The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1945-11-30
Green Offers Legion Wide Program
For Joint Labor=Veterans Action
Says Veterans Problems Cannot Be Solved By Protecting
Merely Their Legal Rights Preferential Treatment

Chicago.-AFL President William
Green told the American Legion in a
challenging address that the future
security of veterans and workers de-
pends upon lasting international
peace and national prosperity.
The nations debt to those who
fought and won the war, Mr.. Green
said, can only be redeemed by "mak-
ing good our sacred pledge that the
last war shall be the last world war"
and by according to the living "the
fullest opportunity for decent liv-
ing"
Mr.. Green emphasized that organ
lied labor is deeply conscious of it's
obligations to servicemen and will in
sist that they get fair break in
civilian life.
"But the basic economic problems
of the nations servicemen cannot be
adequately solved merely by protect
ing their legal rights or even by ex-
tending preferential treatment to
them," he continued.
SIN the long run, it would become a
tragic mistake to place them in a
unique class, separate and apart from
their fellow citizens. / am convinced
that the veterans themselves do not
want anything like that. They know
that they must stand or fall together
with all other Americans. They real
ize that their chances of getting
ahead depend upon whether all of us,
as a nation, can succeed in making
our democracy move forward.
"Unless there is full employment in
America, veterans as well as workers
will suffer. Unless we recapture pros
perity, veterans will feel the pangs of
depression along with the rest of the
people"
Declaring that veterans will not be
satisfied with limited opportunities be-
cause they know so much more can
be made available for all by unified
national effort, Mr.. Green then dra-
matically stated labor's program. He
said:
"The question, then, is shall we
make that effort? Labor says yes.
Shall we speed up the tagging pace
of reconversion? Labor says yes.
Shall we expand peacetime produc-
tion to the point where the needs of
the American people can be met? La
Dor hopes that industry's answer will
be yes.
"Shall we establish full employment
at wages high enough to allow our
people to purchase the products of
farm and factory and thereby keep
the wheels of production turning at
full speed? Labor insists the answer
must be yes!
"Shall labor and industry try to
get together on sensible and CO.
operative basis which will respect
each others rights and freedoms yet
provide assurance for industrial
peace? The American Federation of
Labor says yes.
"Shall we halt government en-
croachment upon the daily lives of our
people and drop wartime controls as
rapidly as safety permits? Again the
answer is yes.
"These are the essentials Of an eco
nomic program on which the nations
workers and the nations veterans can
unite wholeheartedly with all other
Americans. 1t will take more than
wishful thinking to carry out this
program, but the American people
do not mind hard work if it is going
to get them somewhere"
To prevent future wars, Mr.
Green urged strengthening of the
United Nations organization and the
highest degree of national defense.
He said the AFL shared the an
tagonism of the veterans to Fascism,
Nazism, Communism OF any other
forms of totalitarianism. Throughout
it's history, he said, the AFL has
"staunchly resisted the infiltration OF
such subversive influences into the
ranks Of labor and we are determined
to carry on that policy even more firm
ly in the future"
Mr.. Green bluntly told the Legion
labor disagreed with its views OF
compulsory, universal military train
ing.