Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1945-01-26
Whats
New!
By
EdWdrd Ducl
On Leave
With The
Army
GREAT DAY!

Arthur's bowling them over
in the Philippines, and the
Yanks are forging ahead once
more in western Europe.
Commentators are emerg-
ing from their shells to pre-
dict again an early German
surrender. High moguls of the
military are expressing salts
faction bordering on the glee-
full, in speaking of progress
against Japan's most import
ant strongholds, their stolen
islands. An economic block
ade is strangling Japan, and
japanese civilians are wax
ing up to the fact that this
war is already lost, unless we
agree to a compromise peace.
1t is but a matter of time.
Once again, things are look
ing very encouraging on the
war fronts. Even the British
Greek ELIAS trouble has
ended. Q'm afraid my super
iors wouldn't appreciate my
views on this subject so I'll
skip it for the time being 49,.
Clayton Fountain has already
covered it quite eXpertly).
The boys are doing their
part. But the home-front is
being besieged - nay, blitz-
krieged, by those who would
deny everyone, servicemen
and civilian alike, the oppor-
tunity of enjoying the basic
freedoms for which millions
of Americans are now fight
ing.
The recent dispute at Stand
ard Products, in Port Clin-
ton, in which the local news
paper e d ditor aided and
abetted the Company in de-
feating the workers, was
sparkling example Of home
front fascism.
The slaVe-labor proposal
known as the May-Bailey bill
is another excellent example
Of how we can preach one
thing and practice something
else. The average perso
knows absolutely nothing
about this so-called "work or
fight" bill. Last weeks TO
LEDO UNION JOURNAL
contained an excellent ap-
praisal of it by Tom Burke,
a man who usually knows
what he's talking about.
FEARS FUTURE
If coming events cast their
shadows before them, fear
for the future. SerVicemen
don't have much time TO keep
up with domestic events. They
receive a very brief smatter-
ing of home-front news, usu-
ally after the events have
taken place. They have their
own peculiar problems, and
they cannot escape them nor
put them off. Consequently,
they do not realize the sig
nificance of what is happen
ing while they are away.
1t is not difficult to under
stand the doughboy's psy-
chology regarding "hig h
wages" of war plant workers.
Last Tuesday l worked 1912
hours on X. p, yet my pay
for the entire month of Janu-
airy will be exactly $10.50,
netD You, the home-front
soldiers, must get your story
across to the servicemen. You
don't see many of them, be-
cause they aren't around, but
il is necessary that they un-
derstand that you are fighting
one battle for them while
they're fighting another one
for you.
Soldiers die; you don't.
That's a tough point to knock
down, if you argue with them.
They freeze in the cold wea-
ther; you stay inside. Eight
times as many of them are
malaria casualties as are
battle casualties; there's lit
tie malaria contracted in Ohio.
They sleep in foXholeS; you
sleep in featherbedS.
But there's no real argu-
ment between you and the
Serviceman, so don't let one
develop, You're producing the
implements he uses to save
his life and the lives Of others.
You aren't the one who's
getting rich off the war
profits.
You are preserving his job
for him, his working condi-
tons, and his opportunity of
a free economic and political
life after this war is over. But
unless you take an active part
in your organization, l can
not see where you are full
filling your obligation TO him.
The job is so great that it re-
quires the assistance of every
one who claims to be a mem
ber of the CIO. You must get
your story across to him, be-
cause he's not getting it as
yet.
Understand your union. At
tend meetings. Help to plan
for the day when there'll be
no war and no restrictions on
NOiIr nconprnic uraonnn fba