Evening star., 1949-05-23
Textile Union OnaeiAl Pleads
Fer Admission of Displaced rrr~au,

should be organized labor And vet The
American Federation OF Labor the congreN
OF Industrial Oreaniza tions the United Mine
Workers OF America the International Axso-
ciation OF Machinlsts and Rail Labor Unions
have all gone on record tavorlng the Admix-
sion OF 400 600 displaced persons 10 the
United States. With no strings attached
This stand is simple American humanitAr-
ian and unselhSh
William Green, president OF the American
Federation of Labor said on March / ls4s
1t is our firm belief that the United States
should admit 100 900 DPS for four wears We
feel that this would be both morally and &c
onomicaliy sound and certainly should have
no adverse effect on our economy
Philip Murray. president OF the CIO said
on March B. ls4s, The United States
should admit 100 900 displaced persons for
four years wish 10 emphasize again that
the interests of labor. In terms OF employ
ment or otherwise. are not in the least
threatened by the admission OF this handful
OF people"
Proper and equitable displaced persons
legislation has been on the legislative pro-
gram OF organized labor for more than three
years. and We eriticise the law now on the
statute books as being inadequate dtScfimi-
natory. and practically unworkable
Majority are Women and Children.
Almost 90 per cent OF the displaced per-
sons are women and children. The majority,
therefore, will be consumers rather than
breadwinners. In effect this means that the
displaced persons to be admitted to this
country will stimulate employment by add
ING to the total and productive activity in
our country
Our friend 'Forus" says in his letter that
1t seems improper that our citizens who
have been struggling in grade positions
for long time. including farm labor should
De displaced by these displaced persons
lnat many Americans are struggling in low
grade positions is undeniabiy true, but that
DPS are displactng these people is not true
So far there is no record OF any DIP who has
displaced any American worker. whether
that worker was struggling In q low grade
position or taking 1t easy In a high grade
position.
Furthermore. "Forus" believes that dis
placed persons will not be 80 ANXIOUS TO
come to this country II they were required
TO DO some real manual labor" The un-
fair inference is that displaced persons are
lazy and shiftless and just no good
Well. let us see who the displaced persons
really are. They are the survivors OF Nazi
concentration camps OF slave labor hattal-
ions and OF religious persecution. They have
no home and no country they can call their
own.
there are still almost 900 900 Of these men
women and children. most OF them living In
the occupied zones of Germany. Austria and
Italy. These victims OF barbarian and ter
ror 40 not wish TO and cannot return TO
their homes of origin. now In the Soviet
sphere OF influence. because they fear op-
preston for religious or political reasons.
Many Skilled Workers Included.
The bulk OF the displaced persons are
skilled and self-supporting. The skilled
category in which there are significant num-
bers among the displaced persons are black
smiths. painters, bakers. toiners. butchers.
carpenters, electricians. auto and truck
mechanics. locksmiths shoemakers and
tailors. There are about SO 900 agricultural
workers. etc.
1t seems reasonable TO assume that people
equipped with such skilis, who fought Pas
cism and have rejected Communism. and
who for years have suffered the many hard
ships OF a detention camp rather than 40
back TO their lands Of origin behind the
Iron Curtain. are not exactly delicate when
some real manual labor In To be done
During the war years this country lost
more than 300 900 regular quota immigrants
who could have come In but didn't because
Of the war. Even II 400 900 displaced per-
sons are admitted during the next four
years this country would still be short OF
some 500 600 regular immigrants who could
not enter the country during the war year..
To mouth sympathy for displaced persons
but TO let them rot in detention camps In
sheer hypocrisy. Let us demonstrate both
our faith In the soundness OF the American
economy and true American idealixm BY
promptly enacting legislation which will
enable this country 10 bring here our fair
share Of displaced persons
JOHN w. EDELMAE.
Washington Representative. Textile work
ers Union Of Tmeriea, CIo.
Congressmen Complained About
Fer Increasing Their Emeiuments
TO the Editor OF The sasr:
II Is gratifying to know that Ne have one
or two men at the Capitol who are inter
ested In keeping down expenses of the Gov
ernment and it is granted that some agen-
cies are overloaded with employees, but IL |
Goes seem that some OF the pairing Of sx- |
penses might start with the lawmakers |
themselves
Not 10 long ago the lawmakers voted |
themselves so per cent raise In salary. |
hiding one-ha OF thst In o so-ealled "ex-
pense account" II s noted that this expense |
account Ia tax free. Sox. they vote them |
selves another 5000 rsise. 20 that each Of /
them has nearly t32 900. plus free medical |
care for themselves and families and various /
and suncry other benefits
Can any Of the rank and file employees /
Of the Government remember when they got |
q SO per cent raise with q notice that ore-
half OF that would be tax free7 Do any Of
the hundreds Of the men who perform
travel for the Government set 20 cents q
mile for doing ite Doesn't the price OF
food. clothing and other necessities 60 up
for the rank and file employees ~ well ~ /
for the Congressmenf The pereenisss Of
increase In cost Of liyinx In comparison 70
the salary Ia greater for the little fellow
than II In for the biz feliow
AGNES D DAVIS.