Salt Lake Telegram | 1941-09-05 | Page 6 | Fine Talk but Not Enough Action

I Fine Talk But Not Enough Action I THERE THERE has been teen a great deal of talk recent- recent 1 I ly ly especially especially over the Labor day holiday of of the need for every worker in the nation nation- to do his full part for national defense and to defeat Hitlerism in the world Chief spokesman was President Roosevelt who declared American labor now bears bears' a tremendous responsibility in the winning of this most brutal most terrible of all wars and also The defense of Americas America's freedom must take precedence over every private aim and andover andover andover over every private interest Those hose sentiments sentiment have been echoed on every side especially on n Labor day by the leaders of organized labor in the nation Sidney Sidney Sid Sid- ney Hillman William WilHam Green and James B B. B Carey called upon labor to support the defense effort and pledged their cooperation The metal trades department of the American Federation o of ot Labor urged all shipbuilding workers to redouble their efforts to produce quickly ships ships and more ships By a vote of to 5 the convention of the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers a aCIO C CIO I 0 unit urged all possible speed and energy energy energy en- en en en- ergy In the delivery of aid to Britain Russia China and other nations resisting Hitlerism And just Wednesday in Salt Lake City the vice president of the International Union of Hod Carriers and Common Building Laborers pledged per cent cooperation of his union in anything the administration does to speed the defense program i It all sounds fine But Bu fine talk isn't enough It has to be backed up with far more f positive action cUon than the nation has yet seen r- r Just Tuesday in Salt Lake City Senator Ralph O. O Brewster of Maine painted a very pessimistic picture of the progress of our defense de de- de- de ense production program declaring we are operating only at one-fifth one of our potential I capacity And Monday night Byrd of ot I F Virginia warned that if we are to speed up defense defense de de- de- de ense production which he said was lagging far behind we we- must call a halt to tol fr l' l strikes in defense industries and abandon the business as usual doctrine The truth is that we are not doing a per cent job on defense production or anywhere anywhere anywhere any any- where near it For For- all the the- fine talk far too many labor unions and organizers are making r capital out of the defense effort taking advanI advantage advantage I- I tage of the national emergency to achieve victories vie vie- tories which otherwise would be impossible There are far too many strikes in defense in defense in in industries called not to secure fair wages and decent working conditions but solely to establish establish lish union organization rt to d decide cide which of ot two competing shall have control to secure the closed shop or the check The private t. t aims and private interests President R Roose Roosevelt osei ose- ose i velt spoke about are all too often taking precedence precedence prece prece- dence ov over r the rhe he defense e of Americas America's freedom i Talk is 15 fine but fine but its it's also cheap Its It's hight high t time that at we stop talking and start doing if in t America from America from the president right on down downto to the newest in defense industry l If we dont don't were we're all of us apt to wake up some ome morning to discover that for the sake of ofa a little immediate personal gain we have sold i American freedom including freedom including our freedom as r F Individuals individuals- and as organized groups groups down down the f river