Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1947-04-25
Behind the
Scenes In
Politics
by
Clayton
Rusch
Chairman

| Political Action Cor1n1lttee
Before telling a story with
which l wish to acquaint the
readers, want to extend the
thanks and appreciation of the
PAC to Brothers Earl Nor
man, of Commercial Metals,
Charles Clark of Spicer, Don
Blair of Overland and the
many good union brothers and
sisters who helped to make
good showing at the legisla-
tive clinic which was held last
Saturday. News story of
clinic is on page ID
The story I wish to tell is
about a terrible nightmare |
just had. l woke up trembling
from emotion and indignation
in the middle of the night on
the 10th day of April, 1945.
I dreamed that this was
April 1947, President Roose-
welt had died day after tomor-
row. Vice President Truman
who la cks experience and
grasp of the enormity of our
problem succeeded him. Ger
many surrendered in May. A
new and terrible weapon
brought the Japanese war to
close in August. In the pres
ent moment according to this
nightmare we are all still won
dering whether or not we can
learn to control this atomic
weapon before it destroys us.
1 dreamed that after the for
eign fascists were defeated,
we actually allowed our coun-
try to come under the leader
ship of fascist minded men
who gained control of the gov
ernment in the fall of As.
In my dream the last vistage
of the New Deal was de-
stroyed. Secretay of Commerce
Wallace was, believe it or not,
asked to resign from the cabi-
net. He accepted the post OF
editor of liberal magazine.
RIDICULOUS
OF course this part of the
dream is ridiculous, but wait
till you hear more. The sue.
cessor to the League of Ma
tons was set up on Roosevelts
plan at first and called the
United Nations, but when Pres
ident Truman wanted to take
action on the world front he
went around the organization
that Roosevelt did most tn
build. This dream was really
silly.
Then, to top it all off, the
reactionary Congress which
was elected in '46 together
with tory State Legislatures
also elected in as, proceeded
to emasculate price control.
This was not enough. They
proceeded to pass laws whose
aim was to destroy every one
Of the basic rights of those
who labor. The net result
would be new depressions and
more terrible wars. And, con-
sidering the new type weap-
ons, such wars could destroy
the world.
There was no longer any
doubt that 1T Could Happen
Here. In my dream 1t hap
pened in 1947 because the
workers slept at the switch
and stayed away from the
polls in AS.
WHAT TO DO
l dreamed l was part Of a
CIO delegation which was go.
ing to Washington to confer
on what could be done before
a reactionary ongress as
sured the emergence of chaos
and Fascism.
What a dream. AS il our
boys would fight fascism
abroad and then be faced with
it at home. The nightmare
was so silly l even dreamed
that the veterans of World
War ii couldn't find places to
live when they got home.
I'm glad | woke up. / can
hardly wait un til morning
when the alarm clock assures
me this Is still 1945 and we
are on the way to VICTORY
OVER FASCISM.
/ as sure If any group of re-
actionaries ever got in power
and even advocated such laws
as ! dreamed about, the Amer.
can workers would save our
industrial dem ocracy by
throwing such fascist usurpers
out of office pronto.
From now on I shall eat
corn flakes and milk for night
lunch, instead of steak and
potatoes. l don't want any
more such Nightmares. 1t was
too horrible.