The people's voice., 1944-05-19

efive-state district here May b.
The meeting was called by
co-operatives served by the
Philadelphia branch of East
ern Cooperative Wholesale.
Greetings and news of "Co-opera
tives in My Country were extended
by six LILO delegates speaking for CO
operatives in Sweden, Great Britain
China, India and Yugoslavia.
Dame Anne Loughlin, first woman
to become vice president of the Gen
eral Council of the Trades Union Con
gress brought greetings from Great
Britain: "As co-operator and a
Britisher am willing to take my fair
share of responsibility for this war.
Apathy and Indifference, which per-
nit wars, spring from ignorance, both
in Britain and America. 1t is our spe-
cial duty as co-operators to combat
this ignorance We must become more
world-minded." She stressed the sim
liar ideals shared by both the British
co-operatives and the Trade Union
movements, and their efforts toward a
common goal.
Mr.. Jamnadas Mehta, president of
the Indian Federation of Labor, de-
scribed the cooperative banks which
came into existence after two famines
had killed millions in India: Though
the cooperative movement in India
has had to contend against the poison
of politics, these banks have reduced
the interest rate to farmers from 1870
per annum to 9 or 1879. Through CO.
operatives farmer too poor to own
a bullock (the tractor of India) joins
with two or three others to share the
use of an animal" the war has had a
serious erect upon these co-opera-
tives.
Mr. Francis Gabrovsek, former
member of the Yugoslav parliament
and manager of the Lubjana Coop
erative Union, told the story of the
growth Of the essentially peasant CO.
operatives, and their destruction by
both German and Italians: MANY CO.
operators have been shot as hostages.
But we will rebuild our co-operatives"
Dr. Kinn-Wei Shaw, vice chairman
of the executive committee, Chinese
American Coordination Committee for
Co-operatives, declared ''The Chinese
way of life is a cooperative way of
life" He said his people did not have
a national superiority complex nor
inferiority complex but were
developing fraternity complex"
He urged that all nations develop
fraternity complexes" through devel-
oping their co-operatives and cooper
atives and cooperative way of life
Mr.. Nils Thedin, of the education
staff of the great Ko-op-
erativa Forbundet, related the strug-
giles of the cooperative movement in
Sweden, and its failures from 1850
until 1904, when by systematic edu-
cation co-operatives finally struck
firm root in the people; 1--WE have
educated through study groups which
have now $4,000 members annually,
through correspondence courses and
through films on all subjects.
Roy McCorkel president of the Phil
adelphia Area Cooperative Federation
DR.. James P. Warbasse,
president-emeritus of The Co-opera-
i've League of the USA, who pre-
sented the speakers. Referring to the
profit economy, DR.. Warbasse stated
The causes which produced the last
war and the present one, and which
ire potential for the third, which will
end our civilization, still remain. The
movement in contrast in
yolves an economy based on peaceful
Methods"
The meeting was scheduled to fit |
n with the district meeting preceding
he annual melting of ECW in New
York.