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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 1952)
daily EMERALD Fifty-third year of Publication Volume LIII' UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, EUGENE, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27, 1952 NUMBER 89 Lewis' Charge Is 'Nonsense/ ft * Says Reuther HhiIIo commentator Fulton Lewis, Jr.’s statement that Walter Reuther was in part responsible for the broadcast ban on the CIO heurkngs in Detroit Is "sheer nonsense," Reuther told the Emerald Tues day. Reuther, president of the United Auto Workers, stated: "This is the lack of morality I was talking about In my address. If you and I disagree, we stand up for what we think that’s what makes America great. We don t have to call each other names.” i Later he said he was definitely in favor of televising such hear ings. the only reservation being that they didn't become "three ring circuses.'" "Lewis has no basis whatsoever for his claim.” Keuther asserted. ”1 didn't know about the ban (on 1 yievislon and radio broadcasts of the House Un-American activities committee investigation of the Michigan CIO union) until I read about It while on a plane to the West coast.” Blamed for Bun The ban, ordered by Speaker of I the House Sam Rayburn (D-Tex.) / was said by Iu-wis to have been the result of Reuther's attempt to prevent public emphasis of "soft ness toward Communists in the CTO." s I WALTER REl'THEK •The UAW-CIO. as shown by a*a»sln the record. Is doing more to deetroy the inf luetic of Communism than those who seem to be professional distorters of the truth, Reuther said. In fact, we will testify at the hearings.” Lewis ‘'American Fascist” Reuther said Lewi* is an "American fascist” in tactics. "He makes it a practice," the UAW leader said, "of character assassination or any one he is opposed to, X disagree with Lewis and other-persons, but 1 don't go around railing people Communists or things like that.” In the 1 p.m. assembly Reuther said Lewis "does this sort of thing every other day ." And in a press conference Tuesday morning in the SU, declared Lewis is a radio version of columnist Westbrook Pegler "We have done nothing to block the hearings,” he said. Harder to Fight Iteds "It's typicnl of the nonsense that Fulton Ubwis peddles. It's easy to make anti-Communist radio broadcasts, but a lot harder to get out and fight Communism." Reuther admitted that there probably were a few Communists within the auto Industry, "as in any big industry." “At one time, the Communists had considerable influence in the UAW-CIO," Reuther said. But since the left-wing unions have been expelled, he explained, there is now no Communist influence except in a few isolated cases. •e> Wc in America must demon strate that it is possible in our kind of. world to fill stomachs without sacrificing freedom. Wal ter Reuther said Tuesday after noon. Speaking to a Student Union ballroom assembly audience of more than 1100 persons, overflow ing into the Dad's Lounge and into the hall, the United Auto Workers president said this is the core of the struggle between de mocracy and tyranny in the world. Reuthcr said we have to "pro vide a tangible and practical pro giam of economic action" in the world. "Freedom and economic security can live together in a democratic i house, but we have to prove this in a tangible way or Communism will go on winning." . . Period of World Revolution” "We've got to recognize," he stated, "that we are living in a period of world revolution," Reu thcr said this revolution is born in "hunger and poverty denial of social justice He asserted we have i military ^pd technological weap ons, but wc need to develop tools . to conquer poverty, hunger and un ' rest. "Communists didn't start this revolution." he contended. "It comes from the social dynamics of this world. The Communists have forged this unrest into aggression and revolution.” Reuthcr said we have to try to help the people of the world re alize their aspirations within the framework of basic freedom. Com munism offers economic security, he said, at the price of political and spiritaul enslavement. The task before us, Reuther pointed out. is to eliminate social Tough Queries Put to Labor Leader At Coffee Hour, Press Conference "I reject the Communists' theory i that a free society cannot reconcile initiative with social responsibility. If it can’t, then we can't defend > our society. But I think it can.” So said Walter Reuther in his coffee hour Tuesday afternoon. The labor leader said the way to l reconcile the two is to provide a "bigger pie" to divide up in such a way that all will work for a still bigger pie. Answering some tough ques tions in a strong, clear manner, the United Auto Workers presi dent stressed importance of a "pro-public" attitude, particularly as applied to workers. Taft-Hurtley Law Asked about labor's opposition ! to the Taft-Hurtley law, Reuther said the law is based on a miscon 1 ception—that a law can alleviate industrial unrest. "Under Joe Stalin and Adolph Hitler you have industrial peace without justice, but in a democ racy you must have economic and social justice to have stability.” Banning strikes is negative, he N i said. “You have to get at the cause | of them." Reuther said the Taft Hartley law, rather than facilitat ing this process, is a roadblock to i il | , r He admitted that there are 11 .hings wrong with unions. But, he said, in a good many cases "the * ones that are bad are bad because \ they act like management too many times.” . In the coffee hour Reuthcr also established these beliefs: The UAW-CIO rid itself of Com munist leaders by working hard lo make democracy work. That is the way you defeat Communism. The successful united labor pol icy committee meeting (between the CIO and AFL) did not achieve combining the two organizations An 'Enlightened' One Referring In the coffee hour to Kric Johnston, who will repre sent management in a coming assembly, Kent her said: “You have obtained one of the more enlightened management persons. But you would’ probably be more enlightened if you got one of the less enlightened ones.” because things were too good leaders in AFL feared long-range implications of combination, so broke up the proceedings. The tragedy of having Sen. Rob ert Taft (R.-Ohio) elected presi dent is not domestic. Taft's foreign policy is unrealistic we need in ternational allies to survive in the world. Neither Karl Marx nor Adam Smith had all the answers norther socialism nor Communism has all the solutions. We must have sopie thing besides Communism, social ism, or absolute laissez-faire cap italism—which is irresponsible—to ; meet the needs of the people. We must have free trade throughout the world, because our j economic future depends upon the j economic future of the world. The UAW is not for tariffs. He is not in favor of labor con- ; trolling American politics; he is ; for a broad coalition which is pro- I public, not just pro-labor. But. ! Reuther said, we do not have to fear any special group taking over i politics in this country. He said j his union is working to educate | members toward social responsi-! bility. Should Reward Initiative Initiative should not be denied i or go without reward. But it should be rewarded on the basis of j what is earned, not on "picking the j right grandparents" or making the j fight stock deals. "Society should ' . . . give the person with potential | the maximum chance to grow" to ’ fullest capacity. Communism wants to overthrow 1 existing economic system; it does n't want to improve conditions of workers, since this will make them satisfied. When asked at the morning press conference whether he would favor a merger of the Congress of Industrial Organizations and the American Federation of Labor, he answered: : ; '.'I? am a firm believer in the need for a united labor move ( Please turn to page eight) injustice. To do this, he said, we ; must understand social dynamics. 1 "The struggle between freedom 1 and tyranny in the world, Reuther 1 said, "is not for geography, but j for men's minds, hearts and loyal-1 • ties.” |, The reason we lost China to the (’ Communists, he stated, was be- i l cause we made the tragic mistake 1 of believing the struggle could be 1 won in the battlefield. 1 "We’ve got to work in the rice ' field as well," he said; the Commu nists exploited hunger and pov erty, and thus took over China. Aslan Communism Hunger There is only one kind of Com munism in Asia, he asserted,— "stomach Communism." "The four freedoms are abstractions" to I those people who know what it is j to really be hungry. From the first world war we learned that to have peace in this i part of the world, we must have peace in all the world, he said. From the second world war we | I learned the same about freedom. "We have a third lesson to learn j We've got to learn in America that I I just as peace and freedom are in- { j divisible in the world, so is econ- i i omic security indivisible." He added. "You can't preserve reedom in the world with one half mngry and one half fed. Cwnnra lism rules the backs of the half eho are hungry. ' We must recognize our present hortcoming. he said. "We've got o recognize that the people of the vorld are going to judge America lot by technological progress but >y our ability to develop a socials nechanism'’ by which we can ranslate technological progress to ■mphasis of human dignity anefc aJues. Nine Points Given To do this, he said, we must take ■ogmzance of the common dcnom nators of democratic survival: j. Arnenca must learn to live vith economic abundance In America we need a fifth basic frec iom—from fear of abundance. Fteuther said many of us operate mder the basis of monopoly andk scarcity—on the productive end. 2. On the distributive end we must find a way to pirevent un »mploymc r.t — provide purchasing power. ' Our trouble in 1929" he said, -was that we had an eight cyhnder Cadillac production ma chine. but a Model-T distribution machine". Reuther said we must prove that in a free society we can i Please turn ic par,c three) Orientation-Leadership Plan Proposed by ASUO Senator A proposal for a 10-week on ; entation-leadership training pro I gram designed to acquaint srtu- j dents with the University, make better leaders and more of them and build pride in the Uni versity has been submit ted to ! members of the ; A.SUO senate i by Bill Frye, ' lenator-at-large. 1 In a nine d a g e report ; Frye said such Bill Frve ■ a naming- pro- with a Plan ; gram would ac I complish six things: 1. Increase the calibre of student ! leaders. 2. Better use of existing facili : ties (Processes, people, commit-1 ' tees, offices and groups as well as j material facilities i. 3. Give a better understanding of the University—its history, re sponsibility to the state and aca demic achievements. 4. A concerted effort to make j this a better university. 5. A greater participation in ac tivities. 6. Make better alumni of present students. Guest Lectures Suggested Frye suggested that the pro j gram be handled by guest lecturers I under the supervision of a single ! person. The plan could be insti ; tuted fall term, he said, so that, i "it can be judged as to its worth and appeal and any changes that \ it may require could be completed ... between fall and winter or ! spring term." Frye also said that ! the results of a fall term course ! would be beneficial during the I rest of the year, j The course would be held two 1 hours each week, preferably pues ! day night from 7 p.m. to 9‘p.m. I the report stated, j *' It'is positively necessary that | the program be set up with the I idea of making it a'grade arid credit course, or at least a credit course," Frye said. This would draw students "who were net in some leadership capacity,” he in dicated. Would Fill Need The program would be open to all students. Because such a program could fill some basic needs and endow student leaders with some neces sary qualifications, it is recom mended that it be made a pre requisite before election to office* of ASUO president. vit-e-president, or senator-at-large. F ye stated. I Please turn to page six) Women's Croups To Elect Officers Election of officers for the three main campus women's organiza tions. Associated Women students, Women’s Recreational association and 1WCA, will be held from 12:30 to 6 p.m. today in GerlVger. Elaine Hartung and Sarah Turn bull are i tinning for AWS presi dent. Secretary candidates are Judy McLoughlin and Joan Walk er. Kay Moore and Joann Sloan are nominees for treasurer. Candidates for reporter are Sharon Brown and Ginger Loudo'n and Dorothy Kopp and Sylvia Win gard will be on the ballots foi the post of sergeant-at-arms. \YRA presidential nominees are Bunny Bradley ar.d Lois Hamar. Mary Jordan and Beverely Wfid are running for secretary am*. Mary Bennette and Shirley Nich ols for treasurer. Sergeant-at arms nominees are Aside- Dixon and Harriet Vahey. To Martin an«* Norma Munie are Custodian candi dates. The YWCA slate as announced - in Monday's Emerald includes Jane ! Please turn tc page eight)