The Potters Herald

AFL HEAD SAYS CLEAR STATEMENT
ON POLICY 'DESPERATELY NEEDED'

Washington, D. C. (ILNS).-Calling upon Congress for a forthright statement of foreign policy, acknowledging the responsibility of the United States for helping to maintain world peace, President William Green of the American Federation of Labor declared such a statement was "desperately needed to clarify international planning."

"We look to Congress for wide deliberation and speedy action," President Green said in a signed editorial in the November American Federationist, official AFL organ.

Green said in his editorial:

"Even a very casual review of United States history shows that we have been continuously involved in every major war between the nations of Europe. World peace has ever been indivisible, so that warfare in any area menaced the peace of all.

Decision Now Crucial

"Now in the midst of the most terrible and destructive war the world has ever encountered, we are making decisions that will determine whether we shall continue to use war as our method of deciding issues between nations or whether we shall unite with other countries to develop and administer world law and order. Such world law and order must rest on the basic principle of the dignity of the individual who has spiritual as well as physical life. Human rights are derived from the fact that the individual must decide his life in accord with moral standards.

"Democratic countries accept human rights as sacred; by uniting on a world basis they can assure human rights on a world basis. Only a world order that assures human rights of individuals and the groups through which they seek a better life can give us a lasting basis for peace. Such an order would progress steadily toward freedom for all and away from rule over other peoples' lives.

"Police Power Essential"

"Experience shows that the use of police power is an essential condition to maintenance of order in any geographic division. This is equally true of international order.

"There is practically no disagreement on objectives. The next step is to get agreement on how to implement these objectives. Mutual confidence and good faith help toward decisions that will mean freedom for all peoples.

"While we cannot escape the consequences of the mistakes of the past, nor the outbreak of civil war when arbitrary rule is broken, we can raise the torch of freedom which alone can lift nations to higher levels of living.

Clear Statement Needed

"What is now desperately needed to clarify international planning is a clear, forthright statement of national foreign policy by the Congress of the United States. That basic statement need be only a formal statement of the responsibility our nation feels for doing its part in maintaining peace between nations, with justice to all, and that to this end we must participate in the development of agencies necessary to maintain justice.

"The task ahead is so stupendous and fateful that we might hesitate if we did not know destruction of our civilization by war is the only alternative.

"We look to Congress for wise deliberation and speedy action, thus typifying the cooperation of all parties and branches of the government for the nation's best interests. Such basic policy will then be the guiding control of all our international conferences and relations.

"Congress is our policy-making agency and has this responsibility for leadership."