Reprint from The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., of Feb. 28, 1942.

Let Al Keen Gaith!

at A Document for every thinking ..
2) citizen of the United States. al

“To The Commercial Appeal:

“My only son was born while I was in France during the first World War. Today
he is a member of the United States Marine Corps. He sailed from California the first of
January, and we have heard nothing from him since. We know he is somewhere in the
Pacific. We ace anxious about him. Thousands of other parents are like us.

“The President says we do not have enough ships to send supplies to our troops, and
that we must build ships in a hurry. Even as he spoke several hundred shipbuilders re-
fused to wotk on Washington’s Birthday because they were not paid double time.

“How can fathets and mothers of boys who ate in the danger zone and who ate be-
ing called upon to sactifice their lives feel any ‘surge’ of unity when the President and the
Congress permit a bunch of shipbuilders and munitions workers to quit when they get
good and ready?

“Do out boys at the front get ‘overtime’ and ‘double time’ in the fox holes of the
Philippines? Do out sons who ate giving their lives to protect the jobs of these and oth-
ers like them quit on holidays? Like hell they do!

“One of my friends, who is a good mechanic, with a family to support, went to get a
job in a munitions plant. Every day we heat on the radio and tread in the newspapers that
such men ate needed to turn out munitions for our soldiers, sailors and marines. But this
man was tefused a job until he could get a union card. He could not get a union card be-
cause he did not have enough money to buy one.

“Ts it the idea of our Government that tt is more important to preserve labor unions
than it is to preserve the American Union? W hy can’t a freeborn Ametican citizen get a job
in a plant where the Government needs workers without having to pay ttibute to a high-
powered labor leader?

“If out sons ate to be drafted to give their lives for theit country, why should not
Labor and Capital be drafted to supply them with munitions of wat? Why should Con-
gress, which has the power to make laws, be so tender of the regard for laborers and man-
agement who work and prosper in safety while having an utter disregard for the lives of
the boys at the front?

“We don’t like it, and we don’t mind saying so right out loud. Maybe it is time we
were electing some senators and congressmen who will crack down and compel Capital
and Labor to get into this war. And come to think of it, this is election year, and we
might as well get busy while we have the time and opportunity.

JOHN C. SHEFFIELD.
Helena, Ack.