Evening star., 1927-11-07

lean Federation Of Labor will plan to
help their embattled brothers?
These questions I have been asking
of both the mine operators and their
workers. I mean to give the answer
of each side as fairly as l know how.
An Impression of Lewis.
I present the unions side first.
That, certainly. no one can give As
authoritatively as John Lewis, the
mine workers president.
TO see him in his office is like visit
ing a general in his tent. His great
frame and massive neck make it easy
to understand that he has gained by
the strongest of arms as well as by
will and generalship his amazingly
powerful position at the head of the
cOuntryS most aggressive, militant
and powerful of unions, numbering
usually nearly half a million members,
members who speak more than two
score languages.
In the early days Lewis had to
face many dangers of personal vic.
lence before his opponents found 1t
wise to cooperate with his program.
OF these battles he is not given to
talk. but of the everyday satisfaction
of getting down coal or copper with
almost hours swapping tales about
this or that danger or difficulty en-
countercd and overcome by some hit
OF boldneSs or craftsmanship down in
the black passages inside"
A moment later, however, the
general would appear: In the lowest of
voices and with the friendliest of faces
beneath his thick curly brown hair he
would proceed to show himself the
accommodating not with single
mines, or towns, or even States, but
with great grorIps Of States.
In a sentence he would describe the
results of his campaign in the sector
from the Mississippi on out to the
Pacific Ocean. Another sentence
would dispose Of the latest progress
made by his army in Indiana and
Illinois.
Even though he may not have
visited this or that district in years
he can tell you of developments there
as if he had visited it last week, just
as he knows all about this or that
great operator, what his managerial
skill Is or isn't, what other companies
he's affiliated with.
All this is true, too. Hardly one oi
his opponents but will assure YOU
that John Lewis is straight-a lone
handler, with almost no intimates, 90
stinate, If not pig-headed, but straight.
Effect on Coal Users.
The obstinate" of course, refers
to Lewis years-long stand on "NC
backward stepr' his unwillingness tC
consider any reduction whatsoever OIL
wheresoever of the Jacksonville wage
scale established in 1920 under Presl
dent Wilson at minimum base rate
of $3.50 day. On that line the bat
tie has been joined hottest since last
| April ].
His "obstinacy," so John Lewis be
lieves. is required for something mort
than simply the interests of his min
ers. 1t rests, he holds, on issues as
broad as the whole front of American
labor. and hence of American life
itself.
So when / asked him what we coa'
users stood to lose or gain in the issue
of the present warfare his answer
was to remind me of the testimony
had once told him of encountering a:
| the hands of many of my miner com
panions.
1.-The shock troops Of labor's army
they had said, that's what we union
lied miners are. It's us fellows that
goes ahead and sets high mark SOS
the other wage earners can keep uI
to us. If we step back and accept
the wage levels the bosses have a mint
to give us. then all the other workers
in the country will have to take that
step backward with us.
"In every factory, everywhere, every
employer will heat his employees dowr
Just that much more. Then where
will all this prosperity that's come
from high wages go to? Can't you
see, it's us that's guarding not only
other workers but everybody in the
whole country
"Furthermore," so Mr.. Lewis woult