isiu * §- Endorsed by tke - ' . f: Federation o, VOL. XV. No. 10 _'""“ '“"'ZZZZI <2.00 Pm T—» Back Up The Boys — With BOND'S Ilu» ONLY REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY In Mecklenburg County runmD and co-man m cham^tt* and For n Weekly It* Render* Represent the L ARGEST BUYING POWER in Charlotte . .mi.. tOtCKLCNBVM COCNTT IN ITS KMTIBBfT .. —T ... , ■ THE CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL ADVOCATES LOYALTY TO THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR; PROMOTION OF INDUSTRIAL PROSPERITY, AND CO-OPERATION OF ALL WORKERS ALONG EVERY LINE. AN ANSWER FROM OKINAWA Infantryman, Killed in Battle for Japanese Island, Writes Blue print for America’s Future Greatness By Pfc. John H. Hogan Pfc. John H. Hogan, 184th Infantry, veteran of the Attu, irfcA. Kwajalein and Leyte campaigns, was killed in action on Okinawa. May 7, 1945. Official confirmation from the War De nartmeift came last month to his family in New York. On the day he gave his life in combat, and for several weeks before and after, the statesmen of the United Nations were meet ing in San Francisco to drhft a new world charter, in an effort to insure that his sacrifice, and that 6f thousands like him, might not this time be in vain. But even the most optimistic of the dip lomats agreed that no organization will succeed without the spirit ■nd nhilosoohy that can answer the causes of war in men’s hearts. Private Hogan’s letters to his fam ily articulate the hopes and fears of those thousands everywhere. They are battlefront classics from a Soldier who fought not only with his gun and walkie-talkie, but who put into words for the statesman and the ordinary w»n a philosophy by which all can work together to make possible a new W°We present here one of his recent letters in commemoration of a gallant fighter in the war of arms, and in the war of ideas which will outlast it.— The Editors. From the deck of the transport where I sit, I am looking out past the rail on turquoise waters of the Pa cific, for the moment at least living up to its name. All around the great convoy moves silently, one of the mightiest armadas ever as sembled. The low snakeline contours of the island encircle us like a great green wreath, standing sentinel against the sea. My own division is here, drawing perhaps the most vital task of the en tire operation. With these men I have shared Kiska, Kwajalein. Leyte and some of us are veterans of Attu. There is little excitement aboard as I write. There are a few card games in progress, but mostly the men are talking quietly in small groups or, perhaps, writing that last letter home to the folks. I have a brother in France and one training in Texas now to be in on the final act of the drama. My thoughts are with them as I write, and with my family in New York. The support of their prayers is the greatest reality of my daily life. Long before Ethio pia, Poland or Nanking, my family was fighting. Across the confused disillusion and moral anarchy of the prewar years, we heard the prophetic voice of Dr. Frank Buchman. He and his associates in Moral Re-Armament were working frantically in the face of apathy and persecution in a race against time to warn the statesman and the common man alike, that un less the moral foundations of civilisa tion were restored, crisis would end in catastrophe. THE REAL ENEMY He said, “The world will listen to the guidance of God, or the world will listen to guns.” Today, poised for the greatest battle of the Pacific war my thoughts are primarily of gratitude to him, because he has shown me the real enemy and taught me how to fight. There are two wars going on: the war of arms and the war of the spirit. The first is almost won. The second is almost lost. Unless there is bom again in our people the spirit of sac rifice and service, of moral respon sibility and faith in God, my com rades and I who fight on the Pacific beaches, and those of us who will die there, have been exploited and be trayed and have fought and died in vain. The cultural, and above all the democratic heritage of Western civi lisation, had its roots in historic Chris tianity. Modern man destroyed the roots, and the flower withered and died. Rejecting our responsibility as moral beings to God, the liberty to do what we ought as free men became the license tf do what we pleased. With this decay in individual char acter, the nations were subverted and betrayed, and lost their strength and sense of destiny, and even their very life blood. It was inevitable that such a world should end in sorrow, broken faith and war. That world is dead and he who would resurrect it is the enemy of mankind. Modern man has tried in vain to build society on the shifting sands of scien tific humanism, universal education, politics without justice, and economics without God. Now we must rebuild civilisation on the bedrock of Chris tian faith, the sanctity of the family and the home, and the wisdom and the plan of God. The American people are emerging today with more power and more prestige than any other single country in the family of nations. Mankind is knocking at our gates, seeking light from our national fires, wisdom from our leaders, the hope of peace from our people. Before we can fulfill our destiny to lead the world to sanity and harmony we have to rebuild the fiber of our national life. AMERICA’S OPPORTUNITY Suppose we as a nation find again the faith in God our fathers knew? Suppose our homes become again the nation’s strength, our schools the center of true learning for good citi zenship, our farms and factories the patterns of unity, integrity and na tional service? Suppose our states men learn again to listen to the voice of God? Then we shall know once more the greatness of a nation whose strength is in her obedience to the moral law of God, and in the spirit of her people. Then our fighting will not be in vain. Then America will hold forth to all people of the earth the only answer that can satisfy their longing for peace, their thirst for a sane and de cent world. There is one other road and only one. The forces of subversion—those who would make sex and materialism the philosophy of our national life, money, pride and power the goals of our living. They too have a road to offer. And at its end is racial apd class warfare, and national suicide. They are organised and passionate. They have already sapped our strength and split our people. Only with the help of God wul we be able to reor ganise and defeat them. ■ EXCERPTS FROM HOGAN^LAST^LETTERS^OME c) / “I was thinking last night of what a privilege is mine in having a family whose longing for our return carries also a sense of commission because you want us to return, not to softness and ease and the mater ialism that would mock these days, but to the eternal warfare of the spirit that alone can give them fruit. It might be called the paradox of ‘returning soldiers who go home to fight!’ This thought means a lot to me because it is at the heart of the problem of building the now world. We can be sure that unless, increasingly, our soldiers return to spiritual warfare, the new world will most definitely not be built. (On transport heading for Okinawa) “I feel so light-hearted and confident and buoyant that I can’t help from chuckling inwardly at the thought that I am an incurable optim ist—part ofTtne legacy of being Irish perhaps! For want of better words I can only call it the sense of invincibility. I am facing the facts squarely and with God’s help I shall always do so. I realise that any thing can happen, but I know with a certainty beyond explanation that nothing can happen to me of which God has not the fore-knowledge and for which He has not a glorious and creative plan and purpose; God’s way of dealing with us is very real and very simple. He takes us to the summit of Calvary and shows us all the evil and jiain and sorrow and danger in the universe and then says with divine simplicity, Fear not, for I have overcome the world.”’ . . . . .. _. . (Okinawa, the last letter written) •This time has been incomparably the worst IVe seen in the military sense.... No man, no society, no civilization can begin to thank those men (the front-line infantry) for their fight to throw back the onrush ing forces of hate. God alone can reward them, and He will. . . . Twe future is rich in promise. “This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s aong!’ God bless you all. Fight on! We march as one. ■aaaaBhmHaamBBBmHmaaaBmaamamamHMIHMIHHnMHIHHBHBHHBMBnHB BEING POOR William James We have grown literally afraid to be poor. We despise any one who elects to be poor in order to simplify and save bis inner life. We have lost the power of even imagining what the ancient idealisation of poverty could have meant; the liberation from ma terial attachments, the unbribed soul, the manlier indifference, the paying our way by what we are or do, and not by whist we have, the right to fling away our life at any moment irresponsibly—the more athletic trim; in short, the moral fighting shape. It is certain that the prevalent fear of poverty among the educated classes is the worst moral disease from which our civilization suffers. -V Patronize Journal Advertiaera Subscribe for The Journal. mnmmmmmmmmmmmmmwmmmmwmammmmmmmmmmmmmm “FIGHT - WORK - SAVE” OUT OF EVERY PAY ENVELOPE BUY WAR BONDS THE A. F. OF L. STANDS WITH AND FOR THE FLAG WHMMMAMAMMMMMMHMMMMMIMMMMMIMMMMMWMMMMk WORKERS EAGER FOR ASSURANCE SAYS A. F. L. PRESIDENT WM. GREEN; STRIKES DUE TO GROWING UNREST WASHINGTON, July 15.—President William Green of the American Federation of Labor said tonight that “current strikes are symptomatic of a growing unrest among American workers.** He added, in a talk writte/i for a network broadcast: “First, take-home wages have been sharply cut by reduced overtime. “Second, many workers have lost their relatively well-paid jobs in war industries because of cutbacks, and the only new jobs available to them offer much lower wages. “Third, the failure of the government to act promptl y in providing adequate unemployment compensation in surance has filled war workers with fear that they will be left stranded when the war ends.** Green proposed “free collective bargaining** to raise wage rates where price increases will not result. He also asked an increase in minimum wages from 55 to 72 cents an hour, and unemployment insurance paying off as much as $25 a week to workers with families. Green said “such action will reduce strikes to a mini mum.** He reaffirmed the AFL*s no-strike pledge and said that “headlines last Week told us with a great deal of em phasis that fifty thousand workers had quit their jobs** but “not a word was said about the fifty million workers who remained faithfully at their tasks.** Tall Stories Of Big Pay Held To Blaine For Veterans’ Wage Expectations WASHINGTON, D. C—(ILNS)— Many veterans disappointed at not ob taining the fabulous $160 a' week war plant job” about which they heard overseas prefer to collect unemploy ment compensation rather than take lower pay jobs, Ted F. Silvey, chair man of the CIO Reconversion Commit tee said here. Silvey told the Washington chapter of the American Veterans Committee that this country is reaping the har vest of having permitted outrageous stories” of war plant salaries to reach men fighting overseas. Full Employment Goal Urged “When the returning veteran asks for those high wages, he is told that the plant manager or foreman may receive that much but he is disgruntled when informed that he can have only a |35 a week or maybe a $50 a week job,” Silvey said. A JOINT FIGHT ON DISEMPLOYMENT The American Federation of Labor has taken the initiative in establish ing Social Security Committees with in Central Labor Unions. These com mittees are designed to offset the ef fects. of unemployment. Community Chests and Councils, Inc., embracing hundreds of local Chests and Councils of Social Agen cies, has joined in this effort to com blessness. Its affiliated mem p is urged to gather full infor mation about unemployment compen sation, old age and survivors’ insur ance, public works, U. S. Employment Service, residence requirements for benefits, public assistance programs, aid to transients, and kindred subjects. Local Community Chests can be of real assistance to A. F. of L. Social Security Committees by furnishing this valuable information. Result of this combined action: Easing effects of unemployment for returned vet erans ana displaced war workers. This is only one of the many serv ices offered to Labor by Chests and Social Councils. ' Here are a few other fields in which most of them operate: 1. Adjustment of veterans to civilian life. 2. Hospital, clinics and health-re storing services. 3. Special educational opportunities for children. 4. Recreation advantages to all, in cluding parks, play grounds, swim ming pools and summer camps. 6. Assistance in housing difficulties. 6. Adjustment of family problems. Central Labor Unions can become better acquainted with these oppor tunities by taking full part in de liberations of the Chests and Social Agencies. The Labor League for Human Rights has already opened the door in this direction. C. L. U.’s should follow up by making the most of com mittee assignments alloted to Labor. The stigma of “relief” surrounding the work of Chests and Social Agen cies is rapidly fading away.. Labor can permanently remove this atmosphere by extending its interest in the plan ning and work of community service organizations. Labor’s participation during the war years has helped greatly to bring about a new concep tion of the advantages they offer. An era of world-wide cooperation is beginning. Labor and the Social Ser vices have made a good start in at tempting to understand each other’s problems. Let’s enlarge this under standing. Both will benefit immeasur ably. -V ON GIVING ADVICE A. Edward Newton Only when a man is safely ensconc ed under six feet of earth, with sev eral tons of enlauding granite upon his chest, is he in a position to give advice with any certainty, and then he is silent. WAGES BELOW 65c HR SUBSTANDARD; SENATE LABOR SUBCOMMITTEE ASKS EARLY CONSIDERATION OF AMENDT WASHINGTON, July 16*—(AP)—A Senate Labor sub committee indorsed yesterday a resolution declaring it is the sense of congress that any hourly wage below 65 cents is “substandard.” It recommended that Congress give early consideration to amending the fair labor standards act “with a view to raising the statutory minimum wage and broadening the coverage of the act.** That law fixes 40 cents as the minimum wage which may be paid by businesses engaged in interstate commerce. I The resolution — introduced by Senators Pepper, Democrat of Flor ida. LaFollette, Progressive of Wis consin, and Johnston, Democrat of South Carolina—would direct spe cifically that the War Labor Board shall consider any wage under 66 cents an hour substandard. At present, WLB accepts 55 cents as substandard. This means that wages can be raised to that level with out regard for the wage stabilisation program. The subcommittee — composed of Senators Pepper, LaFollette, Thom as, Democrat at Utah, Tunnel], Demo crat of Delaware, and Aiken, Repub lican of Vermont—estimated in its report that 10,000,000 workers re ceive less than 66 cents. “This minimum rate, it is important to remember, would in no sense be a compulsory minimum,” the report said. “It would be purely permissive; If an employer wished to raise his wage rates to 66 cents he would be - _l-.-- --. permitted to do so.” The committee emphasised that the resolution if adopted “would not pre vent the board from setting a higher minimum should it determine such a -ate to be necessary to fulfillment of the requirements of announced policy.” , “Despite the relatively high level of wartime wages," the committee’s report declared,“millions of American workers and their families are today forced to exist on earnings insufficient to provide even the barest minimum standard of living consistent with health and decency.” “If this resolution is adopted, the maximum possible aggregate cost of wage increases to the industries af fected would be about $4,000,000,000 a year. This figure, however, is baaed upon the unrealistic assumption that all workers receiving less than 66 cents an hour would immediately be raised to 66 cents,” the group said. Organized Labor Held Vital Force Working For Betterment Of South AAonviLLii, ienn. — — Vigorously advocating the growth and I strengthening of union labor in the South, the Southern Conference for Human Welfare declared here that or ganised labor is a vital force working constantly for betterment of the aver age Southerner and his family. In an attractively printed and illus trated pamphlet, Just published, the conference asserts that much of the king-range security and welfare of Southern workers depends on the strength of organized labor below the Mason-Dixon line. "Tomorrow’s world—the world of our children—will depend in large measure on our protection of tne rights of labor organizations and on our cooperation with these organiza tions in pursuit of our common goals,’’ the pamphlet says. It concludes, “If you are a worker, join a union. They work for your children, too!” The Southern Conference is com posed of business, labor, farm, civic, church and professional leaders who seek to mobilize the resources of the South for greater benefit to that re gion and to the nation. It is actively working for the abilition of the poll tax, for abolition of the freight rati# discriminations against Southern in dustry, for the protection of the rights of labor and racial and religious mi norities, for the extension of federal aid to farmers, and for better medical and educational facilities for the South. --v___ B. L. GREEN JR., IS GIVEN PURPLE HEART —SON OF LOCAL PRINTER “W' bSI G™ Vrf Charlotte, a member of the 38th “Cy tel»vi8ion; h*s ***" *wartad the Purple Heart for wounds received in . ®*'t- Green holds the Asiatic-Pacific «£b0Pi,ir,th- thrre battle stars, and ^beration ribbon in addition to his latest award. He is the CSJftflWE Bn,ord «* jTS.® l?lst Infantry soldier attend ed the Central High School and was an apprentice machinist at the Navy Yard in Washington, D. C. He has re covered from his wounds and has re tureed to duty with his company. (Mr. Green, Sr., has for many years had charge of the linotype machines on the Charlotte Observer.) --V EVERY THIRD WOMAN REJECTED BY WACS WASHINGTON. — An appaling lack of physical fitness among the nation’s womanhood is revealed in a War Department report that one-third of all applicants for enlistment in the WACS were rejected for medical rea sons. It was pointed out that the 33 per cent rejections indicate an even more serious health situation for women than for the 40 per cent rejection rate did for the men. YouSaidlt This is indeed a crazy world; Its wonders never cease. While the civilized nations went to war The savages remained at peace! —By Joseph Kundla, Ernest, Pa. CENTRAL BODY MEETS The Charlotte Central Labor Union held its regular weekly meeting last Thursday, July 12, and all of the va rious locals were well represented. They reported favorable progress on all business at hand. Mr. George Goose, southern representative of tne A. F. of L. was present and explained that the recent wage raise of the post office employes was a result of incessant pressure put to bare by the various Central Bodies over the na tion. Other business was brought be fore the body and discussed at length, -V Labor Bill Held Blow At Right To Strike _ NEW YORK CITY— mentary schools in Charlotte in 1946. When it is realized that school enroll ment is compulsory, this voluntary use of the Public Library represents a good record. 14,167 books were lent from the Main Children’s Department and the two white City. Branches in May. The June figures were much higher. -V TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY Ralph Waldo Emerson Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, and with not too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This day is all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a mo i ment on the yesterdays.