U.S. unions and Vietnam

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32612, 21 May 1971, Page 2

U.S. unions and Vietnam

(N.Z. Pr«M WELLINGTON, May 20.

There was a misunderstanding of the position of the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations on Vietnam, Mr J. F. Henning told the annual conference of the Federation of Labour today. Mr Henning, a former United States Ambassador to New Zealand, is attending the conference as fraternal delegate from the A.F.L.C. 1.0. He is secretary-treas-urer of the Californian trade union movement.

He said he would not generally speak on F.O.L. conference decisions, but he had been asked about a remit, endorsed yesterday in which the F.O.L. continued its opposition to the presence ot foreign troops in Indo-China. Had he been a delegate, Mr Henning said, he would have voted for the remit. There was a misunderstanding of the A.F.L.-C.1.0. position. The organisation was strongly in favour of self - determination and strongly in favour of the withdrawal of all foreign powers from Vietnam whether the United States, the Soviet Union or China. He said the AF.L.-C.1.0. was against any military involvement by the powers in other countries. Military involvement could fall short of

armed involvement, he said, citing the position in the Middle East, where both the United States and Soviet Union were involved.

, “That’s not a Sunday picnic,” he said.

The organisation was against unilateral withdrawal if it served the purposes of the opposition, but the Vietnamese in the south felt they could defend themselves.

Mr Henning said the United States, the Soviet Union, China and other nations could help peace by pouring in money to assist those people affected by the war.

On race relations, he said that America could not get meaningful equality until it turned to the law. It could not be done on a voluntary basis.