Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1944-07-28
On The
Beam
By
Clayton W..
Fountain

long time to take OFT on the
notion that Hitler has been
comforted by the few petty
strikes we have experienced
since America entered the
war.
What's more, the itching
has been aggravated by the
origin of this fantasy. 1t has
always come from the mouths
of people who found damn
few faults in Hitler until he
started to tramp on their
plutocratic pinkies.
In fact, some of those who
shout the loudest that strikes
bring joy to Adolf were not
above using some of the Nazi
tricks in childhood days of
the CIO.
But why go that far back?
Sewell Avery today expresses
the typical Nazi outlook in
his opposition to collective
bargaining
SOUNDS FUNNY
So it sounds funny to hear
these jerks wall that two
hour stoppage by a handful
of workers has screwed up
the Western Front and halted
the flow of tears into Adolf's
beer.
Actually, the opposite is
true.
The outbreak of little
strike once in while in
America reminds Hitler that
his friends and secret stooges
have failed to smash the labor
movement in this country.
That makes Hitler very
sad. For he knows that so
long as the organized Ameri-
can workers are free enough
to demonstrate against in.
Justice, even under the re-
straints of a war economy,
his goose is cooked.
And that does not mean,
as some folks will say, that
this writer is agitating for
strikes in war time. 1t means
only that / reject, as an argu-
ment against strikes, the
assinine notion that Hitler, or
any other Nazi, is happy be-
cause American workers are
both organized ana free.
AGAINST STRIKES
am as much opposed to
strikes in America during this
particular war and under the
conditions surrounding its
prosecution as any other guy.
But the reasons for which
I oppose strikes now are
totally different reasons from
those which impel Mr.. Avery
and Mr.. Hearst to wage war
on the labor movement.
Hitler smashed labor in
every country on which he
set his heel. Avery and
Hearst, plus a considerable
and powerful gang of pluto
Gratis who think their way,
want to smash labor in Amer
lea.
But l want to win the war
in order to smash Hitler,
Avery and Hearst. So, if an
untimely and ill-considered
strike interferes with the job
of smashing Hitler, Avery
and Hearst, ] am opposed to
that particular strike.
MATTER OF CHOICE
On the other hand, / would
be among the first to form a
picket line if l had to choose
between striking and capitu-
lating to the philosophy Of
Avery and Hearst.
Happily. cond ons in
are not so critical
that we have to make that
kind of decision today.
Democracy is still strong
enough here to permit labor
to act effectively with weap-
ons other than the strike.
We are free to engsge in
political action - to speak
and write and mobilize our
people for creation of gov
that will abolish the
njustices which breed strikes.
To do that we must persuade
4 majority of the American
people that what is good for
abor is good for them, too.
That is a tough job, to be
sure. But it is not any
.ougher than the job accom-
olished by Jefferson, Paine
md other democratic dads
Who fought to fashion our
heritage of freedom, We have
he stuff in us to do 1t.
So let's not be kidded.
Strikes do not make Hitler
happy. They prove to him
hat American labor is the
backbone of the anti-Fascist
in the United Nations
amp.
obs and that they are doing
heir best to produce every
hing that is needed to bring