Salt Lake Telegram | 1939-10-10 | Page 3 | Lewis Speaks for Arms Bill

LEWIS SPEAKS ' FOR ARMS DILL SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 10 UP John L. Lewis supported President Presi-dent Roosevelt's neutrality program pro-gram in remarks at the opening of the second annual convention of the Congress of Industrial Organizations Or-ganizations her today. "The president's program on neutrality should be supported by the congress and by the people and cavilling should cease." said Lewis, president of the CIO. . The wording of the neutrality act the classification of commodities commodi-ties and lethal weapons and the question of credit or noncredit to purchasers are questions which, compared to the Issue of peace or war. are of secondary importance. "War will not come because the congress may Juggle words in the neutrality act. "War for America will come as the result of developing circumstances circum-stances which convince the American Ameri-can people that there is no other alternative." After saying the administration's neutrality program should be supported. sup-ported. Lewi added: "Labor has a major stake In this problem. In war labor must perform per-form most of the work and do most of the dying. Upon labor always 1 inflicted most of the sgony and " tragedy of war. " ' "Labor demands and must be accorded Its rightful consideration in any emergency which affects national interest. . . . We have the firm and - unalterable conviction that our nation is not called upon to participate in any manner on . one aide or the other in the European Euro-pean conflict." In a report to the convention on CIO finances, Lewis referred to the number of damage suits brought against CIO unions. "Upon the advice of counsel w have refrained from making public pub-lic at this time the financial reports re-ports of the C I O." the report stated. In falling to give the financial finan-cial report he also did not reveal . the number of dues-paying members. mem-bers. The CIO claims 4,000,000 members.