The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1948-04-22
Golden kinted As
Chief Labor Aide
In Recovery Plan

I'm Recovery FiaIl
Washington LPA Exclusive)-
With the support Of both AFL and
CIO, Clinton S. Golden was ap-
pointed, last year, labor adviser to
the u. S. Mission to Greece. His
wartime record in the War Pro-
duction Board and the War Man
power Commission more than es-
tablish his qualifications as far as
the government was concerned. His
40 years service in the Brotherhood
Of Firemen, the Int'l Association Of
Machinists, the Amalgamated Cloth
ing Workers, and finally as as
sistant to the president Of the
United Steelworkers had long
since won him the confidence of
the labor movement.
When the European Recovery
Program was beginning to take
shape the State Dept called Golden
back from Athens. 1t wanted his
advice in planning US and Euro
pean labor participation in the
Marshall Plan.
There is a rumor in Washington
that Golden will be the chief labor
man in the ERP set-up. Whether
this is true or not Golden himself
doesn't know. Economic Coopera-
tion Administrator Paul Hoffman
will have to crystalline his own
opinions as to just how the unions
will participate in the program, and
reach agreement with the AFL and
CIO, before Golden can know
whether or not there is job that
he'll want-if it's offered to him.
Two years ago, at 60, Golden
thought he had retired. Then Am
erican labor and government ask
ed him to go to Greece. In addition
to his handling a mass Of admin
work as an official of the
American Mission, he tried to help
along the trade union movement of
4 nation which had no experience !
With free collective bargaining, and J
very little with democratic gov
Golden came back from Greece
convinced that America can play a /
role in rebuilding the
var-damaged economics of Europe.
But the UE can make a maximum
contribution, he said, only if we ad-
minister ERP in a democratic man
Ter, and involve ordinary people Of
he participating nations in the pro-
,ram. "If we believe in democracy l
We have to believe in people," he
aid, land tha5 means taking them
nto our confidence, telling them
ghat the problems and difficulties
re, and how they can help solve
hem."
Part of the task can be met by
ringing European as we'll as Am
rican trade union experience to
ear on the development Of the eco
ionic aid program, Golden ex-
lained. Another part of the job
5 just plain sensible public rela-
ions.
Altho Greece is not typical of
he nations We'll be working with
nder ERP, Golden thinks that a
1t can be learned from the Greek
Experience. 1t isn't enough to tell
eople that we want to get them
ack to pre-war standards he said.
n Greece before the war the aver
ge workers diet was only 2200 I
alories a day. People won't work
or that sort of a standard of liv-
lg, Golden said. But when he told
Greek worker about some of his
leas for improving Greek industry
nd commerce thru regional plan /
ing, the man replied, "That would {
e worth fighting for!"
Of course labor must be repre-
ented on the ERP advisory board, I
ut that isn't the main thing that
merican unions should go after ..
| the Marshall plan set-up, Col r
en said. The most important thing
that union men be included in
le missions we send abroad. "And t
ley must not all be disguised as t
technicians," he empha-
zed. They must go as trade =
lionists for the purpose of keep !;
q constant contact with Euro /
can labor groups, and making t
ire that their opinions and those
American labor influence the a
chnicians and the State Dept" a
The US government must real D
e, Golden said, that the nom !
labor movements in Eu y
pc are not just industrial move t,
ents. "They are the principal g
oiritual and political forces of =
democracy" r
If America understands this, and =
we are willing to work towards =
al international, regional, econo-
ic planning, Golden thinks, ERP il
i'll work. with this sort of ap- tt
'oach," he said, "will open new a
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