The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-01-13

President Green demanded
gate the mysterious Marshall inc
responsible for it." Labor genel
gress made the same demand.
An indication that Rooseve
tack was seen in n statement by Ste
phen Early, White House secretary,
that the author of the attack and the
Chief Executive seem to have been
thinking along the same lines"
The anonymous critic of labor, on
New Years Eve, said that taking over
of the railroads and brief unauthOr-
lied strike in the steel industry pro
yded fuel for the Axis propagandists,
may have prevented revolt this winter
i'm Germany and 50 prolonged the war
against Hitler for six months.
Charge Used As Smear
Press and radio seized upon the
statement with enthusiasm, broadcast
ing il throughout the nation and using
it as the basis for Incorporate ana
biased editorial attacks on labor.
In message of sanity to the Amer
lean people" Green declared:
I'VE challenge Gen. Marshall or any
one else, to prove that the record OF
Americas soldiers of production pro
vide an effective propaganda weapon
for the enemy.
'On the contrary, the fact is that
American workers have Silenced Hit
ler'S propaganda guns and have short
ened the war by turning out treInen-
dous quantities of planes, ships, tanks,
guns and ammunition in record time.
AT Teheran Premier Stain ac-
knowledged this fact when he said thar
without American machines the United
Nations never could have won this
war These machines ii must be re-
membered, We're made by American
workers.
Says Foes Know Better
1T Is the height of stupidity to Sug-
gest that Nazi Germany and Its satfl-
lite nations will be encouraged to con
tinue the war by the existence of Il
few wage disputes in America. Our
enemies k4ow the war will be decided
only by force of arms.
"American workers are producing
these arms and will continue To do so
until final victory is won"
Then President Green went on to
charge settlement of current wage dis
pulcS iS due to Government bunglinS
and to remind the nation that the civil
government is slill the ruling power
in America
mo Possibility OF Strike
Gen. Marshall'S comments" the
AFL head said, were repeatedly pro
yolled by the threats of railroad
and steel strike.
Il hereby charge that the RESPONSE
bility for the proIongation of these dis
putes rests entirely upon bungling.
fumbling and incompetent handling by
Government officials and agencies.
II hereby assert unequivocally that,
although strike date had been set.
there never was the fainteSt possibility
of an actual walkout ON the nations
railroads. The railroad unions, most of
which are affiliated with the American
Federation of Labor, are responsible
organizations led by responsible and
patriotic officials. Their record Is
among the finest In the nation. They
gave their solemn assurance to the
President and Ia Congress that, come
what might, there would be no railroad
strike.
Labor Followed Law
Setting of IL strike date WAS mere
~ n device, wholly I'm accordance with
law, to expedite determination Of II
dispute which had dragged Il months
and which had seriously upset the
morale of the nations railroad work
ers.
The wage dispute of the nonoper-
ating railroad workers could have been
settled finally and amicahly q months
ago by labor and management on terms
entirely In accord with the Stabiliza-
tiOn program had ii not been for un-
warranted and unnecessary interfer-
ence on the part of the Economic sta
bilZatinn Director. The whole subse-
qucnt mess is the result Of desperate
save his face after II fearful blundcr.
Reprimand Is Urged
1T is not my province 10 comment
on the steel wage dispute because IL
does not involve atiilales of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor. But here
again lack Of Il clear and cohesiv" pol
icy on the part of the Government
precipitated the trouble.
The Army has now, at least nomi-
naily, taken over the railroads. II has
not, 50 far as we know, taken over the
Government
'As loyal citizens of America, the
members of the American Federation
of Labor call upon their Government,
and particularly upon the Commander
in-Chief Of the Army and the Navy to
investigate the mysterious Marshall
incident and to reprimand whoever
was responsible for it,