United Automobile Worker

UNITED AUTOMOBILE WORKER

Secretary
Addes
Says

THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION

Everyone by this time will have read the comments of the professional politicians and all of the dope stories about the Democratic convention. This is simply the view of a labor delegate to the convention.

First, let me say that the convention destroyed the myth, for me at least, that the two major parties are alike. For a trade unionist, the two platforms, especially the labor planks, show this difference most. The Republicans are vague enough in their labor platform to get the nod of approval from Herbert Hoover, Hearst and DuPont as well as a handful of alleged labor leaders. But, behind the double talk, there is a clear determination to destroy the Wagner Act and the Wage and Hour Law.

THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM STANDS ON THE RECORD OF THE ROOSEVELT ADMINISTRATION AND PROMISES MORE ACTION ALONG THE SAME LINES. THAT RECORD IS A GOOD ONE FOR LABOR. A RECORD WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY CARRIED OUT THE PROMISES MADE IN EARLIER CONVENTIONS. NO WONDER 98 PER CENT OF THE PRESS IS AGAINST THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

The platform is weak in many respects--on the Negro question especially--but a major victory was achieved when the reactionaries in some Southern States stopped in their attempt to get passage of a States Rights Resolution which would have permitted the killing of all social legislation passed by the New Deal, would have prevented a legislative fight for the repeal of the poll tax, and would have permitted discrimination against poor whites and Negroes in the primaries in violation of the Texas primary decision by the Supreme Court.

PEOPLE'S PLATFORM

The platform is a great advance over the Republican on many issues. Space will not permit my going into details, but all those who were there and those who listened over the radio must have noticed that the speeches by delegates, by officials and by guests showed a great awareness of the common people's problems.

THE OVERWHELMING VOTE FOR ROOSEVELT'S RENOMINATION WAS PAGE 7 By GEORGE F. ADDES Secretary Treasurer UAW. CIO THE BEST SIGN WE COULD GET OF THE PROGRESSIVE CHARACTER OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN 1944.

The Southern revolt flopped; the great majority of the Southerners voted for the Commander in Chief.

UAW DELEGATES

Wallace's real victory was also a demonstration of success of the Political Action program of the CIO. It did a lot of work for him in Chicago, not nearly as much as the papers would have you believe, but nevertheless a good deal.

As a UAW-CIO member I was especially proud of the work of two of our officers--President Thomas did a real job for labor on the Resolutions and Platform Committees and on the floor of the convention for Henry Wallace. Vice-President Frankensteen's speech in support of Vice-President Wallace gripped the attention of the entire convention. He blasted the reactionaries, called for a clean vote, a vote free from machine politics, and the audience roared to this unexpected courageous and clear-cut statement of the issue.

TRUMAN IS NO WALLACE, BUT TRUMAN IS NO REACTIONARY. HE IS A MAN WHO WAS ELECTED BY LABOR AND WHO, ACCORDING TO OUR WASHINGTON OFFICE, HAS WORKED WITH LABOR CONSISTENTLY.

We can play a decisive role in the forthcoming election. It is our responsibility as individuals to vote and our duty to urge others to vote. Leaders must be elected who are determined to give every American a square deal, who are determined to win the war and win the peace. ROOSEVELT AND TRUMAN IS THE TICKET WHICH LABOR MUST SUPPORT IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.