The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-01-12
Labor Shies At
 Roosevelt Plan
tContinued from Page D

relieve young men for military serv- ice and prevent the draft of fathers, He urged passage Of the revised serv- ice bill which he introduced yester- day after President Roosevelt's state of the union message.
 Austin said his bill would be "the most effective means of etfectuat- ing the policy of Congress with re- gard to the draft of fathers" Ap- proximately 6,00o000, 900 4-F's, all able bodied men over 39, and all women not already in war industry would be included in the labor pool, he said.
 The Congressional outlook for en- actment of Austln's bill or any other version appeared dim.
 Greens statement said the AFL "resolutely opposes enactment Of compulsory national service legis- lation' for these reasons:
 "l. It will not prevent strikes. The experience of Great Britain proves that. Britain has national service law. It has not stopped strikes. In 1942 the number Of strikes in Britain was greater pro- portionately than in the United States.
 "2. It will not solve manpower problems. The War Manpower Com missions policy committee, com- posed of management, labor and agricultural representatives declared unanimously only two months ago that the American people will pro- vide greater output under a volun- tary system than under one of com pulsion and regimentation.'
 8. It threatens to undermine our basic concepts of democracy. Thefr is no real comparison between draft ing men for service in the armed forces of the country and drafting them for service in private indus try, operating for private profit. As eminent an authority as MT. Der nard Baruch has publicly warned against this"
 Greens Opinion
 Green said the AFL opposes wartime strikes and has labored tc end them. Workers who have never struck during the war would, If na- tional service is enacted, be pun ished by conscription and the stigma of involuntary servitude,' he said
 Austin said he believed the man. power situation would be more ser ious in 1944 than it was during 1943
 Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. Mass, challenged this belief but add ed: If manpower is going to bt more serious, then the bill is per haps placed in different light. But this is the first time have heard anyone say so."
 Sen. Sheridan Downey, D., Calf. and Sen. Chapman Revercomb, R.. w. Va, stressed President Roose- yelt's statement that no labor draft should be enacted unless four othe, objects-maintenance of food prices soldier vote law, a strong tax bill to take the profits out of war, an6 price stabilization-were achieved.
 Austin said he approved of the presidents comprehensive view and did not intend to crowd" his own legislation. He said his bill would be principally voluntary ir aplication and would do away with the causes of strikes" but that il was not to be regarded as a punitive anti-strike weapon.
 But 1t could be used to make a man return to work if he went out on strike, couldn't it?" Downey asked.
 "Yes," Austin replied, but un- der civilian discipline, and through due process of law. There would be no military compulsion about it."
 These developments followed im- mediately upon yesterdays annual message to Congress and last nights fireside chat in which MT. Roosevelt proposed that every adult able bodied man and woman, subject to unstipulated exceptions, be made liable to a draft for labor in war in- dustries. The chat was a con- densed version of the annual mes- sage.
 MT. Roosevelt explained that he had been unable to deliver his mes- sage to Congress in person. as had been his custom, because he was re- covering from an attack of infiu- enza. and that he decided to go on the air to discuss his recommenda- tions because only Q few newspapers