Evening star., 1949-04-24
New i42-paee Book
Counters Red Charge
IW Slave Labor in u. ).
~ me Assexiossd prsss

The Government yesterday fred
. fact filled word picture of the
American working man to coun-
ter Russia's propaganda that the
United States worker Is q slave
victim Of imperialism and Wall
Street
The i42-page book entitled The
Gift Of Freedom" Is designed 70
tell the worker in foreign coun-
tries how his American coun-
terpart lives" precisely and, with
out frills.
It's q product of the Labor De-
partment's Bureau of Labor Sta
tistics, based on factual surveys
Prepared at the invitation Of the
State Department. 1t will be used
In publications and radio broad
casts overseas.
Picture Of Amerieznism.
Evan clague. labor statistics
commissioner. told reporters in
releasing copies Of the book:
"Our best answer Is not counter
propaganda or q sensational story
but . straight-away statement
of fact. 1t may be prosaic to the
average American but that's what
this is-a picture Of Americanism
and how 1t works"
The booklet says candidly there
still are flaws" in operation OF
the American system, but con-
tends ''our mistakes impede but
do not halt our p4ogress. or change
our direction"
It says we have the combina-
ton of free enterprise and free
labor, plus regard for individual
dignity along with the economic
capacity to conquer our short
comings.
Workers Life Pictured.
The booklet carries a set OF pho
tographs: A workers wife in her
kitchen with cleaning white re-
frigerator. stove, sink and cabi-
nets: q typical suburban street;
scenes of labor contract signing,
union meetings. strike picketing
for higher wages: public schools
and libraries: we'll filled grocery
stores; industrial and farm ma
chinery: plant safety devices and
first aid rooms: toilet facilities at
home and job.
And 1t contains these statistical
facts about the American worker
to refute the ideas that he has
fabulous wealth or is "toiling
for greedy masters"
He can buy twice as much with
his wage today as he could with
his pay 80 years ago-with at least
10 hours less work a week.
His typical daily food consump-
ton includes: one egg. one and
one half pints Of milk. half a
pound Of meat or fish. ne-third
pound of sugar.
BY six minuts labor he can earn
enough to buy q pound loaf of
bread; 81 minutes, a pound of
round steak; nine minutes. a quart
of milk: "a minutes, a dozen eggs:
six hours, q pair Of shoes: two
days. a good radio: % days. an
electric refrigerator: three days a
months rent; 140 days, q new
automobile.
Owners Operate 2 Of 3 Farms.
The booklet says two out Of
three farms are operated by their
owners tamong Negro workers
three out Of 10 own their FARMS i.
and two farm workers now have
as great an output as three did
Is years ago.
Though the American worker"
1t says, has shown little interest
in revolutionary PHILOSOPHERS, he
has proved himself nonetheless q
militant fighter in the interests of
his own union, workers generally,
and the strengthening and extern
sion Of the democratic process
"The Communist Party In the
United States has tried over the
years to gain influence In many
unions but with very
little success. Thus stunning of
the Communists by the wage earn
ers and unions results both from
dislike Of totalitarian doctrines
and from the conviction that
Communists represent the inter-
ests of the Soviet Union
"Insistence on individual rights
has presisted throughout our his