The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-12-29
Reuther Receives
cIendenin Award:
Sees Labor Unity

New York (LPA)-Walter Reut-
her, president Of the United Auto
Workers, received the Clendenin
Award at a testimonial dinner Dec.
16 in New York, attended by 1000
labor leaders and liberals. The
award was given ain recognition Of
his distinguished service as the
progressive and socially visioned
head of a great American labor
union and as a crusader for econ
omic, political and cultural demo-
cracy."
The dinner was given by the Re-
union of Old Timers and the Work
ers Defense League. The award, a
silver plaque, was presented by
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt. Speakers
included Secretary Of Labor Maur-
ice Tobin; Gov. Chester Bowles of
Connecticut; Sen. Herbert Lehman
3D., n. ".
"One of the most encouraging
developments in the formation of
the international Confederation Of
Free Trade Unions" said Reuther,
"was the complete cooperation be-
tween the AFL and CIO. If we can
work together in London on inter-
national problems we can do so in
America on domestic problems.
Ultimately, and not too far down
the road, | hope we can achieve
unity here. We must unite on the
basic challenge that lies ahead"
That challenge, he said, was how to
organize society of free men to
get security without sacrificing
political or economic freedom.
"We reject Communism" he
continued, "but we also reject lais-
sez-faire Wall Street capitalism.
We believe we can have both free
dom and economic security. The
choice does not have to be between
Stain and Standard Oil"
Declaring the ICFTU can't be-
come a potent weapon unless we
forge a program, he said 1--WE can't
fight something with nothing. We
must translate an ideal into speci-
fic action. Too often we have been
long on words and short on action"
China, he said, was an example.
not of Communism's success, but of
Democracy's failure. We failed to j
see the fight for China had to be
made in the rice fields, that we had
to show the Chinese Democracy
could solve their problems.
Pointing to the gaps between
what Democracy breaches and |
what it practices, he cited the is
sue of civil rights and housing. |
we must build more correct |
houses and fewer houses of correc-
iOn," he said. He assailed the re-
:ent steel price hike as showing
he steelmasters have not learned
he lesson of the last depression.
We are drifting back to an econ
my of scarcity, he continued, and
must destroy this idea and gear
otal capacity to total need A
fifth basic freedom, he went on,
hould be the freedom from fear of
Ibundance.
He predicted the British Labor
'arty would win the 1850 elections,
because they have done something
'ositive." In France, he said, we
ave so far merely contained the
communists; in the Ruhr the car
elists are coming back into power.
The great challenge, he said, is ;
0 find way to narrow our gap
etween progress in the physical /
ciences and lack of progress in
ne social sciences. The world will ,
ldge us by how we manage that $
he said. We must find a ,
'ay, he declared, to release the ,
nergies of our people in peace as
'e did in wartime, for the positive i
nds of peace as we did for the t
egative ends of war. 81 say it can /
e done," he concluded. t
Reuther's speech was broadcast J
YER a nationwide network, and
lso over a hookup Of AFL, CIO
nd cooperative stations. The pro-
aedings were recorded by Voice S
America for broadcasts over i