In the
Hearx< and other reactio0ayy
papers dncluding some Negro
papcrs) will really bring industry.
labor and government together on
revision OF the Little Steel
Formula 30 as 10 allow wages to
rise in proportion to the rise In
prices? Do you really think in
dus,ry will interpret this election
as mandate 20 il 10 SIT down
around the conference table with
labor and government and plan the
method by which President Roose-
Se,:s objective OF 60 900 900 jobs is
20 be attained And do YOU hon
tfly believe that the new and old
Senators and Representatives you
have elected or reelected are going
10 unite upon an an ,ndment 10 our
present reconverslon legislation so
as TO liberalize the Federal gov
ernment's health, unemployment
benefits and educational program
in line with labor's goal as ex-
pressed in the rejected Murray
Dingel.Wagner Bill and the Kill
gore Bll7
II you co. then brother you arc
sadly mistaken.
Free Enterprise Speaks
John W. ScovIlle. economist for
ChrySler Corporation, represented
very definite industry-w point
of view when, during his recen,
speech before a manufacturers as
ISOLATION. he answered a question
about how the free enterprise boys
intend 10 take care Of our SUM
areas. Mr.. Scoville is quoted as hav-
ing said that we are worrying
about something that doesn't need
10 be worried about II the people
living in slums don't like them. let
them move out. Some people like TO
live in one-room shacks There is
no solution 10 this problem. Ger
tsinly industry doesn't intend 10 at
tempt the impossible"
No. my friend. those boys are
not kidding They don't intend TO
attempt the impossible" and
what's more, they don't intend that
our government shall attempt the
"ln possible"
Now that Is precisely where their
unity pleas go into the waste paper
basket or out Of the window. Be
cause organized labor not only in
tends 10 attempt the impossible:
Il intends to accomplish the i'm
possible" II intends 10 build and
finance its own postwar housing
projects where conditions will per-
nit. And where the conditions will
not permit il intends 10 demand
and get government assistance. Our
members-workers all-must have
decent shelter.
So here again. you see. il Is not
pleading matter: it's a question o.
power, II is simply a knock down
drag out fight between those who
would do nothing that might dis
urb their selfish grin on our ma