The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1945-01-11
THE FREE AND NOT FREE

rs OUR armies forge their way forward, liber-
I ating people and lands from Axis power, con-
troll goes automatically to the military, which
creates a military government. Order must be
maintained so that armed forces can concentrate
On the enemy and the civilian population can re-
turn to the business of sef-maintenance.
In time of interim military government gives
way to civilian authority, which must be repre-
sentative of the national life 1t is in the revival
|of civilian life and government that the organ
ized labor movement has grave responsibility.
The free trade union movement is the anti
thesis of the tOtatarian state that planned to
wreck democracy. By reviving free trade unions,
free trade associations and other elements in free
enterprise the basis for free way of life can be
provided.
The A. F. of L., which is one of the oldest free
labor federations in the world, is in position to
help in returning refugee union leaders to their
homelands so that free unions there may be re-
vved.
In their plan for state socialism the Nazis and
the Fascists substituted Labor fronts" for the
unions which had been the pride of the German
and Italian workers. The funds and properties OF
the established unions were confiscated by the
totalitarian states, and in place of democratic
union activities they instituted bureaucratic con-
troll and legislative regulations.
Revival of essential economic organizations
will provide the means and the channels for free
government. We can provide local trade unions
with the means for organizing again and help
them to make arrangements for the restoration
of their funds and property.
We who have been spared persecution ana
piage can best help the workers OF other coun-
tries by cooperating to restore their trade unions
and thereby insure freedom for all.
This special responsibility can be shared only
by free trade unions.
One of the difficult phases of union world
activity in the future grows out of the fact that
the workers of Russa-one of our allies in the
war-do not have free trade unions AS a result
while we can work together for victory in war;
we cannot plan together for peace after the war
Communist Party gained control When the gov
ernment undertook to develop socialist industry
the old union leadership was removed. The unions
lost the right to bargain collectively-and all con-
troll over hiring and firing. Individual freedom
and welfare gave way to the socialist state with
power over ali. Today in Russia officials OF
"unions" are officers of the state
This is the reason why the American Fedora
ton of Labor has refused to colaborate with
Russian unions during the war or to join with
them in planning for cooperation after the war.
Our fundamental PHILOSOPHERS and objectives
are dametrically opposed
We shall continue to promote the cause OF
free trade unions both at home and abroad. We
shall be ready to respond to calls for aid from
workers in other countries. We shall continue to
insist that our agencies for world peace must be
established upon democratic foundations. At
stake are not only free trade unions in our vari-
Gus countries bu the fate of the LILO, through
which both free employers and free workers have
had voice in shaping the future OF free enter
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