The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-08-02
By WILLIAM F. DUNE.

4 liz DSoIOh II aAASCAlpCy III ISCSII
long editorial dealing with the
coal mining situation, remarks:
"Since the first of April the strike
of the union miners in the bituminous
coal fields has been under way. Up
to this time, it has been the strangest
miners strike on record. While it
was in effect during three of the first
six months of the year, the total pro-
duction of soft coal from Jan. LIST to
June 30th was larger by 100000
tons than the production in the same
period last year"
IT is indeed a strange strike of which
one of the leading organs of CAPT
taist reaction on the Atlantic sea-
board can speak with such cynical
assurance. The strike is under
leadership John L. Lewis and his Of
fetal family whose loyalty to Amer
lean institutions cannot be ques-
toned, a loyalty which has been
proved in the long campaign against
Communists and left wingers which
this leadership has waged. E.
THE strike then is regular strike
and has not "been fomented by
trouble-seeking elements"-the usual
official excuse for the lack of eff
fectiveness of a strickland it is to
be assumed that the United Mine
Workers of America are getting the
full support of the American Fedora
ton Of Labor and that the strike is
being conducted in the practical"
manner which is the boast Of Ameri-
can labor officialdom.
THE strike, however, is not stopping
the production and the bosses are
not worrying. 1t has been in pro
gress for four months yet the CAPT.
talist press can report that a plenti-
full supply of coal is in sight and that
the non-union mines if pressed can
produce so per cent more tonnage
than at present.
1t is obvious that the practical"
methods of the official labor leader
ship are not getting results for the
miners. 1t is no longer possible for
the Lewis machine in the United Mine
Workers of America to conceal its
incompetency by hurting broadsides
at the ''reds."
THE organization of the morgan
lied fields is the problem around
which the whole question of policy
and tactics in the miners strike him
ges. The Lewis machine cannot
claim that it has not had this issue
brought to it's attention since it was
the principal demand of the "Save
the Union" bloc headed by John
Brophy in the last election. The
machine, however, has failed to pre-
pare in any way for such campaign
with the result that after four months
of striking the union miners see pro-
duction increasing instead of decreas-
ing.
THE Boston Transcript continues:
"Up to this time, there has
been a demonstration of the ability
of the country to get along without
the help of the United Mine Workers.
Not least in interest among the ques-
tons raised by this strike which the
public has so largely forgotten may
relate to the future of that organiza-
ton and the fate of the policies which
it has pursued under the leadership
of John l.. Lewis. The fact remains
that the American people do not ad-
nit that they are at the mercy OF
the union miners and mention Of a
coal strike does not throw them into
panic"
THIS then has been the resust of the
Lewis policies. The once power
full United Mine Workers of Ameri-
ca, whose strikes have made labor
history, under the Lewis leadership
has become an organization which in
stead of being denounced by the
capitalist press, has become an OBJ
ject of ridicule.
The Lewis machine makes no seri-
Gus attempt to organize the nom
union fields, it does not declare gen
uine national strike and call upon all
coal miners to join it's struggle but
it does make war upon the militant
section of the membership.
INSTEAD of fighting the coal opera
q tors it fights those members who
point to the danger the union faces
and demand that the full strength
of the union be thrown into an or
ganization drive in the non-union
fields.
The United Mine Workers will lose
its strike and suffer disastrous de-
feat which will have a devastating
effect upon the whole labor move
ment unless it begins to fight in the
way it did before the strangling grip
of the Lewis machine was placed up
on it.
AND here it is necessary to say
ii few words relative to the attitude
of some of the progressive leaders
an attitude reflected in some sections
of the rank and file. This attitude