Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1946-06-14
Washington
LaborReport
BY Paul SiftOn
NEW LEADERSHIP

town, right, left and center,
are shocked to their toe nails
by the events of the past two
weeks. Some heavy thought is
being devoted to whittier are
we drifting why and what, if
anything, can be done about
it.
Within the USA, they saw,
in President Truman's melo-
dramatic proposal of forced
labor with profits going to
the u. S. Treasury, the black
pit of fascism yawning open
at their feet.
Abroad they saw RusSia's
relations with the USA and
the United Nations go from
bad to worse, with plenty of
blame to 60 around.
Balanced against Russia's
continued reluctance to CO.
operate in famine relief or UN
security forces the atom bomb
continued to tick away the
little time in which we and the
rest of mankind must learn to
cooperate or run the risk of
destruction under a barrage of
atom and bacteria rockets
travelling faster than sound it
self. Men ran about like in
sects in a piece of rotten wood
about to be cast into a fire.
Tying domestic and foreign
affairs together was a tangled
mass of fear, of suspicion,
jealousy and a desperate de-
termination to survive, to get
ours while the getting is
good"
AT HOME
At home, profiteers drove
prices up, war bonds were be-
ing cashed faster than savings
bonds were being bought, in
Stalment buying was rising,
profits were a race between
prices and wages were in
sight, with fresh waves of
strikes likely to make labor
the goat at every upward turn
in the rising spiral.
Abroad, Russia, curious
about our growing stockpile of
atom bombs, continued to
strengthen her shelter belt
across central Europe and to
shout hard names at her late
Allies. SecretiVe about the
atom bomb (Which to Russian
rulers may seem the greatest
of all), we protested the iron
curtain which makes all of
Russia back of the Urals an
unknown factor in food, arms
and other resources.
We bemoaned the fact that
the Russian people lack a free
press, free speech and free as
sembly, and that we cannot
appeal to them over the heads
of their rulers. But we over
looked the fact that, here at
home, we were discussing
strikes and OPA without
working knowledge as to in
dustry's ability to pay higher
wages wit hout increasing
prices. Our press was free,
free to play down and sup
press available facts showing
induStry'S present and poten-
tial profits, profits so great
that, if they continue to mount
they will dry up purchasing
power among the people, bring
on top-heavy inventories in
factories, warehouses and
stores and finally, a crash that
will make 1929 look like a
picnic.
OUR LACK
Lacking information, lack
ing leadership, d cracy
trembled on the verge of a
stampede. A few voices spoke,
broke the incipient panic.
Some were Senators; some
were labor leaders speaking
not jointly but with the same
intent. They spoke defensive
ly and in a good cause the
right of freedom of the work
ing man to give or withhold
his labor.
More than that is needed.
Much more And facts. The
wheels keep going round in
the atom bomb plants, in the
nations time clocks, cash reg
listers and Congress.
We need leaders who dare
to inform and to lead where
the information points, leaders
who can add up the parts of
our machine civilization, get
action on plans to make it
distribute to us and all man.
kind the abundance that full
production and full employ
ment can turn out.
II Is not enolI0h tn fioht