PLEDGE NOT TO STRIKE

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21688, 26 March 1942, Page 4

PLEDGE NOT TO STRIKE

Pledging their wholehearted support of the United States Administration and undertaking to refrain from all strikes during the war, the vast membership of the Congress of Industrial Organisations has shown how ill-founded were rumours commonly heard before the declaration of war that active participation in the conflict would bring industrial chaos to the United States. It is now known, of course, that such rumours were fostered by Axis propagandists with the objective of dissuading the American Government from entering the war. Mr Roosevelt knew far better than any Axis agent the essential qualities of the average American working man. His appeal has not been in vain. Today the opinion of these millions of men appears to be as sound and as determined on an Allied victory as any in the world. American people, who for generations have enjoyed a great measure of freedom—even in less dangerous days the freedom to strike and quarrel over the conduct of domestic affairs—have fully realised that their valued freedom is at stake. Germany tried to use them as catspaws. Their reply must be a source of pride to all American people. Pledging themselves not to strike during the war, they promised that “Herculean efforts of the workers will produce the tanks, aeroplanes, guns and ships necessary for an immediate offensive against the Axis Powers to achieve victory in 1942.” Probably no other body of workers in the world has gone further than that. The working men, and women, of Britain and the United States have taken a stand in this fight for freedom which must inspire the people of every other Allied country.