The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-12-28
Moral Re-Armumenf The Ordinary
Mons Chance TO Remoke The World
(Coatinned From Page Ose)


Frank Buchanan foresaw the danger:
of disunity in face of the impending
world struggle, and called America to
"the battle for industrial teamwork
and national unity" Mass meetings il
Madison Square Garden, Hollywood
Bowl, and in Constitution Hall, where
a message from President Roosevelt
was read by Senator Truman, were
followed by labor-management round
tables, city campaigns and training
centers.
Labor Backs Program
The MIRA handbook "You Can De-
fend America" with a foreword by
General Pershing, outlining a pro-
gram of "Sound Homes, Teamwork
in Industry, and a United Nation
went to millions with the backing OF
William Green, Philip Murray and
other labor leaders. Said AFL Presi-
dent Green:
"'You Can Defend America sets
forth program in which Labor can
wholeheartedly take part. 1t should
do much to lift our people to sus-
tanned level of self-giving patriotism
=. | hope You Can Defend Amer
ica' will be in the hands of every
union man in the country"
President Philip Murray of the CIO
said
"'You Can Defend America brings
us all back to fundamentals. 1t charts
in brief, compelling outline practi-
cal program for home, industry and
nations. 1t is call to action against
the divisive materialism which is our
unseen enemy. 1t must appeal to all
whose fight is for new social order
as an essential defense of American
Democracy"
From workers, union leaders, pro-
gressive elements in management,
government officials, came testimony
of the effectiveness of the MIRA pro-
gram in building teamwork within
their own organizations and in unit
ing conflicting groups in the interests
of the national defense program.
Answering World Breakdown
From one American to the whole
world-that is the story of Moral Re-
Armament in the past two decades.
AS far back as 1921, Frank Buchanan
began to fight against materialism in
its many forms-the unrealistic ef-
forts for peace, the apathy to wrong,
the heartless acceptance of unemploy-
ment, the selfish enjoyment of pros
perity-these he fought with all his
power.
He knew there could be no fair
distribution of the worlds goods
without a greatly increased distribu-
tion of unselfishness. He had seen too
many worthwhile economic measures
sabotaged by selfishness, ambition and
factions, to accept anything less f'evo-
lutionary than drastic change In
human nature people becoming
different.
"Until we deal with human nature
thoroughly and drastically on ma
tional SCALE" said Frank Buchanan,
nations must still follow their his
toric road to violence and destruction
!. There's enough in the world for
everyone's need, but not enough for
everyone's greed. Suppose everybody
cared enough, and everybody shared
enough, wouldn't everybody have
enough?"
People and situations were COM
pletely changed as the spirit of MIRA
took mold Of them.
A group went to South Africa.
Twelve years later, in 1941, the Hon.
Jan II. Hofmeyr, right-hand man to
General Smuts, was able to report:
"Dr Buchman's visit to South Africa
in 1929 was of national significance,
and started a major and continuing
influence for racial reconciliation
throughout the whole country, white
and black, Dutch and British"
In 1884, Frank Buchanan and some
Of his co-workers were invited to
Norway by Carl J. Hambro, President
of the Norwegian Parliament and
now world figure in the fight for
the liberation of the European democ-
racies. Soon political enemies joined
as friends to put their country before
selfish ambitions. Norway began to
find the uniting spirit that was later
to confound the German oppressor.
MIRA was racing with time to re-
make men and nations 1t was no
longer one man working alone, but
one hundred working together, then
and in the u. s., Britain
and across the world in over sixty
men and women were fight
ing for the highest moral standards
in personal and national life and
answering the breakdown in human
affairs. Financially they were poor,
but in courage, vision, and determine
tion they were rich. By personal
sacrifice, pooling their resources,
selling their belongings,
they have carried on, backed by the
sacrifices of other ordinary folks like
them. Then as now, they worked with
cut salary to keep expenses down TO
a minimum.
MIRA Inspires Resistance
Meanwhile the Nazi armies had