Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-08-13
By
Edward ].
Duck,
Assistant
Division
Director,
National
Auto-Lne

really WANT dlQ IGWeI oCIlI
knowing how to go about get
ting it, there are quite a num-
Der of frustrated and disillu-
stoned people, many of whom
are veterans.
If the servicemen feel that
things are wrong in America
and in the world, who can
disagree with them? Much of
the blame lies with "the sec
ond worst Congress, and
much more with the big busi-
ness interests which they have
represented so well.
There is one veterans group
that isn't confused. refer to
the American Veterans Com
mittee. The New York Herald
Tribune calls it "the most
original, the youngest and pro-
badly the most vigorous of the
more important veterans or
CARNATIONS.
Karl Deter, in Argosy
Magazine, says, IF veteran
is seeking to improve the liv-
ing conditions of Americans
and the relations of the world,
the AVG is the place.
Life Magazine commends
the organization for its slogan,
Citizens First, Veterans Sec
ond". Thomas Stokes, The
Christian Century, Harper's
Magazine, and Our Sunday
Visitor also have nice things
to say about AVG. The latter
states that AVG is "the best
of the veterans organizations.
It's liberal but it's not radi-
cal".
Many a prominent name is
found in the AVG membership
roster. A partial list includes
General Hap" Arnold, Mayor
William O'Dwyer, Bill Maui
din, Henry Morgan, j. A.
Krug, Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Jr., Tyrone Power, Henry
Cabot Lodge, Will Rogers, Jr.,
Harold Stassen, Ronald Rea-
gan, Audie Murphy, Douglas
Fairbanks, Jr., and Michael
Straight. These people would
hardly be classified as "radi-
GALS.
Yet the platform and pro-
gram of the AVG is as diff
ferent from those of the other
veterans organizations as the
+. difference between night and
day. AVG takes a definite
stand in favor of the things
which the American people
want, and which the veteran
dreamed of as his postwar
heritage. There is a noticeable
departure from the drum and
bugle flag waving type of
Americanism typified by the
speeches and literature of
veterans organizations of the
past.
The AVG interests itself in
housing, jobs, rent control, the
minimum annual wage, labor
legislation, consumer coopera-
tives, social security, national
health, anti-discriminaton, and
other vital problems on the
domestic front, as well as
those pertaining to interna-
tional affairs. The AVG makes
real demands for the veteran
without putting him against
the non-veteran. 1t favors the
promotion of small business
and the regulation of mono
poles and those who abuse
either small business, labor,
or the consumer.
The veteran of the second
world war, man or woman,
can best work for the social
and economic weel being of
America and of the world by
joining the American Veterans
Committee. 1t is young,
vital, progressive organiza-
ton. A quick glance at its con-
stitution leaves little doubt as
to what it stands for. Pious
platitudes and psuedo pat
riotic mouthings are not to be
found. II is 1907 American
without laboring the point.
If the veteran wants some
thing he can become interest.
ed in, an organization whose
aims and detectives are cry
stal clear, If he wishes to sink
his teeth into something real
and forward-looking, without
fear of becoming entangled
with something "subversive",
as they say in Washington
these days, the AVG is the
place for him.
For literature or informa-
ton on joining the AVG,
veterans of the second world
war con contact Jim Smith,
professor of European History
at Toledo University, who
heads the local AVG chapter.
Jim's address is 1917 Welles-
ley Drive, and his phone num-
ber (forgive me, Jim) is LA
1918.
The AVG has been endores-
ed by Philip Murray, by the
UAW-CIO International Exc
cutive Board, and by the To-
ledo Industrial Union Coun-
Gil. Emil Macy is an en-
thusiastic member. and so is
yours truly, in case you
hadn't eiIAscad