The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-01-27

has always been and voiced its Oppo-
siton in emphatic language Immediate
ly following the Presidents submission
of the proposal to Congress. Business
and industry, as represented by the
United States Chamber of Commerce,
the National Association of Manufac-
turers, and other organizations, are on
record against it.
Friends OF Draft Noisy
Friends of the labor draft have
sought To make up in noise for the lack
of popular support for the proposal.
They have joined in drumfire of praise
for il. coupled with demands for enact
ment of draft legislation without delay.
One of the loudest believers for il
draft is the Army and Navy Journal,
unofficial organ of the brass hats
The Journal served notice" that it
relies on Congress to enact the legiS-
lation without delay and followed up
the demand by threatening Congress
with the wrath of the Servicemen II L.
did not act favOrably on the proposal.
The Journal did not explain how ii
knew the feelings of the Servicemen.
Labor men suggested that perhaps it
was relying on intuition, somewhat
similar to the celebrated brand pos
seSsed by certain Adolf Hitler.
Facts Weaken Proposal
Facts spoke loudly against the pro-
posal as soon as it was made by the
President, weakening arguments that
labor cOnScriptiOn Is needed to produce
the workers necessary for war prOdnc-
tiOn and the armed forces. The War
Manpower Commission announced that
it had revised downward by mO,WO
its estimate of the total labor fore"
needed by next July !. In other words,
its estimate of needed manpOw1r" has
been too high. '"''
Chairman Paul V. McNutt, of the
WMC, on II speaking tour, said that
national service legislation would not
solve induStrys manpower problems
but could "onIy help those who helped
themselves" Any law, he said, would
have to follow the basic mnnpower
program now in effect through the vol
untary cooperation of labor, manage
ment and the Government.
M,nitiOn Plants Close
Munilion works continued to close
were met in full releasing men for
other vital work. The big Army Wei
don Springs Ordnance Works near St
Louis discontinued production of TINT,
involving the discharge of $500 work
erS.
The Army's ordnance works at
White Deer Valley, Pa, likewise max
ing INT, also closed. The closing of
these plants followed previous shut
downs of plants in various places max
ing small arms ammunition and other
war material.
Closing of these plants released
thousands of workers for other war
production, which everybody admits
must be continued at top speed for
months TO come.
Labor Heads Warn FDK
Organized labor lost no time In i'm
pressing on President Roosevelt that
II has no use for compulsory labor
service and warned him the proposal
X not aiding national unity. The day
following sending of the President :
message 10 Congress, President VIII
liam Green of the American Federation
of Labor and President Philip Murray
of the Congress of Industrial organiZn-
tionS called at the White House and
told the President that the organized
workers are unalternbly opposed to
enactment of national service act
now or AT any other time.
Green and Murray told the President
that he had made an error in drag
ging" the labor draft proposal into
public discussion and that he had beer
taking his advice from the wrong
people" They declared that lnbor's
record of war production is something
for the country To shout about" and
Roosevelt joined in praise Of labor's
achievements.
Before the White House conference
Green issued a statement on behalf OF
the AFL declaring that Il nationa
service law would undermine "oul
basic concepts of democracy" woul,
not prevent strikes and would not solv,
the manpOwer problem.
Major Reasons For Stand
Summing up, Green said the fedora
ton, "reSolutely opposes enactment o
compulsory national service Legislation
for the following ma jOr reasons:
Il. 1t will not prevent strikes. Th'
experience Of Great Britain prove
that Britain has national servic
law. 1t has not stopped strikes. II
1942 the number Of strikes in Britain
was greater proportionately than Il
the United States.
''2. 1t will not solve manpOwer prob